TEDx Talk Reflects on Ethics Beyond Right and Wrong

Jaipur, March 28, 2026:

At a TEDx event at Jaipur National University, K. M. Pathi, founder of Ethics101, reflected on what it means to be ethical beyond the familiar language of right and wrong.

He began with a simple observation: much of everyday decision-making is guided by a personal sense of what is right and wrong. We often assume that having such a sense is enough to make us ethical; he suggested that being ethical can, in fact, be more demanding than simply being right.

From there, the talk moved through situations where choices are not between right and wrong but between competing responsibilities. In such moments, ethical clarity is rarely immediate. It emerges through the circumstances at hand and is shaped by the difficulty of the choices and the uncertainty that accompanies them.

A recurring thread in the talk was the human dimension of decision-making. Choices that appear correct in principle may still seem insufficient when they fail to account for people’s lived realities, their vulnerability, and their suffering. In this sense, ethics is not only about being right but also about being attentive to the human condition.

There was also a clear emphasis on response. Recognising what is right or feeling empathy is not enough unless one is willing to act. An individual’s ethical sense is often tested in the move from awareness to action.

He also suggested that ethics is not just about knowing what is right but about thinking clearly, feeling deeply, and having the courage to act.

The talk closed on a simple note, bringing these strands together. Ethics lies in how one thinks, how one responds to others, and whether one chooses to act.

The talk is expected to be released on the TEDxtalk YouTube channel soon

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