The Virtuous Are Not Fools: A Case Study of Hiri-Ottappa and the Role of Intellectuals in a Morally Decadent Society from the Perspective of Buddhist Ethics

Abstract

This article examines the foundational Buddhist virtues of hiri (moral shame) and ottappa (moral fear), regarded by the Buddha as “the guardians of the world” and hallmarks of a true noble person (sappurisa). It offers a reinterpretation of these moral principles in relation to the role of intellectuals in contemporary society, where moral restraint is often ridiculed, while cunning without ethics is praised. The article draws upon the canonical definitions of “fool” (pāla) and “wise person” (paṇḍita) from the Abhidhānappadīpikā, and analyzes the karmic consequences of theft (adinnādāna), to argue that refraining from evil is not foolishness, but a courageous ethical act rooted in wisdom. It includes a case study from the Tipiṭaka involving two pickpockets to reflect on the Buddhist conception of a true intellectual. Furthermore, the article links these principles to modern phenomena such as corruption and unethical profiteering, showing that hiri and ottappa can serve as ethical counterbalances in a morally disoriented society. Ultimately, the sotāpanna (stream-enterer) is presented as the archetype of the enlightened intellectual—one who lives with karmic awareness and moral integrity.