Human Values

‘Value’ is the importance we attach to ideas, principles, beliefs as well as material objects. This importance is often abstract. 

For example, If I am a coin collector, I might value 25 paisa coins more than 100 rupees. I might value a pen gifted to me by my spouse more than its economic value!

Depending on the object/entity to which we attach importance Value can be of many types, such as economic value, social value, cultural value, moral value etc.

1. Social Values – Principles and ideologies that encourage us to live together e.g. Love, affection.
2. Moral Values – enable us to follow the right path e.g. Honesty, empathy, integrity.
3. Religious values – a belief/thought originating from religion helping to distinguish between good and bad e.g. showing respect to holy books, preaching humanity
4. National value – encourages imbibing the feelings of patriotism and national integration e.g. respecting the national flag and national anthem.
5. Civic value – guides dos and don’ts to citizens e.g. standing in the queue, dumping garbage in a dustbin
6. Political values – include liberty, equality, democracy, unity, diversity, etc.
7. Economic value – belief in ideology such as socialism, capitalism, globalization, etc.
8. Cultural Value: For example, the ancient town of Harappa has a huge cultural value. 

But in this chapter, we are not interested in values per se. We are instead interested in “human values”. These are the ethical values that we often hear in the realm of Ethics.

Human Values 

Values are the fundamental moral principles and qualities, which is considered good and desirable. It guides the judgment and behaviour of a person or a group. It helps individuals to distinguish right from wrong.

Further, Human values are those desirable qualities that make us ‘humane’. These are values like compassion, tolerance, honesty etc. 

Value system: 

A value System is a structured set of beliefs and principles that an individual or group uses to guide itself for decision-making, and defining what is desirable.

A value system is developed through family, culture, education, experiences, and societal norms. It shapes an individual’s beliefs and ethical conduct. Influenced by personal introspection and social interactions, it guides decision-making, behaviour, and moral judgments, ensuring consistency in actions and fostering a responsible and principled life.

Relation to Human Values

While human values represent universal ethical principles, the value system organizes and prioritizes them based on personal, cultural, and societal influences, ensuring their application in both personal and professional life.

Thus, a value system is a framework through which human values like honesty, empathy, and justice are internalised and practised. 

Characteristics of Values

• Values are Inculcated: They can be learned through culture, experience and social institution. Most of our core values are learned early in life from family, friends, neighbourhood school, the mass print, visual media and other sources within the society.
• Influence Behaviour: They influence people’s behaviour and serve as criteria for evaluating the actions of others.
• Moral Values Occur in Pair: They generally occur in pairs i.e. the positive value has always its corresponding counter value. For example, honesty and dishonesty, justice and Injustice etc. 

Functions of Values

• Values help an individual to have a personality. For Example – inculcating moral values like honesty and empathy makes a good human being.
• Help in Decision-Making: They help in judgments and decision-making as values act as a benchmark or standard to guide us. They make behavioural choices less random as it increases the predictability in the decision-making.
• Guide our Conscience: Our conscience is driven by our values thus they serve as an internal guide.

Importance of Values

• Influence our Morals: Values are an inbuilt mechanism that distinguishes the right from wrong, the Do’s and Don’ts of any action even when no one is looking.
• Help in creating social Norms: They have a great role to play in the conduct of social life. They help in creating norms to guide day-to-day behaviour.
• Social acceptance: Those who adhere to social values are easily accepted by people. For example, criminals who defy social values are not assimilated into the society.
• Voluntary: Values are concerned with the character and conduct of a person and evaluate the voluntary and habitual actions of individuals with reference to their being right or wrong.

Note: Values are different from virtues, which means good habits and is a positive term. We will learn about virtues in the “Ethics in Western Philosophy” chapter.

Classification of Human Values

Values can be of two types:

1. Individual Values: 
2. Societal Values: Societal Values form ethics which guide us in making decisions on the questions of morality are ethical values. They differentiate between right and wrong for us.

Ethics and Values 

Not all values are ethical in nature. Those values that tell us about what is good or bad/evil can be termed as ‘Ethical’ or ‘Moral’ Values. 

For example, those who believe in Gandhi value truthfulness to the highest degree. Since it distinguishes between what is right the wrong, it is a Moral value.

On the other hand, you might assign a very high value to Indian Music in your heart; This is a cultural value, but it is ethically or morally neutral. Why? Because when we talk of art, there is nothing right or wrong; Its value depends purely on our aesthetic understanding of art. It is a Non-moral Value.

Slight Difference

Here, we must point out that being Amoral is not the same as being immoral. Unmoral refers to those having no moral perception. It is best used for animals or inanimate objects incapable of considering moral concerns, but can also be used for humans lacking the same.  Immoral refers to a conscientious rejection of typical moral standards and has a connotation of evil or wrongdoing.  Nonmoral describes actions that are not usually subject to moral concerns, such as which shirt to wear, or liking Indian Music. Amoral implies an awareness of moral standards, but a lack of concern for them while acting.

But when we talk about truthfulness as a value, it motivates us towards the right action, i.e. to never lie. It moulds our understanding in terms of what is good and what is evil. ‘Truthfulness’ is a moral/ethical value.

	Ethics	Values
Definition	A prevalent system of moral principles within the society at large or within a specific community shapes its understanding of good and evil.	Values are intrinsically associated with an individual’s or society’s thought process.
Objectivity	Ethics is associated with social set-up, and is, therefore, more objective. Although ethics is consistent and present in all professional spaces, the ethics between two different professional setups or companies may be completely different.	Values are associated with a person’s or society’s own beliefs. Values are purely subjective. Values vary from person to person. Sometimes people belonging to the same family or unit may exhibit different value systems altogether.
Who makes it?	Organizations, professional institutions and society at large define principles of ethics, which we call the Code of Ethics. For example, the ethics followed by medical professionals may differ from those involved in logistics.	Various identities – religion, culture, family, and community – go on to define our values. It gives rise to different identities based on value systems – like a religious value system.
Conflicts	In most cases, the ethics of a profession don’t tend to be stumbling blocks to a person. But sometimes an action needed by a professional may not go well with the person’s values, thus, creating a great conflict.	Sometimes values can act as a catalyst for an individual’s professional and personal growth. It could provide the required motivation to scale up in life and profession.

Terminal Value and Instrumental Values

Terminal values are the ultimate objective and goal. Terminal values are the highest values in a person’s value system. Instrumental values are modes of behaviour in achieving the terminal values. These values are used often in the day to day lives. Following are the differences between these two:

Terminal/End/Intrinsic Values	Instrumental/Means/Extrinsic Values
Terminal values are the goals that a person would like to achieve during his or her lifetime.	Instrumental values are modes of behaviour in achieving the terminal values.
It is one, which has worth in its own right. It is an end in itself	It is one which is a means to some other value i.e. means to an end. It is of instrumental worth only.
Related to an ultimate goal or end	Related to means of achieving the desired outcome or an end
• Beauty • Equality • Family Security • Freedom • Inner harmony • Wisdom • National Security • Salvation • Sense of accomplishment	• Ambitious, Hardworking and aspiring • Broad and open-minded • Courageous • Self-Control • Intelligent and reflective • Politeness • Forgiveness • Helpful and welfare oriented • Cheerful, light-hearted and joyful

Values of some Famous Personalities

Personalities	Values
Mahatma Gandhi	Simplicity, Minimalism, Satyagraha, Sarvodaya, Secularism, Ahimsa, Non-Violence, Truth, Forgiveness, Self-Sufficiency, Dignity of labour etc.
Jawaharlal Nehru	Democracy, institution building, consensus building, socialism, secularism, self – determination, internationalism etc
Raja Rammohan Roy	Social equality, equality of the human race, women empowerment, scientific thinking etc
Swami Vivekananda	Self-belief, equality of the human race, patriotism, compassion etc
B R Ambedkar	Self-belief, equality of the human race, radical thinking, compassion
M. S. Swaminathan	Sustainable development, green revolution, poverty alleviation, farmer welfare etc.

 

Previous Year Questions

Without commonly shared and widely entrenched moral values and obligations, neither the law, nor democratic government, nor even the market economy will function properly. What do you understand by this statement? Explain with illustration in the contemporary times (2017) The crisis of ethical values in modern times is traced to a narrow perception of the good life. Discuss. (2017) “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.” Abdul Kalam. Analyse. (2017) “Social Values are more important than economic values.” Discuss the above statement with examples in the context of the inclusive growth of a nation. (2015) “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.” – Abdul Kalam.  (2022)