Dr B R Ambedkar’s views on moral democracy

Context: An article, ‘Situating Democracy in Ambedkar’s Moral Discourse’ looks at how Ambedkar situates morality in his discourse of democracy. It also explores the moral foundation that paved the way for Ambedkar’s discourse on democracy.

• There have been many studies on B.R. Ambedkar’s conceptualisation of democracy, predominantly explained through the lens of social, political and economic philosophies.
• Many authors have failed to explore the multitudes of Ambedkar’s idea of democracy, and through a one-dimensional study of his work, situated him within a dichotomous framework of social democracy versus liberal or political democracy.

Types of Morality: Ambedkar divides morality into social morality and constitutional morality.

Social Morality:

• He explains that social morality was built through interaction which was based on the mutual recognition of human beings.
• Yet, under the rigid systems of caste and religion, such interaction was not possible as one did not accept another person as a respectable human being due to their religion or caste background.
• Social morality was based on equality among human beings and a recognition of respect.

Constitutional morality:

• Constitutional morality for Ambedkar was a prerequisite to maintaining a system of democracy in a country.
• He believed that only through a negation of hereditary rule, laws that represented all people, with people’s representatives and a State which has the confidence of the people, can democracy be maintained.
• One single person or political party could not represent the needs or will of all the people.

The Buddha and His Dhamma: Ambedkar’s last work focuses on Democratic values

Democracy as a way of life:

• It sheds light on how he understood democracy as a concept that affected every aspect of human life; it was essentially a way of life.
• Buddha, Kabir and Mahatma Phule’s philosophies played an important role in Ambedkar’s own engagement with democracy.

Critical of Extreme Individualism:

• He was also critical of extreme individualism that was a possible outcome of Buddhism, as such characteristics failed to engage in activism that challenged social order.
• Thus, he believed that there needed to be a balance between individualism and fraternity for a harmonious society.

Focus on Moral Aspect:

• While the pillars of democracy are equality, liberty and fraternity, it needs to be looked at through a moral lens as well.
• Ambedkar used the lens of morality in investigating the caste system, the Hindu social system, the nature of religion and Indian history.

Importance to Practicality:

• Ambedkar gave utmost importance to practicality.
• For him, concepts and theories needed to be tested as they were supposed to be practised in society.
• He used rationality and critical reasoning to analyze any subject matter, because he believed that a subject must first pass the test of rationality, failing which it must be rejected, altered or modified.

Moral Democracy beyond Caste System:

• Ambedkar realised that the caste system did not go hand in hand with such an understanding of moral democracy.
• This was because the traditional caste structure was of a hierarchical rule, with no mutual respect among individuals, and complete subjugation of one group by another.

New Structure Using Principles of Buddhism:

• While it is well known that Ambedkar’s moral principles were rooted in Buddhist philosophies.
• It was difficult to place Ambedkar’s framework of democracy within these rigid religious structures and socio-political systems, especially since he brought the most marginalised communities into the fold of democracy.

Thus, Ambedkar attempts to construct a new structure based on the principles of Buddhism.

Role of Religion in Democracy:

• According to Ambedkar, the roots of democracy lie within the realm of religion, without which associated living was not possible.
• Thus, instead of removing aspects of religion completely, he attempts to reconstruct a new version of democracy that accepts the democratic aspects of religions like Buddhism.
• Ambedkar realized that in order to conceptualize democracy as a way of life, it was important to distinguish principles and rules in society.
• He explained that while religion must be restricted to principles, as intellectual methods of judging things;
• It was rules, or the habitual ways of doing things that must be subscribed to operationalise democracy.

Ambedkar on Indian Society:

• Ambedkar’s concept of moral democracy must also be studied through the lenses of –
  • Particularism – a political theory where one group promotes its own interests without regard to the interests of larger groups and
  • Universality – a theory that some ideas have universal application or applicability.
• Negative Value of Caste System:
  • His analysis of Indian society explains that the caste system is a negative particularistic value in the Hindu religion.
  • The upper castes, according to Ambedkar, universalise the negative particularity (their dominance over the other groups) and particularise the negative universal morality (wherein the caste system and the subsequent alienation of certain groups is justified).
  • This negative social relation is essentially ‘undemocratic’.
• Proponent of Democratic Processes of Buddhism:
  • It is to fight such separation that Ambedkar attempted to bring the democratic processes of Buddhism into the discourse of modern democracy.
  • According to him, Buddhist Sanghas were spaces where debates, discussions and dissent were encouraged.
• Moreover, the practice of ‘voting’, which they called ‘Salapatraka Grahakas’, began in Sanghas, laying down moral grounds or principles of social freedom and public reason.

Way Forward:

• While Dalits have acquired a political identity through reservation and forming their own political parties, they lack behind in social dimensions (health and education) and economic dimension.
• There has been a rise of communal polarization and communalization of politics. It is necessary that Ambedkar’s vision of constitutional morality must supersede religious morality to avoid permanent damage to the Indian Constitution.

According to historian R.C Guha, Dr. B.R. Ambedkar is a unique example of success even in most adverse situations. Today India is facing many socio-economic challenges such as casteism, communalism, separatism, gender inequality, etc. We need to find the Ambedkar’s spirit within us, so that we can pull ourselves from these challenges.

Source: The Hindu