Social Ethics

Individual ethics refers to a person’s internal moral code—principles they follow in personal conduct. It includes values like honesty, responsibility, integrity, and self-discipline. These guide personal decisions and behavior. Social ethics, on the other hand, refers to moral norms that govern behavior within a group or community. It involves concepts like justice, equality, environmental responsibility, and social welfare. These guide how individuals interact within society. Impact on Society:

Ethical individuals contribute to a peaceful, law-abiding, and trustworthy society.
Social ethics create mutual respect, reduce conflict, and build institutions rooted in fairness.
Together, they shape education, governance, law, and community behavior.
If either is lacking—individual or social—society may face moral decay, injustice, and unrest.

Social ethics refers to a framework of moral principles that guide human behavior in a society. It emphasizes cooperation, respect, justice, and responsibility, ensuring that people coexist peacefully and supportively. These values contribute to establishing social order and harmony, making the Assertion (A) true.
However, the claim in Reason (R)—that social ethics has its origin in democratic thinking—is not universally accurate. Social ethics predates modern democratic systems. It evolved through religious traditions, philosophical inquiry (e.g., in texts like the Bhagavad Gita, Buddhist Dhamma, Confucian teachings), and cultural practices across ancient civilizations—many of which were not democracies. Therefore, while modern democracies may promote ethical governance and social justice, they are not the original source of social ethics.
Hence, the Assertion is true, but the Reason is false, making Option (C) the correct answer.