2022 · GS Paper 4 · Q3(a) · 10 marks
what do each of the following quotations mean to you? "Ethics is knowing the difference between what you have the right to do and what is right to do." — Potter Stewart
In short
The quote means that a legal right only marks the boundary of permitted action, while ethics asks what one ought to do within it. An officer may lawfully reject a pension file for a missing paper, but the right course is to help the widow trace it.
Model answer
Ghissu Editorial · Verified 4 Oct 2026 · 283 words
Rights are the floor
A citizen may lawfully walk past an accident victim, but the Good Samaritan Guidelines upheld in *SaveLIFE Foundation* (2016) recognise that helping is right.
Ethics is the ceiling
Kant's Categorical Imperative asks whether my choice could be a rule for all, not merely whether it is allowed.
Legal yet wrong
Tax avoidance through loopholes may be lawful but burdens honest taxpayers, which is why India brought the General Anti-Avoidance Rule into force in 2017.
Discretion within rules
An officer may reject a pension file for a missing paper, but the right course is to help the widow trace it; compliance without conscience is Rule-Bound Amoralism.
Freedom with restraint
Article 19(1)(a) grants a right to speak, while Article 51A asks citizens to promote harmony, so one chooses the right word, not merely a lawful one.
Beyond duty
Armstrong Pame raised public contributions in 2012 to build a roughly 100 km road in Manipur's Tamenglong district, doing what was right without being bound to.
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This chapter in the exam
Essence, determinants and consequences of Ethics in human actions12 questions
Asked in 9 of 14 sittings since 2013
- 2026Shakespeare in Henry IV says, "The arms are fair when the intent of bearing them is just". What ethical implications does this have in governance?
- 2024"The concept of Just and Unjust is contextual. What was just a year back, may turn out to be unjust in today's context. Changing context should be constantly under scrutiny to prevent miscarriage of justice." Examine the above statement with suitable examples.
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Question from the official UPSC Civil Services (Main) Examination 2022 paper. Answer written by Ghissu's engine and checked against our editorial standards. Found an error? Tell us and we correct it within 48 hours.