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Ethics101 explores the moral questions behind everyday life, governance and public administration.

We connect philosophy, moral psychology and real-world dilemmas to make ethics accessible and relevant to students, professionals and public servants.

04/09/2026

Students Follow the Rules. What About the System?

Behind every examination are months of preparation, family sacrifices and hopes for a better future. Students enter it trusting that their effort will receive a fair chance.

When a paper leaks, an answer key is wrong or an examination must be repeated, the consequences extend beyond administrative inconvenience. Students lose time, bear additional costs and face uncertainty through no fault of their own.

This is why the ethics of exams matters.

An examination is a moral contract. Students owe the system honesty. In return, the system owes them a fair chance, a competent process, honest communication, accountability and a fair remedy when things go wrong.
We rightly expect students to answer for breaking the rules. What should we expect when the system fails them?

In this Ethics101 episode, I explore the five promises behind every examination—and what it takes to make a system worthy of trust.

▶️ Watch the full episode: The Ethics of Exams: Fairness, Trust and Accountability
https://youtu.be/kL6a31IMSA0

26/08/2026

Pahom wanted more land.

Then came an extraordinary offer: take as much land as you can walk around in a single day but return before sunset.

He could have stopped.
Instead, every stretch of land made the next one seem worth having.

Tolstoy’s How Much Land Does a Man Need? is not really a story about land.
It is about desire.

About the point at which ambition becomes greed.
And about a question that is often harder than wanting more:
How much is enough?

22/08/2026

What is ethical thinking built on?

Ethical dilemmas can look very different.

A question about honesty
A conflict over rights
A decision involving harm
A dispute about fairness.

But beneath them are a few recurring foundations:
Values. Principles. Virtues. Rights & Duties. Consequences. Justice.

These are the 6 building blocks of ethics.

In the new Ethics101 episode, we break down each one through simple examples and ask the questions they bring into ethical reasoning:
What matters?
How should we act?
Who should we become?
What do we owe one another?
What happens because of our actions?
What is fair?
Together, they form the basis of ethical thinking.

Watch the full episode on YouTube:
6 Building Blocks of Ethics | How Ethical Thinking Works
https://youtu.be/vw9Hwj7I-zE?si=9ELkJIpe0y5vjWbf

19/08/2026

In Guide (1965), Raju begins by pretending to be someone he is not.

But slowly, the role begins to change him.

Can pretending to be a better person become the first step towards actually becoming one?

A question about character, habit and moral transformation.

11/08/2026

Save Lives or Secure the Border?

A group of civilians reaches the border at night. Many are women and children. Some are injured and need immediate help.

But among them are armed soldiers.

What should a public official do when humanitarian responsibility and national security pull in different directions?

This UPSC 2025 GS IV case study is a useful example of ethical decision-making under pressure. The challenge is not simply to choose compassion or security, but to protect life while remaining alert to risk, law and administrative responsibility.

In this episode, we examine the options available, the ethical and legal dilemmas involved, and the most proportionate course of action.

Watch the full episode on Ethics101 YouTube:
https://youtu.be/ilDONsrdbIM?si=j7wxS...

03/08/2026

The Ethics Brief | Watching Ourselves Live

"In our society now, we prefer to see ourselves living than living." Guy Debord

We love watching ourselves live more than we love living.

The photo of the moment matters more than the moment.
The post about the trip matters more than the trip itself.

We've started performing our lives instead of living them.

- K M Pathi

For more on ethics & well-being, follow us:
https://youtube.com/?si=GQUmU2Y_b614_Zs9

02/08/2026

Humanitarian Case Studies Are Not About Compassion Alone

When people are injured, resources are limited and every delay carries a cost, the difficult question is not whether help is needed.

It is deciding:
Who should be helped first?
What should come next?
How should compassion be balanced with law, security and administrative responsibility?

Humanitarian case studies test ethical judgment under pressure.

A strong answer does not simply say, “I will help everyone.”

It identifies the central dilemma, distinguishes between stakeholders, works within constraints and explains the sequence of action.

In this Ethics101 session, we examine:
• The major types of humanitarian case studies
• A structured framework for answering them
• How to prioritise action under limited resources
• Common mistakes that weaken answers
• Ethical ideas that can strengthen your justification

This is not only about writing a better GS IV answer.

It is about learning how to make responsible decisions when there are no perfect choices.

Watch the full session: https://youtu.be/-hCouafZUR8?si=pd9udUYjHidpYCB0

Making Ethics Meaningful.

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