UPSC Mains PYQs on Moral Thinkers and Philosophers (GS Paper 4)

"The strength of a society is not in its laws, but in the morality of its people." – Swami Vivekananda

"Those who in trouble untroubled are, Will trouble trouble itself." – Thiruvalluvar

-Tirukkural "The greatest discovery of my generation is that a human being can alter his life by altering his attitudes." – William James

"In law, a man is guilty when he violates the rights of others. In ethics, he is guilty if he only thinks of doing so." - Immanuel Kant

"Faith is of no avail in the absence of strength. Faith and strength, both are essential to accomplish any great work." - Sardar Patel

"Learn everything that is good from others, but bring it in, and in your own way absorb it, do not become others." - Swami Vivekananda

"To awaken the people, it is the women who must be awakened. Ones she is on the move, the family moves, the village moves, the nation moves." – Jawaharlal Nehru

"The simplest acts of kindness are by far more powerful than a thousand heads bowing in prayer." – Mahatma Gandhi

Do not hate anybody, because that hatred that comes out from you must, in the long run, come back to you. If you love, that love will come back to you, completing the circle." – Swami Vivekanand.

"If a country is to be corruption free and become a nation of beautiful minds, I strongly feel there are three key societal members who can make a difference. They are the father, the mother and the teacher." – Abdul Kalam.

"Judge your success by what you had to give upin order to get it." Dalai Lama.

Ethics is knowing the difference between what you have the right to do and what is right to do.'-Potter Stewart.

"We can never obtain peace in the outer world until and unless we obtain peace within ourselves"

"Life doesn't make any sense without interdependence. We need each other, and the sooner we learn that it is better for us all" – Erik Erikson

"Every work has got to pass through hundreds of difficulties before succeeding.

"The best way to find yourself is to lose yourself in service of others." Mahatma Gandhi

"A system of morality which is based on relative emotional values is a mere illusion, a thoroughly vulgar conception which has nothing sound in it and nothing true." – Socrates.

Those that persevere will see the light, sooner or later" – Swami Vivekananda "Condemn none: if you can stretch outa helping hand do so. If not fold your hands, bless your brothers and let them go their own way." – Swami Vivekanand

"Where there is righteousness in the heart, there is beauty in the character. When there is beauty in the character, there is harmony in the home. When there is harmony in the home, there is order in the nation. When there is order in the nation, there is peace in the world."

"A man is but the product of his thoughts. What he thinks, he becomes." – M.K.Gandhi

"An unexamined life is not worth living." – Socrates

The true rule, in determining to embrace, or reject any thing, is not whether it has any evil in it; but whether it has more evil than good. There are few things wholly evil or wholly good. Almost every thing, especially of governmental policy, is an inseparable compound of the two; so that our best judgement of the preponderance between them is continually demand. - Abraham Lincoln.

Anger and intolerance are the enemies of correct understanding. -Mahatma Gandhi

Falsehood takes the place of truth when it results in unblemished common good.

"If a country is to be corruption free and become a nation of beautiful minds, I strongly feel there are three key societal members who can make a difference. they are father, the mother and the teacher." – A. P. J. Abdul Kalam. Analyse.

Analyse John Rawls's concept of social justice in the Indian context.

Corruption causes misuse of government treasury, Administrative inefficiency and obstruction in the path of national Development. Discuss Kautilya's views.

"The weak can never forgive; forgiveness is the attribute of the strong."

We can easily forgive a child who is afraid of the dark; the real tragedy of life is when men are afraid of the light.

Nearly all men can withstand adversity, but if you want to test a man's character, give him power. - Abraham Lincoln

I count him braver who overcomes his desires than him who overcomes his enemies. - Aristotle

There is enough on this earth for every one's need but for no one's greed. Mahatma Gandhi.