Module 1:The problem
  Lecture 1:Exploring Human Values: Visions of Happiness and Perfect Society
 

Modules and Lectures

The course is organized into a number of modules and lectures. In all, it is divided into 12 modules as follows:

  1. The problem: Twin goals: happiness and just order; role of value education.

  2. Paradoxes of happiness: Concepts of good life – quality of life and subjective well-being; happiness, life satisfaction, and positive affect; studying quality of life through surveys; and findings of quality of life surveys

  3. The problem of social transformation: Moral and institutional approaches, and the inherent conflict between the two

  4. Conceptualizing the relationship between man and society: Man and society; theories of man and society such as methodological individualism, structuralism, Gidden’s theory of structuration, and structural symbolic interactionism

  5. Religious and spiritual approaches to human happiness: Vedic, Jain and Buddhist philosophies; Christianity; Islam; and Sikhism

  6. Political approaches: Marxist and neo-Marxist thoughts; critical theory; democracy in public and private spheres; manifestoes of leading political parties in India

  7. An argument for modernization and development: Nehruvian model of industrial socialism; inclusive growth

  8. Postmodernization and emancipation: Modernization and postmodernization; emancipation; emancipatory practices; dilemmas and paradoxes

  9. Possibilities of transformation: Hope and hopelessness; transforming society; professional ethics

  10. Indian social thoughts: Attempts to combine spiritual, economic and political theories of values: Rammohan Roy, Aurobindo Ghosh, Rabindranath Tagore, M. K. Gandhi, B. R., Ambedkar, Ananda Coomarswamy

  11. Human values and humanism: Jeevan Vidya; human values, “I” and “Body” need for harmony in the self; harmony with the body; harmony in family, society, nature and existence; evaluation of Jeevan Vidya

  12. Conclusion

Thus the course begins with the exploration of values and discussion of value education. It ends up with discussion and evaluation of the framework of values, which attempts to harmonize individual and social interests. During the course attention is paid to the concept of professional ethics, and ways of promoting professional ethics.