Between Practice and Principle: Understanding Ka Jingsneng Jingkraw as the Ethical Foundation of Khasi Moral Life
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.12726/tjp.35.2Keywords:
Khasi ethics, ka jingsneng jingkraw, relational ethics, virtue ethics, categorical imperative, authenticity, communal morality, moral habitsAbstract
“Ngi im bad ki jinghikai bad ngi iaibud ia ki jinghikai ”
- we live with teachings and we follow teachings. As the insight focuses on teachings, the paper delves into ka jingsneng jingkraw as the foundation of Khasi ethical life. These teachings are not mere strict rules and regulations ones that command the life of an individual but rather they act as dynamic moral practice which shapes the conduct of an individual led by obligations and ancestral teachings and they affect moral behavior, the communal interactions and the spiritual life as well. The practice of ka jingsneng jingkraw revolves around the three foundational tenants of the ethical life of a Khasi ‘ka tip briew ka tip Blei’, (to know man, to know God) ‘kamai ia ka hok’, (earn your righteousness) bad ka tip kur tip kha’ (know your maternal and paternal clans). The paper also tries to demonstrate how Khasi ethics actually bridges the gap between practice and principle where Immanuel Kant’s Categorical Imperative struggles to do away with the generational criticism that it is rigorous and conventional and Aristotle’s virtues ethics focuses on habits and reflective morality ka jingsneng jingkraw stands as a moral conduct that mold the daily life of a Khasi from practice and not injunctions that commands but as a guide to live among others in the society that conduct the behavior and the relational life with the others. The khasi ethical practices is other concerns one that does not seek to be practice only for the good of oneself but that which focuses on the wellbeing and dignity of other. A key study of this paper is also the existential dimensions that is richly preserved in the culture which deepens the cultural ethics where authenticity, responsibility, and relationality coexist. Ultimately, this paper argues that ka jingsneng jingkraw constitutes a distinctive philosophical system rooted in indigenous knowledge yet resonant with universal ethical concerns offering a rich framework for understanding moral life as both lived experience and reflective practice.
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