Now Reading: Nussbaum warns knowledge alone cannot guarantee ethical behaviour
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Nussbaum warns knowledge alone cannot guarantee ethical behaviour
American philosopher Martha C. Nussbaum argues that knowledge does not ensure good behaviour, while ignorance can invite harmful decisions. Her 2010 book Not for Profit: Why Democracy Needs the Humanities links this…
The Story in Brief
American philosopher Martha C. Nussbaum argues that knowledge does not ensure good behaviour, while ignorance can invite harmful decisions. Her 2010 book Not for Profit: Why Democracy Needs the Humanities links this danger to the decline of critical thinking, ethical reflection and empathy. The Times of India reports that the quote appears in the book’s chapter “Education for Citizenship”.
Nussbaum warns that education focused mainly on economic growth and technical skills may produce capable workers who lack the judgement needed for democratic life. Drawing on Socrates, Adam Smith and Rabindranath Tagore, she says the humanities help people question authority, recognise bias and understand other lives. The argument also applies to artificial intelligence, where technically efficient systems can repeat social biases without historical and ethical scrutiny.
The Indian Opinion
The lazy version of this argument says science and technology make people immoral, while the humanities automatically make them good. Neither claim holds. Technical skill needs ethical checks, but philosophy classes alone cannot prevent prejudice or cruelty. The useful test is practical: do schools and institutions teach people to question evidence, recognise bias and accept responsibility when decisions harm others?
Source: timesofindia.indiatimes.com
This story was synthesised by AI from the source linked above.
