6. When can the messenger's act become a moral action?
Ans: The messenger’s act becomes moral when he delivers the king’s pardon not just as a duty, but with the awareness and belief that it is the right thing to do. If he acts with conscious intention and a sense of moral responsibility, rather than mechanically following orders, his action carries moral value.
7. When, according to Gandhi, can we regard ourselves to have stepped on to the moral road?
Ans: According to Gandhi, we step onto the moral road only when we form and follow our own opinions, guided by conscience, not by fear or desire for reward. True morality begins when we act from inner conviction and recognize that God within us is the ever-present witness to all our actions.
8. What is the belief that Gandhi talks of in paragraph 2?
Ans: In paragraph 2, Gandhi refers to the belief that God resides within us and serves as the ever-present witness to all our actions. This belief emphasizes that true morality arises when we act according to our inner conscience, guided by love for God, rather than out of fear of punishment or desire for rewards.
9. All good actions need not be moral acts. When does a good action become a moral act? (paragraph 3). Give an example,
Ans: A good action becomes a moral act when it is performed with a good intention. For example, feeding the poor is a good action, but it becomes moral only when done out of genuine compassion rather than for selfish gain or to gain prestige. The intention behind the act is what defines its morality.
10. In the example of feeding the poor, whose action action?
Ans: In the example of feeding the poor, the action of the person who feeds out of genuine compassion becomes a moral act. Their intention is driven by a desire to help, not for personal gain or recognition. In contrast, if the act is performed to gain prestige or for selfish reasons, it is not considered moral.
11. The result of our action determine whether it is moral or non-moral? (True or False)
Ans: False. The result of an action does not determine whether it is moral or non-moral. Morality depends on the intention behind the action and the moral values that guide it. The outcome, while important, is not within our control, and thus does not define the morality of the act itself.
12. Why does Gandhi say called moral actions? that Alexander's s conquests cannot be
Ans: Gandhi says Alexander's conquests cannot be called moral actions because his intention was not to do good but to achieve personal glory and domination. Despite the spread of Greek culture, the conquests were driven by selfish motives, not by a desire to benefit others, thus lacking the moral foundation required for truly moral actions.
13. In each each paragraph Gandhiji adds one criterion to consider an action moral. What criterion is added in paragraph 4?
Ans: In paragraph 4, Gandhiji adds the criterion that a moral action must be free from fear and compulsion. He explains that if an action is done out of fear or because of external pressure, it cannot be considered truly moral. Voluntary, conscious actions, motivated by good intentions, are what make an action moral.
14. When does simple living become moral?
Ans: Simple living becomes moral when it is chosen consciously out of compassion and responsibility, not due to lack of means. For instance, a wealthy person living simply to help others in need, out of a sense of moral duty and empathy, is living morally. The intention behind the choice to live simply is what makes it moral.
15. When does an employee's action of paying higher salaries to his employees remain non-moral? to be
Ans: An employee’s action of paying higher salaries remains non-moral if it is done out of self-interest, such as to prevent employees from leaving or to gain personal advantage. If the action is driven by genuine concern for their well-being and a sense of moral responsibility, then it becomes a moral act. The intention behind the action matters.
16. When en Gandhiji quotes Shakespeare (in paragraph 5), what argument does he want to strengthen?
Ans: When Gandhiji quotes Shakespeare, he wants to strengthen the argument that actions driven by self-interest are not truly moral. Shakespeare's line, "love born out of the profit motive is no love," emphasizes that genuine morality requires selflessness. If actions, like honesty or love, are motivated by personal gain, they lose their moral value.
17. Gandhiji mentions the name of Henry Clay as an example for moral/non-moral action. (Choose the right answer)
Ans: Non-moral action.
Gandhiji mentions Henry Clay as an example of a non-moral action because Clay sacrificed his convictions for personal ambition. This act, though seemingly good, lacked moral integrity because it was driven by self-interest and not by a sense of duty or principle.
18. What qualities of David Webster does Gandhiji mention?
Ans: Gandhiji mentions Daniel Webster’s great intellect and his sense of the heroic and sublime. Despite these qualities, Gandhiji highlights how Webster’s moral integrity was compromised when he sold his intellectual integrity for personal gain. This act, which was driven by self-interest, overshadowed all his previous good deeds, showing how fragile moral values can be.
Q: What qualities of Daniel Webster does Gandhiji mention?
Answer (within 60 words):
Gandhiji mentions Daniel Webster’s great intellect and his sense of the heroic and sublime. Despite these qualities, Gandhiji highlights how Webster’s moral integrity was compromised when he sold his intellectual integrity for personal gain. This act, which was driven by self-interest, overshadowed all his previous good deeds, showing how fragile moral values can be.
19. What is the single mean act of Webster mentioned in para-graph 6?
Ans: The single mean act of Daniel Webster mentioned in paragraph 6 is when he sold his intellectual integrity for personal gain. This act, though small in comparison to his previous achievements, wiped out all his good deeds and compromised his moral standing. Gandhiji uses this example to show how a single immoral action can diminish a person's moral character.
20. Why is it difficult to judge the morality of a man's action?
Ans: It is difficult to judge the morality of a man's action because we cannot fully penetrate the depths of his mind. The true intention behind an action, which determines its morality, is often hidden, and we may only see the external result. Thus, without understanding the inner motivations, it's challenging to make a fair moral judgment.
21. What arguments does Gandhiji give to justify that a moral act should be free from fear and compulsion?
Ans: Gandhiji argues that a moral act should be free from fear and compulsion because genuine morality arises from conscious choice and inner conviction, not from external pressures. He explains that actions done out of fear or to avoid consequences, like an employee working out of fear of losing their job, lack true moral value and are driven by self-interest.
B . Close Study
Read the following extracts carefully. Discuss in pairs and then
write the answers to the questions given below them.
1.The great Saint Theresa wished to have a torch in her right hand and a vessel of water in her left so that with the one she might burn the glories of heaven and with the other extinguish the fires of hell, and men might learn to serve God from love alone without fear of hell and without temptation of heavenly bliss.
a. Why did Saint Theresa hold a torch in her right hand?
Ans: Saint Theresa held a torch in her right hand to symbolize her desire to burn the glories of heaven. This represents her aim to eliminate the temptation of heavenly rewards as a motive for serving God. She wanted people to serve God out of love, rather than out of desire for personal gain or spiritual rewards.
b. What does "a vessel of water" signify?
Ans: The vessel of water symbolizes the extinguishing of the fires of hell. Saint Theresa wanted to remove the fear of hell as a motivator for worship. The water represents the rejection of fear-based religion and emphasizes that people should serve God out of love, not out of fear of punishment or the desire to avoid hell.
c. What was her message to humanity?
Ans: Saint Theresa's message to humanity was that people should serve God out of love alone, without being motivated by fear of hell or the temptation of heavenly rewards. She believed that true devotion comes from a pure heart, where actions are guided by love for God, not by selfish desires for personal gain or spiritual reward.
2. Wherever he went (in the course of his conquests), he took the Greek language and Greek culture, arts and manners, and today we enjoy the benefits of Greek civilization....... It was all right that he was termed "great", but moral he cannot be called.
a. Who does 'he' refer to?
Ans: In the extract, 'he' refers to Alexander the Great, the Macedonian king and conqueror. The passage discusses his conquests and the spread of Greek culture, language, and civilization during his military campaigns.
b. What is his contribution to mankind?
Ans: Alexander the Great's contribution to mankind was the spread of Greek language, culture, arts, and manners across the regions he conquered. This helped lay the foundation for the Hellenistic civilization, which influenced a wide range of areas, including philosophy, science, and the arts. Many of the benefits of Greek culture are still enjoyed today.
c. Why doesn't Gandhi consider him moral?
Ans: Gandhi does not consider Alexander the Great moral because his intentions were driven by conquest and personal glory, not by a desire to do good for others. Despite spreading Greek culture, his actions were based on self-interest and dominance, not on moral or altruistic motives. Gandhi believes that true morality requires actions driven by selfless intentions rather than selfish desires.
III. PARAGRAPH WRITING:
Discuss in pairs/groups of four each the answers to the following questions. Individually, note down the important points for each question and then develop the points into one-paragraph answers. nswers.
1. Write on Mahatma Gandhi's comments on action pr pted by motive of happiness in another world.
Ans: Mahatma Gandhi's Comments on Action Prompted by the Motive of Happiness in Another World:
Mahatma Gandhi criticizes actions that are driven by the motive of achieving happiness or rewards in another world. He believes that actions performed with the hope of gaining a better life after death, such as striving for heaven or avoiding hell, are not truly moral. For Gandhi, true morality arises when individuals act selflessly, driven by a sense of duty and love for God, rather than out of fear or hope for spiritual rewards.
In this view, morality must be rooted in the present moment and in genuine love for doing good, not for the anticipation of rewards in an afterlife. He emphasizes that spiritual actions should not be motivated by a desire for personal gain, but by a pure sense of responsibility and love for humanity and God.
2. Why does Gandhi say act should compulsion?
Ans: Gandhi says an act should be free from compulsion because true morality arises from conscious, voluntary actions that stem from inner conviction, not from external pressures or fears. If an action is done due to compulsion, whether from fear, social pressure, or obligation, it lacks genuine moral value.
For Gandhi, moral actions must be driven by a free will, where individuals choose to do what is right out of a sense of duty, not because they are forced into it. Compulsion diminishes the authenticity of the action, as it reflects obedience or fear rather than a genuine commitment to doing good.
