Values, Ethics, Morality

Values

Values refer to the important and enduring beliefs or principles, based on which an individual makes judgement in life. Values do not attach judgement of right and wrong to a personal domain. Values refers to something that one consider to have worth in one’s life. For example – being a vegetarian, choosing materialism over spiritualism etc.

Types	Intrinsic (Primary)	Values which are an end in itself – education for wisdom
	Instrumental (Secondary)	Values which are means to an end – education for job, Gym for toned body
Nature	Universal	Which do not change with context or time and remain same always – Love, truth, care, respect, peace
	Evolving	Change with time – Polygamy, Satipratha, LGBT, Parda system,
		Change with place – Abortion, Food Preference, Collectivism vs individualism
	Subjective (Relativist)	Values which change with the context or situation – Killing vs Euthanasia vs killing in self defence vs capital punishment – Values which can be justified in a particular situation
	Objective (Absolutist)	Absolutists are the people according to whom values do not change with respect to time or context – Killing is killing no matter what

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Conflicting values in contemporary times

In contemporary times all the conflicts in this world are due to non-acknowledgment of values of others. People keeping their values above of others, and not respecting the values of others become the cause for widespread differences, mistrust & intolerance in society as well as international sphere.

• Materialism vs spiritualism
• Hierarchy vs egalitarianism
• Capitalism vs socialism
• Globalization vs localization
• Theocratic vs secular state
• Individualism vs collectivism

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Fundamentalist	When one becomes colorblind that other’s values should not exist (Only his value is right) – ISIS
Global conflicts	Due to conflict of values – Rising intolerance i.e. not acknowledging others values – USA vs Russia
Moral Polishing	Value conflicts – Bajrang dal on valentine’s day, Cow killing vs cow vigilantes

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Ethics & Morality

• Attaching judgment to values
• Determine right & wrong aspects of human action

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Ethics	Collective set of values prescribed by a group  – organization, religion, society, culture, profession – They are externally sourced by a common set of principles a group or society believes in
Morality	Individual set of principles, determining right & wrong for oneself – They are internally sourced means what an individual believes in irrespective of society
E vs M	They are mostly complementary to each other but in some cases are antagonistic – Inter caste marriages, Doctor treating a rapist, lawyer fighting a case for a terrorist, Khap panchayat vs individual thinking, RRM Roy vs orthodox rituals

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• Ethical values become moral on socialization; whereas consensus based codification of moral values become ethics
• Law – Emerges out of larger consensus + Objective in nature + Codified + Binding & Enforceable

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Determinants of Values / Ethics / Morality

Individual level	Family	Formative stage, 1st informal stage of socialization, emotive component, collectivism & helping attitude of joint family vs economic aspirations & alienation of nuclear family
	School	1st formal stage of socialization, learns Discipline, Equality (EWS & Riches), Intermixing of cultures, Study of all religions
	Religions	Refers to selfless duty – Niskamkarma, Jakat, Lunger versus exploitation of religion – Fatwa, ISIS, Saffron vigilante
	Peer Group	Peer group pressure to sail with the flow or become an odd man out
	Leaders	Which aspire us to be like them – Raghuram Rajan, Vinod Rai, Durga Shakti Nagpal, Abraham Lincoln
	Media(Print & Electronics) – Awareness vs Sensitization; Cinema – Social equality vs commodification of women
Professional	Minimum standard & behaviour required in a profession – Doctor, lawyer
National level	Which binds us in a common thread – Constitution, Common History, Common Enemy pre independence & post-independence