INSEAD’s very own Gandhi, Professor Subramanian Rangan, gave fascinating lectures that left us questioning the way we see the world, and even ourselves.
He analysed societal progress in a realistic yet zoomed-out way, talking about the present as a gray area between the old and the new, where we can either embrace change, move on and make an impact or get left behind. Interesting contrasts came up in the interactive lecture like ownership vs leadership or peace vs prosperity. Society, in his view, has moved from requiring leaders, to needing people who own up to their responsibilities, their actions and their outcomes; while peace and prosperity have given way to propriety. This means that fairness, ethics and integrity are increasingly key elements of the moral reasoning that defines propriety and hence promotes prosperity in the modern world.
Interesting questions about character and moral dilemmas came into play and the students were particularly engaged in ethical dilemmas like apple’s plan to sacrifice privacy in the interest of surveilling child pornography.
Today was a truly excellent guide to how the traditional role of leaders is evolving and how it should continue to evolve, following public practical moral reasoning.