Can we return to the concept of duty in a culture of rights? Implications for morality and identity

The conception of duty that is outlined by the Moghaddam, Slocum, Finkel, M or and Harre (2000) is primarily based on the language of rights. A rights- based code is put into service by many Americans to understand conceptions of duty. There is much to be gained by locating the 'social psychology' of duty- and rights-based discourses with present-day India. Currently in Indi a, alongside the multiple duty-based traditions of Hinduism, Buddhism and J ainism, there also exists a discourse about western notions of liberal huma nism and secular ideologies of human rights. The discussion suggests that b oth duty- and rights-based discourses need reexamination because they have implications for how we make meanings about issues of morality and selfhood across cultures.