By Robert Clements
Ethics, God and Our Constitution..!
Whenever I’m called to speak at a Rotary meeting, I am fascinated by the Four Way Test, which Rotarians repeat together at the start. The Rotary Four-Way Test is a guiding principle for ethical decision-making, developed by Herbert J. Taylor in 1932. Here’s its story: Herbert J. Taylor, a prominent businessman, faced a significant challenge in 1932. His company, Club Aluminium, was struggling financially due to the Great Depression.
Taylor decided to revive the business while maintaining ethical standards and developed the Four-Way Test to guide his decision-making and ensure the company’s actions aligned with moral principles. The test consists of four simple questions: 1. Is it the truth? 2. Is it fair to all concerned? 3. Will it build goodwill and better friendships? 4. Will it be beneficial to all concerned?
Employees were encouraged to apply these principles in their daily work, leading to:
Improved relationships with customers and suppliers. Increased trust and loyalty. Enhanced reputation and eventually full financial recovery
In 1943, Rotary International adopted the Four-Way Test as its official guiding principle. Today, it remains a cornerstone of Rotary’s values, promoting ethical decision-making and service to others.
As I think about Herbert Taylor, deciding to honour ethical principles instead of profits, I remember the story of the prophet Elijah in the Bible, in 1 Kings 17:10-16, ‘who when he came to the town gate, saw a widow there gathering sticks. He called to her and asked, “Would you bring me a little water in a jar so I may have a drink?” As she was going to get it, he called, “And bring me, please, a piece of bread.”
“As surely as the Lord your God lives,” she replied, “I don’t have any bread—only a handful of flour in a jar and a little olive oil in a jug. I am gathering a few sticks to take home and make a meal for myself and my son, so that we may eat it—and die.”
Elijah said to her, “Don’t be afraid. Go home and do as you have said. But first make a small loaf of bread for me from what you have and bring it to me, and then make something for yourself and your son. For this is what the Lord, the God of Israel, says: ‘The jar of flour will not be used up and the jug of oil will not run dry until the day the Lord sends rain on the land.’”
She went away and did as Elijah had told her. She first made Elijah’s food, which must have used up all her resources. But by doing so, there was food every day for Elijah, and for the woman and her family. For the jar of flour was not used up and the jug of oil did not run dry, in keeping with the word of the Lord spoken by Elijah.
Put God and ethics first and your jug of oil as the widow and Herbert J. Taylor found will never run dry…!
And these same ethics should come into play when our country deals with other countries: It didn’t shock anyone when we heard North Korean troops had been sent to fight for Russia.
Why? Yes, why wasn’t it a shock? Ponder for a moment about North Korea, the dictatorship, the total suppression of human rights, their nuclear pile up and their constant threat to the world!
Now, ask yourself again, why weren’t you shocked. Is it because both countries share very similar ideologies about elected leaders? Both are dictatorships, even if camouflaged under the guise of elections? Both have taken away the people’s voice? Both are bullies?
Think deeply, then ask yourself, how would you react if you heard India had sent troops to help Russia? Looking at how we are suddenly leaning towards that country, don’t be shocked if that day isn’t far away.
But looking at what we believe in, would we be doing the right thing? Would it be ethical?
Which begs the question; isn’t it time that the Constitution, which safeguards our beliefs and the rights of every Indian, also safeguards our foreign policies?
That every government that comes in, should strictly follow the ideologies laid down in our laws, while dealing with other countries? That a democracy supports a democracy, that people’s rights safeguarded by our Constitution, is also safeguarded in the countries we support, and that any country violating the same doesn’t get our support during a war?
It is time that just as rules, regulations and the law apply to every other union minister in our domestic setting, it also applies to our external policies.
This is an absolutely logical argument, because as the old adage goes, ‘a person is known by the friends he keeps,’ and so also a country, but here we go beyond: That the Constitution of our country is binding on our relationships and support given to other nations.
It is very easy to sway a mob. If Delhi starts shouting that the US is bad, before you can say Jack Robinson or the Indian equivalent, the rest of a group in our country will say the same. That is how mob psychology works.
But that isn’t how our Constitution works. The law is definite, and if these checks and balances have guarded our people well, I am sure it will certainly look after our foreign policy too. So, we need to check whether our agreements and exchanges with other nations follow the same set of rules, and from which no government will be allowed to deviate.
Which begs the last question; are we jumping towards Russia and China, because of revelations that might surface, through US and Canadian investigations into killings we are accused of being involved in? Then let’s face those lawful investigations head on, since they are both democracies doing it fairly, and let’s not sell our souls to the devil like Dr Faustus, for a few scraps of immediate gain..!
(The Author conducts an online, eight session Writers and Speakers Course. If you’d like to join, do send a thumbs-up to WhatsApp number 9892572883 or send a message to [email protected])