Western Moral Philosophers — Landmark Cases

Landmark Cases

Kesavananda Bharati v. State of Kerala

1973

This landmark judgment established the basic structure doctrine, which implicitly reflects Kantian principles of inviolable rights and Rawlsian principles of justice. The Supreme…

Maneka Gandhi v. Union of India

1978

This judgment expanded the meaning of 'life' and 'liberty' in Article 21 to include a broad range of human capabilities and freedoms, reflecting both Nussbaum's capabilities…

Indira Sawhney v. Union of India (Mandal Commission Case)

1992

This judgment addressed affirmative action and reservations, requiring application of Rawlsian principles of justice and the difference principle. The Court had to balance…

Suresh Kumar Koushal v. Naz Foundation

2013

This judgment upheld Section 377 of the IPC, criminalizing consensual same-sex relations. From a moral philosophy perspective, this judgment failed to apply Kantian principles…

Navtej Singh Johar v. Union of India

2018

This judgment partially decriminalized consensual same-sex relations by reading down Section 377. The judgment properly applied Kantian principles of respect for persons, Rawlsian…