Philosophical Basis of Governance

In Western  Philosophy, Three  People  have  different Viewpoints:

Aristotle: 

• He says qualities such as justice, empathy, compassion, etc., guide a person in the right direction to benefit the community he is a part of.
• He also supported Socrates and Plato’s theoretical framework in taking positive values into the center of a healthy life. He respected all moral values such as compassion, kindness, justice, courage, and gentleness as part of a person’s emotional and social well-being.
• But at the same time, he was contradicting Plato’s scientific views. For him, scientific training and metaphysics were not essential requirements for a good understanding of yourself and others.

Immanuel Kant:

• He gave the concept of duty being central to morality.
• Humans are bound by a moral obligation of respecting others with whom they are interacting. Any act which is wrong on moral grounds is not worthy of this world.

Jeremy Bentham:

• The best action done is that one that maximises utility.
• The higher version of consequentialism states that the consequences of any measures are the only standard of wrong and right.

Kautilya: 

• The famous Indian philosopher Kautilya in his work Arthashastra wrote about a king or emperor. He said the leader or king is a person who looks after his community, gives them benefits, and protects them from any harm. He also said that the King is a source of wealth.
• It is an economic activity performed under his rule that benefits its community and brings future growth.
• Kautilya also wrote about the Cabinet of Ministers. He said that these are the people who work with the king to bring good to the community.