Ethical score profile
This assessment does not reduce the subject to one moral
ranking. Each dimension is scored separately from −100 to
+100 and must be read with its evidence and uncertainty.
Scorecard status:
Recalculated under multidimensional system
- Personal moral conduct
-
+45.0
Plausible range:
+30.0
to
+60.0
- Rights and dignity
-
+21.3
Plausible range:
+6.3
to
+36.3
- Nonviolence and harm
-
+5.0
Plausible range:
-10.0
to
+20.0
- Stewardship of power
-
+45.0
Plausible range:
+30.0
to
+60.0
- Wisdom and truthfulness
-
+34.9
Plausible range:
+19.9
to
+49.9
- Consequential legacy
-
-11.7
Plausible range:
-26.7
to
+3.3
- Severe-harm record
- No separate finding recorded
- Evidence confidence
- C — moderate
Scope of assessment
Scriptural-portrayal assessment. This assessment evaluates Krishna only as portrayed in the Bhagavad Gita, not the full Mahabharata, later devotional literature or the historical existence of a deity. The text teaches disciplined action, freedom from selfish attachment, compassion, equanimity and spiritual equality, while Krishna also persuades Arjuna to fight a catastrophic war and grounds duty partly in inherited social role.
The score evaluates documented public conduct during the stated period. It does not measure inherent human worth, does not constitute a legal verdict and remains open to correction when stronger evidence becomes available.
Reasoned conclusion
The Gita's Krishna offers influential teachings on selfless action, compassion and control of ego, but the battlefield argument, warrior duty and absolute demand for surrender create serious concerns about violence, caste-linked obligation and authority.
This assessment presents six separate ethical dimensions rather than one overall moral score. Each result must be read with its evidence, plausible range, confidence, disputes, exclusions, severe-harm findings and sources.
Ethical-domain scores
| Domain |
Score |
Intensity |
Confidence |
| Consequences |
-5.0 |
5.0
|
C — moderate
|
| Rights and duties |
-20.0 |
20.0
|
C — moderate
|
| Virtue and character |
+5.0 |
5.0
|
C — moderate
|
| Intentions |
+45.0 |
45.0
|
C — moderate
|
| Care |
+45.0 |
45.0
|
C — moderate
|
| Justice |
+65.0 |
65.0
|
C — moderate
|
| Wisdom and judgment |
+25.0 |
25.0
|
C — moderate
|
| Baseline ethics |
-20.0 |
20.0
|
C — moderate
|
Bipolar ethical variables
| Positive pole |
Negative pole |
Score |
Intensity |
Confidence |
Reasoning |
| Human dignity |
Dehumanisation |
-20.0 |
20.0
|
C — moderate
|
Calculated from 1 reviewed evidence item(s) concerning Human dignity and Dehumanisation. |
| Care |
Neglect |
+45.0 |
45.0
|
C — moderate
|
Calculated from 1 reviewed evidence item(s) concerning Care and Neglect. |
| Benefit |
Harm |
-5.0 |
5.0
|
C — moderate
|
Calculated from 1 reviewed evidence item(s) concerning Benefit and Harm. |
| Benevolent intention |
Malicious intention |
+45.0 |
45.0
|
C — moderate
|
Calculated from 1 reviewed evidence item(s) concerning Benevolent intention and Malicious intention. |
| Justice |
Injustice |
+65.0 |
65.0
|
C — moderate
|
Calculated from 1 reviewed evidence item(s) concerning Justice and Injustice. |
| Respect for rights |
Violation of rights |
-20.0 |
20.0
|
C — moderate
|
Calculated from 1 reviewed evidence item(s) concerning Respect for rights and Violation of rights. |
| Integrity |
Corruption |
+5.0 |
5.0
|
C — moderate
|
Calculated from 1 reviewed evidence item(s) concerning Integrity and Corruption. |
| Wisdom |
Ignorance |
+25.0 |
25.0
|
C — moderate
|
Calculated from 1 reviewed evidence item(s) concerning Wisdom and Ignorance. |
Principal positive evidence
The Gita's Krishna teaches disciplined action without selfish attachment, compassion, forgiveness, equanimity, self-knowledge, moderation and the spiritual worth of all beings.
Principal negative evidence
Krishna nevertheless urges Arjuna to fight a catastrophic war, links duty to inherited social and warrior roles, displaces the moral burden of killing through metaphysical claims and demands complete surrender to divine authority.
Evidence considered
SAL-C1
benefit-harm: Krishna urges action in a war expected to kill relatives, teachers and soldiers, even while teaching detachment from hatred and selfish motive.
benefit-harm: Krishna urges action in a war expected to kill relatives, teachers and soldiers, even while teaching detachment from hatred and selfish motive.
- Ethical axis
-
Benefit ↔ Harm
- Ethical direction
- Negative pole
- Evidence status
- Verified
- Period
- Bhagavad Gita
- Affected scope
- United States and global public health
SAL-R1
rights-respect-rights-violation: The text affirms a shared spiritual reality but also connects duty to inherited social and warrior roles.
rights-respect-rights-violation: The text affirms a shared spiritual reality but also connects duty to inherited social and warrior roles.
- Ethical axis
-
Respect for rights ↔ Violation of rights
- Ethical direction
- Negative pole
- Evidence status
- Verified
- Period
- Bhagavad Gita
- Affected scope
- United States and global public health
SAL-V1
integrity-corruption: Impartiality and action without selfish reward are positive, while the moral burden of war is displaced by metaphysical claims about the soul.
integrity-corruption: Impartiality and action without selfish reward are positive, while the moral burden of war is displaced by metaphysical claims about the soul.
- Ethical axis
-
Integrity ↔ Corruption
- Ethical direction
- Positive pole
- Evidence status
- Verified
- Period
- Bhagavad Gita
- Affected scope
- United States and global public health
SAL-I1
benevolent-intent-malicious-intent: The dialogue encourages self-knowledge and clarity, yet its central revelation depends on Krishna's unquestionable divine status.
benevolent-intent-malicious-intent: The dialogue encourages self-knowledge and clarity, yet its central revelation depends on Krishna's unquestionable divine status.
- Ethical axis
-
Benevolent intention ↔ Malicious intention
- Ethical direction
- Positive pole
- Evidence status
- Verified
- Period
- Bhagavad Gita
- Affected scope
- United States and global public health
SAL-CA1
care-neglect: The ideal devotee is friendly, compassionate, forgiving and free from hatred toward all beings.
care-neglect: The ideal devotee is friendly, compassionate, forgiving and free from hatred toward all beings.
- Ethical axis
-
Care ↔ Neglect
- Ethical direction
- Positive pole
- Evidence status
- Verified
- Period
- Bhagavad Gita
- Affected scope
- United States and global public health
SAL-J1
justice-injustice: Teachings on motive, attachment, self-control and moral conflict are philosophically sophisticated and enduring.
justice-injustice: Teachings on motive, attachment, self-control and moral conflict are philosophically sophisticated and enduring.
- Ethical axis
-
Justice ↔ Injustice
- Ethical direction
- Positive pole
- Evidence status
- Verified
- Period
- Bhagavad Gita
- Affected scope
- United States and global public health
SAL-W1
wisdom-ignorance: Moderation and non-attachment can support restraint, but the text contains no developed ecological programme.
wisdom-ignorance: Moderation and non-attachment can support restraint, but the text contains no developed ecological programme.
- Ethical axis
-
Wisdom ↔ Ignorance
- Ethical direction
- Positive pole
- Evidence status
- Verified
- Period
- Bhagavad Gita
- Affected scope
- United States and global public health
SAL-B1
human-dignity-dehumanisation: Krishna's authority culminates in a demand for complete surrender, reducing independent accountability despite the dialogue's questioning form.
human-dignity-dehumanisation: Krishna's authority culminates in a demand for complete surrender, reducing independent accountability despite the dialogue's questioning form.
- Ethical axis
-
Human dignity ↔ Dehumanisation
- Ethical direction
- Negative pole
- Evidence status
- Verified
- Period
- Bhagavad Gita
- Affected scope
- United States and global public health
Disputed claims
This assessment evaluates Krishna only as portrayed in the Bhagavad Gita, not the full Mahabharata, later devotional literature or the historical existence of a deity. The text teaches disciplined action, freedom from selfish attachment, compassion, equanimity and spiritual equality, while Krishna also persuades Arjuna to fight a catastrophic war and grounds duty partly in inherited social role.
Excluded claims
This assessment evaluates Krishna only as portrayed in the Bhagavad Gita, not the full Mahabharata, later devotional literature or the historical existence of a deity. The text teaches disciplined action, freedom from selfish attachment, compassion, equanimity and spiritual equality, while Krishna also persuades Arjuna to fight a catastrophic war and grounds duty partly in inherited social role.
Sources
-
Bhagavad Gita
— Encyclopaedia Britannica
(2026)
Evidence item SAL-B1;
Supports the evidence item.
View source
-
Bhagavad Gita 12.13
— Gita Supersite, IIT Kanpur
(2026)
Evidence item SAL-B1;
Supports the evidence item.
View source
-
Bhagavad Gita 18.66
— Gita Supersite, IIT Kanpur
(2026)
Evidence item SAL-B1;
Supports the evidence item.
View source
-
Bhagavad Gita 2.31
— Gita Supersite, IIT Kanpur
(2026)
Evidence item SAL-B1;
Supports the evidence item.
View source
-
Bhagavad Gita
— Encyclopaedia Britannica
(2026)
Evidence item SAL-C1;
Supports the evidence item.
View source
-
Bhagavad Gita 12.13
— Gita Supersite, IIT Kanpur
(2026)
Evidence item SAL-C1;
Supports the evidence item.
View source
-
Bhagavad Gita 18.66
— Gita Supersite, IIT Kanpur
(2026)
Evidence item SAL-C1;
Supports the evidence item.
View source
-
Bhagavad Gita 2.31
— Gita Supersite, IIT Kanpur
(2026)
Evidence item SAL-C1;
Supports the evidence item.
View source
-
Bhagavad Gita
— Encyclopaedia Britannica
(2026)
Evidence item SAL-CA1;
Supports the evidence item.
View source
-
Bhagavad Gita 12.13
— Gita Supersite, IIT Kanpur
(2026)
Evidence item SAL-CA1;
Supports the evidence item.
View source
-
Bhagavad Gita 18.66
— Gita Supersite, IIT Kanpur
(2026)
Evidence item SAL-CA1;
Supports the evidence item.
View source
-
Bhagavad Gita 2.31
— Gita Supersite, IIT Kanpur
(2026)
Evidence item SAL-CA1;
Supports the evidence item.
View source
-
Bhagavad Gita
— Encyclopaedia Britannica
(2026)
Evidence item SAL-I1;
Supports the evidence item.
View source
-
Bhagavad Gita 12.13
— Gita Supersite, IIT Kanpur
(2026)
Evidence item SAL-I1;
Supports the evidence item.
View source
-
Bhagavad Gita 18.66
— Gita Supersite, IIT Kanpur
(2026)
Evidence item SAL-I1;
Supports the evidence item.
View source
-
Bhagavad Gita 2.31
— Gita Supersite, IIT Kanpur
(2026)
Evidence item SAL-I1;
Supports the evidence item.
View source
-
Bhagavad Gita
— Encyclopaedia Britannica
(2026)
Evidence item SAL-J1;
Supports the evidence item.
View source
-
Bhagavad Gita 12.13
— Gita Supersite, IIT Kanpur
(2026)
Evidence item SAL-J1;
Supports the evidence item.
View source
-
Bhagavad Gita 18.66
— Gita Supersite, IIT Kanpur
(2026)
Evidence item SAL-J1;
Supports the evidence item.
View source
-
Bhagavad Gita 2.31
— Gita Supersite, IIT Kanpur
(2026)
Evidence item SAL-J1;
Supports the evidence item.
View source
-
Bhagavad Gita
— Encyclopaedia Britannica
(2026)
Evidence item SAL-R1;
Supports the evidence item.
View source
-
Bhagavad Gita 12.13
— Gita Supersite, IIT Kanpur
(2026)
Evidence item SAL-R1;
Supports the evidence item.
View source
-
Bhagavad Gita 18.66
— Gita Supersite, IIT Kanpur
(2026)
Evidence item SAL-R1;
Supports the evidence item.
View source
-
Bhagavad Gita 2.31
— Gita Supersite, IIT Kanpur
(2026)
Evidence item SAL-R1;
Supports the evidence item.
View source
-
Bhagavad Gita
— Encyclopaedia Britannica
(2026)
Evidence item SAL-V1;
Supports the evidence item.
View source
-
Bhagavad Gita 12.13
— Gita Supersite, IIT Kanpur
(2026)
Evidence item SAL-V1;
Supports the evidence item.
View source
-
Bhagavad Gita 18.66
— Gita Supersite, IIT Kanpur
(2026)
Evidence item SAL-V1;
Supports the evidence item.
View source
-
Bhagavad Gita 2.31
— Gita Supersite, IIT Kanpur
(2026)
Evidence item SAL-V1;
Supports the evidence item.
View source
-
Bhagavad Gita
— Encyclopaedia Britannica
(2026)
Evidence item SAL-W1;
Supports the evidence item.
View source
-
Bhagavad Gita 12.13
— Gita Supersite, IIT Kanpur
(2026)
Evidence item SAL-W1;
Supports the evidence item.
View source
-
Bhagavad Gita 18.66
— Gita Supersite, IIT Kanpur
(2026)
Evidence item SAL-W1;
Supports the evidence item.
View source
-
Bhagavad Gita 2.31
— Gita Supersite, IIT Kanpur
(2026)
Evidence item SAL-W1;
Supports the evidence item.
View source
Correction history
No corrections have been recorded.
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