Values is derived from the Latin word “valere” meaning to be
worthy to be of worth. It is defined in different ways by various authors. But,
we shall define it as anything that can be desired and something chosen from
alternatives, acted upon and enhances creative integration and development of
human personality.
PROPERTIES OF VALUES
• Relative – subject to change good for what? And for whom?
• Subjective – good for one but not for others
• Objective – has an absolute character
- Summun Bonum – Supreme Good – God
• Bipolar – good and
bad
o Ex. beautiful – ugly
• Hierarchical – scaled
graduation
- according to priority
CLASSIFICATION OF VALUES (Andres)
• Useful or utilitarian – other useful things are obtained from it
• Pleasurable or delectable – provides pleasure to the subject
• Befitting or becoming good – develops,
completes and perfects the subject.
Individual person human person
• Accidental values – temporal, impermanent, variable
• Natural human values – befit man every place at every time
• Primary values – chosen, acted upon,
necessary for authentic development of man.
Chosen from alternatives
• Secondary values – obligatory values
Ex. Children governed by parental rules
• Moral/Ethical – obligatory in character Basic and urgent in life and activities of man
• Religious – ultimate Divine Value
• Cultural Value – includes poetry,
music, painting, unique characteristics important to a culture
Fourfold test of Robin Williams to determine cultural values
• Extensiveness
• Duration of Value
• Intensity
• Prestige of value carrier
10 .Social values – friendship, family ties and the likes
HIERARCHY OF VALUES
Hierarchy of values refers to the different scales or graduation of
prioritizing values. Listed below are some philosophers and their respective
hierarchy of values.
PLATO (427-347 B.C)
• Knowledge – philosophers
• Honor – warriors
• Money/Business – artisans/merchants
• Pleasure
• Passion
MAX SCHELER
• Pleasure values
• Vital or welfare values
• Spiritual or cultural
• Sacred – religious
DEFECTIVE NORMS OF MORALITY
Defective norms of morality
is the term given to the different philosophical beliefs about morality which
somehow do not conform to the universally accepted standards of human morality.
Listed below are some of these non-conformists’ moral ideologies;
HEDONISM is the
belief that morality is determined by the acquisition of pleasure. What is
pleasurable and anything that bring pain is immoral. The supreme end of man is
acquisition of pleasure and delight. The foremost advocates of this ideology
were Jeremy Bentham (1748-1832) of England, Epicurus and Democritus of ancient
Greece.
UTILITARIANISM subscribes to the idea that an acts is good if it
brings good result or the achievement of one’s goals and it is bad if it fails
make man attain his goals. The forerunners of this belief were Herbert Spencer
and Charles Sanders Pierce.
Types of Utilitarianism
·
individual or egoism
·
social or altruism – the greatest good for the
greatest number.
Moral Rationalism is the belief that human reason is the sole
source of all moral laws. It was advocated by Immanuel Kant (1724-1804) of
Prussia
Moral Evolutionism
is the idea that morality is not absolute but keeps on changing until such time
it reaches the perfect state. It was advocated by Friedrich Nietzcshe (1844-
1900) of Germany who believed that the society must produce strong people and
kill the weak, which eventually became the basis of Hitler’s ideal of Aryan
supremacy.
Moral Positivism. This
theory advocates that state laws are the bases of all moral laws, ergo it is
good if is in accordance with the laws of the state and anything that opposes
the state laws must be rejected. The foremost advocate of this ideology was
Thomas Hobbes (1588-1679) of England.
Moral Sensism is
the belief that man is endowed with special moral sense that can distinguish
good or evil. Therefore, an action is moral if it is harmony with this human
sense and immoral if not in harmony with this sense.
Communism is an
economic theory which is based on the ideals of a classless society as
expounded in the UTOPIA written by Sir Thomas More of England and COMMUNIST
MANIFESTO written by Karl Marx of Germany, who believed that history is marked
by the constant struggle between classes of people and in order to attain an
ideal state, the bourgeois or the ruling class must be overthrown by the
proletarian or the working class. This ideology denies the existence of God and
views religion as an opium.
It does not recognize human
freedom and immortality of man’s soul. It treats man as just an economic animal.