(a) “Great ambition is the passion of a great character. Those endowed with it may perform very good or very bad acts. All depends on the principles which direct them.” – Napoleon Bonaparte. Stating examples mention the rulers (i) who have harmed society and country, (ii) who worked for the development of society and country. (10 marks, 150 words) (b) “If a country is to be corruption free and become a nation of beautiful minds, I strongly feel there are three key societal members who can make a difference. They are the father, the mother and the teacher.” – A. P. J. Abdul Kalam. Analyse. (10 marks, 150 words)
Subtopic: Thinkers & Quotes · ambition, character and value formation
How to structure your answer
Detailed model answer
202 words · target 150 words · 20 min
(a) Napoleon: ambition guided by principles
Napoleon holds that great ambition is neutral energy; whether it produces good or evil depends on the principles that direct it. Ambition without ethical anchor breeds tyranny; ambition harnessed to justice builds nations.
- Rulers who harmed: Hitler and Mussolini let boundless ambition, unguided by moral principle, drive aggression, genocide and ruin.
- Rulers who served: Ashoka, after Kalinga, channelled ambition into Dhamma, welfare and non-violence; Lee Kuan Yew transformed Singapore through disciplined, development-oriented ambition.
The difference lies not in the intensity of ambition but in the values steering it.
(b) Kalam: father, mother and teacher
Kalam locates the roots of a corruption-free, enlightened nation in three primary value-shapers. The father instils discipline, responsibility and integrity by example; the mother nurtures compassion, honesty and the earliest moral sense; the teacher shapes character, critical thinking and civic values beyond mere knowledge.
Because character is formed in childhood, these three influence conscience more deeply than laws or institutions. A generation raised on integrity at home and in school becomes citizens who resist corruption from conviction, not fear.
Conclusion
Both quotes converge on one truth: ability and ambition are inert until directed by values, and those values are seeded early by family and teacher.
What an examiner expects to see
- Ambition is morally neutral energy; its outcome depends on the principles guiding it.
- Unguided ambition (Hitler, Mussolini) produces tyranny and destruction.
- Principled ambition (Ashoka, Lee Kuan Yew) builds welfare and nations.
- Kalam roots national character in three primary value-shapers.
- Father instils discipline and integrity; mother nurtures compassion and honesty.
- Teacher builds character, critical thinking and civic values, not just knowledge.
- Early value formation shapes conscience more durably than external law.
Concrete cases, schemes and judgments
- Ashoka's turn to Dhamma and welfare after the Kalinga war.
- Lee Kuan Yew's disciplined, development-focused leadership of Singapore.
- Hitler and Mussolini as ambition unmoored from moral principle.
- Value education initiatives and role of family and schooling in character building.