Ethical & Moral Values in Governance

Answer: Altruism is the unselfish concern for other people-doing things simply out of a desire to help, not because one feels obligated to act out of duty, loyalty, or religious reasons. It involves acting out of concern for the well-being of other people. This value constitutes one of the core values in public life because:

• No expectation of reward: Altruistic behaviour is often performed unselfishly and without any expectations of reward. This constitutes a core value in public life as a civil servant has to work in public interest without the lure of any reward. Rather than profit, the larger public welfare is the motive of public services.
• Forgoing things even if beneficial: Altruism means forgoing things that may bring personal benefits if they create costs for others. In public life, while taking decisions it is not seen how much money the officer or the department might gain from the project, rather it is the public interest, which is supreme.
• Helping someone despite personal costs or risks: Discharging public duties often takes time outside of usual office hours for a public official. For example, a police man is expected to be available 24×7 if the service demands so. They not only risk their lives but also forgo spending quality time with their families during festivals etc. to perform public services.
• Sharing resources even in the face of scarcity: It is normal for people in their personal lives to share the available resources with people they are related with but it is equally important for public services as well. For example, a civil servant or a leader needs to distribute resources equally among the whole region they are responsible for rather than focussing only on a particular area or the community they belong to.

Measures to foster altruistic behaviour in public services

• Finding inspiration: Invite inspirational people who engage in altruistic acts to talk with the public servants. Seeing others work to actively improve the lives of individuals and communities can inspire public servants to act altruistically in their own lives.
• Practicing empathy: Help them practice empathy by building connections and putting a human face on the problems they see. Ask them to consider themselves in that situation, and think about things that they can do to help make a difference.
• Setting a goal: Find ways for public servants to regularly perform random acts of kindness for others. Also, look around for volunteers to work directly with the community. This would help develop compassion and altruism in them. Altruism is a positive force and such behaviour should be developed. It is usually influenced by interactions and relationships with others, social norms as well as socialization.

Thus, modelling altruistic actions can be an important way to foster pro-social and compassionate actions amongst the public servants.