YUDHISHTHIRAS DUTY

-T H E D I F F I C U LT Y O F B E I N G G O O D ( G U RC H A RA N DA S )

Group 7
Abhas Garg
Aditya Menon
Akhil Agrawal
Anup Kumar
Sayoni Basak
Sunny Khanna

(14P001)
(14P003)
(14P005)
(14P009)
(14P044)
(14P052)

CHARACTER SKETCH YUDHISHTHIRA

Initially has an instictive sense of duty (I act because I must);
believes following Dharma (a standard of conduct) is its own reward
Believes that he must recover his kingdom but not at the cost of
his dharma
Does not believe in Utilitarian Approach; looks upon all beings as
ends in themselves
The exile and the decision to go to war transforms him from a
guileless idealist into a pragmatist who recognizes the limits of
absolute goodness
His new position exercises temperance to avoid both ideological
extremes - the immorality of Duryodhana as well as the super-

CHARACTER SKETCH DRAUPADI

Outraged over the issue of unmerited suffering
Questions the rationality behind being good of Yudhishthira
Inclined to believe that only the selfish, powerful and dishonest
would have an edge in life
Feels that Yudhishthira should abandon Ethical Idealism
(following dharma Irrevocably) and follow Reciprocal Altruism (titfor-tat strategy)

CHARACTER SKETCH BHIMA

Like Draupadi, Bhima also wants Yudhishthira to rise and fight the
Kauravas
Says that Kama (Pleasure), Artha (Material well-being) & Dharma
(Righteousness) are the three aims to a flourishing life
Feels that by choosing not to fight, Yudhishthira neglects the aims
of Kama & Artha at the expense of following Dharma

ETHICAL CONCEPTS
Western thinkers appealed to natural law human beings have
inside their nature a law or a guide to what is right or wrong.
John Locke elaborated based on natural rights human beings had
certain rights when they started out in a state of nature and these
rights continued even when that state of nature was over and they
became the citizens of a civil society.
Indirect Utilitarianism combines the approach that judges the
goodness of an act by looking at its consequences and the approach
that looks at the intentions behind the act.
Virtue Ethics connects being good with character and fulfilling
the purpose of human life.

ETHICAL CONCEPTS
Reciprocal Altruism Adopt a friendly face to the world but do
not allow yourself to be exploited. (Prisoners Dilemma)
Naturalistic Fallacy Risk in deriving moral values from
natures workings i.e. an unwarranted inference from what is to
what ought to be.
Life is not a tooth-and-claw struggle.
Nicomachean Ethics a persons character is not something
that one is born with; constantly evolving through repeated
actions; to become virtuous requires repeating virtuous actions

LEARNINGS
Being Good is not a one-off event but a continuing attitude to life
and other human beings
Dharma (Righteousness) can be learned through the journey of
self-discovery and overcoming self deception
Utilitarianism theory is a proponent of consequentialism which
ignores fairness in the distribution of goods
One must strive to build character through repeating virtuous
actions
One should strive to attain the values of Prudence and
Temperance

THANK YOU