Ethical
values of students towards learning
Ethics,
also known as moral philosophy, is a branch of philosophy that involves
systematizing, defending and recommending concepts of right and wrong conduct,
often addressing disputes of moral diversity.
The Cambridge Dictionary of Philosophy states that
the word ethics is commonly used interchangeably with 'morality' ... and
sometimes it is used more narrowly to mean the moral principles of a particular
tradition, group or individual.
Paul and Elder (1996), define [1]“ethics
as a set of concepts and principles that guide us in determining what behavior
helps or harms sentient creatures.”
The term comes from the Greek word ethos, which
means "character". Ethics is a complement to Aesthetics in the
philosophy field of Axiology. In philosophy, ethics studies the moral behavior
in humans and how one should act. Ethics may be divided into four major areas
of study:
Meta-ethics, about the theoretical meaning and
reference of moral propositions and how their truth values (if any) may be
determined;
Normative ethics, about the practical means of
determining a moral course of action;
Applied ethics, about how moral outcomes can be
achieved in specific situations;
Descriptive ethics, also known as comparative ethics,
is the study of people's beliefs about morality;
Ethics seeks to resolve questions dealing with human
morality concepts such as good and evil, right and wrong, virtue and vice,
justice and crime.
The general meaning of ethics: rational, optimal and
appropriate decision brought on the basis of common sense. This does not
exclude the possibility of destruction if it is necessary and if it does not
take place as the result of intentional malice. If, for example, there is the
threat of physical conflict and one has no other solution, it is acceptable to
cause the necessary extent of injury, out of self-defense. Thus ethics does not
provide rules like morals but it can be used as a means to determine moral
values (attitudes or behaviors giving priority to social values).
Meaning of Value according to
different scholars
According to Hill (2004) says[2]“Values can be defined as broad
preference concerning appropriate courses of action or outcomes. As such,
values reflect a person's sense of right and wrong or what "ought" to
be. "Equal rights for all", "Excellence deserves
admiration", and "People should be treated with respect and
dignity" are representative of values. Values tend to influenceattitudes
andbehavior.”
TYPES OF VALUE
A personal value is absolute or relative and ethical
value, the assumption of which can be the basis for ethical action. A value
system is a set of consistent values and measures. A principle value is a
foundation upon which other values and measures of integrity are based. As Hill
says:-
[3]“Some values are physiologically determined and are
normally considered objective, such as a desire to avoid physical pain or to
seek pleasure. Other values are considered subjective, vary across individuals
and cultures, and are in many ways aligned with belief and belief systems.”
(Hill, 2004). Types of values include ethical/moral values,
doctrinal/ideological (religious, political) values, social values, and
aesthetic values. It is debated whether some values that are not clearly
physiologically determined, such as altruism, are intrinsic, and whether some,
such as acquisitiveness, should be classified as vices or virtues. Values have
been studied in various disciplines: anthropology, behavioral economics,
business ethics, corporate governance, moral philosophy, political sciences,
social psychology, sociology and theology to name a few.
Personal values provide an internal reference for
what is good, beneficial, important, useful, beautiful, desirable, and
constructive.Values generate behavior and help solve common human problems for
survival by comparative rankings of value, the results of which provide answers
to questions of why people do what they do and in what order they choose to do
them.
Over time the public expression of personal values
that groups of people find important in their day-to-day lives, lay the
foundations of law, custom and tradition. Personal values in this way exist in
relation to cultural values, either in agreement with or divergent from prevailing
norms. A culture is a social system that shares a set of common values, in
which such values permit social expectations and collective understandings of
the good, beautiful, constructive, etc. Without normative personal values,
there would be no cultural reference against which to measure the virtue of
individual values and so culture identity would disintegrate.
Lovat and Toomey (2007) points out that [4]“Criteria'
are used to refer to 'the standards on which an evaluation is based'." Values
relate then to what one wants and in what order one wants them; criteria can
only refer to the evidences for achieving values and act as a comparative
standard that one applies in order to evaluate whether goals have been met values
satisfied.”
Individual cultures emphasize values which their
members broadly share. One can often identify the values of a society by noting
which people receive honor or respect. In the United States of America, for
example, professional athletes at the top levels in some sports receive more
honor (measured in terms of monetary payment) than university professors.
Surveys show that voters in the United States would be reluctant to elect an
atheist as president, suggesting that a belief in a God is a generally shared
value. There is a difference between values clarification and cognitive moral
education. Value clarification consists of "helping people clarify what
their lives are for and what is worth working for. It encourages students to
define their own values and to understand others' values." Cognitive moral
education builds on the belief that students should learn to value things like
democracy and justice as their moral reasoning develops. Educationist
ChaveenDissanayake says personal and cultural values can vary according to the
living standards of a person.
Values relate to the norms of a culture, but they
are more global and abstract than norms. Norms provide rules for behavior in
specific situations, while values identify what should be judged as good or
evil. While norms are standards, patterns, rules and guides of expected
behavior, values are abstract concepts of what is important and worthwhile.
Flying the national flag on a holiday is a norm, but it reflects the value of
patriotism. Wearing dark clothing and appearing solemn are normative behaviors
to manifest respect at a funeral. Different cultures reflect values differently
and to different levels of emphasis. "Over the last three decades,
traditional-age college students have shown an increased interest in personal
well-being and a decreased interest in the welfare of others." Values
seemed to have changed, affecting the beliefs, and attitudes of the students.
Members take part in a culture even if each member's
personal values do not entirely agree with some of the normative values
sanctioned in the culture. This reflects an individual's ability to synthesize
and extract aspects valuable to them from the multiple subcultures they belong
to.
If a group member expresses a value that seriously
conflicts with the group's norms, the group's authority may carry out various
ways of encouraging conformity or stigmatizing the non-conforming behavior of
that member. For example, imprisonment can result from conflict with social
norms that the state has established as law.
Furthermore, institutions in the global economy can
genuinely respect values which are of three kinds based on a "triangle of
coherence". In the first instance, a value may come to expression within
the World Trade Organization, as well as (in the second instance) within the
United Nations - particularly in the Educational, Scientific and Cultural
Organization providing a framework for global legitimacy through
accountability. In the third instance, the expertise of member-driven
international organizations and civil society depends on the incorporation of
flexibility in the rules, to preserve the expression of identity in a
globalized world.
Nonetheless, in a warlike economic competition,
differing views may contradict each other, particularly in the field of
culture. Thus audiences in Europe may regard a movie as an artistic creation
and grant it benefits from special treatment, while audiences in the United
States may see it as mere entertainment, whatever its artistic merits. EU
policies based on the notion of "cultural exception" can become juxtaposed
with the policy of "cultural specificity" on the liberal Anglo-Saxon
side. Indeed, international law traditionally treats films as property and the
content of television programs as a service.Consequently cultural
interventionist policies get opposed to Anglo-Saxon liberal position, causing
failures in international negotiations.
TYPES OF ETHICS
Meta-ethics
Meta-ethics asks how we understand, know
about, and what we mean when we talk about what is right and what is wrong. An
ethical question fixed on some particular practical question such as,
"Should I eat this particular piece of German chocolate cake?" Cannot
be a meta-ethical question. A meta-ethical question is abstract and relates to
a wide range of more specific practical questions.
Studies of how we know in ethics divide
into cognitivism and non-cognitivism; this is similar to the contrast between
descriptivists and non-descriptivists. Non-cognitivism is the claim that when
we judge something as right or wrong, this is neither true nor false. We may
for example be only expressing our emotional feelings about these things. Cognitivism
can then be seen as the claim that when we talk about right and wrong, we are
talking about matters of fact.
Normative ethics
Normative ethics is the study of ethical
action. It is the branch of philosophical ethics that investigates the set of
questions that arise when considering how one ought to act, morally speaking.
Normative ethics is distinct from meta-ethics because it examines standards for
the rightness and wrongness of actions, while meta-ethics studies the meaning
of moral language and the metaphysics of moral facts. Normative ethics is also
distinct from descriptive ethics, as the latter is an empirical investigation
of people's moral beliefs. To put it another way, descriptive ethics would be
concerned with determining what proportion of people believe that killing is
always wrong, while normative ethics is concerned with whether it is correct to
hold such a belief. Hence, normative ethics is sometimes called prescriptive,
rather than descriptive. However, on certain versions of the meta-ethical view
called moral realism, moral facts are both descriptive and prescriptive at the
same time.
Applied ethics
Applied ethics is a discipline of
philosophy that attempts to apply ethical theory to real-life situations. The
discipline has many specialized fields, such as Engineering Ethics, bioethics,
geoethics, public service ethics and business ethics.
Applied ethics is used in some aspects of
determining public policy, as well as by individuals facing difficult
decisions. The sort of questions addressed by applied ethics include: "Is
getting an abortion immoral?" "Is euthanasia immoral?" "Is
affirmative action right or wrong?" "What are human rights, and how
do we determine them?" "Do animals have rights as well?" and
"Do individuals have the right of self-determination?"
People in-general are more comfortable
with dichotomies (two opposites). However, in ethics the issues are most often
multifaceted and the best proposed actions address many different areas
concurrently. In ethical decisions the answer is almost never a "yes or
no", "right or wrong" statement. Many buttons are pushed so that
the overall condition is improved and not to the benefit of any particular
faction
Moral psychology
Moral psychology is a
field of study that began as an issue in philosophy and that is now properly
considered part of the discipline of psychology. Some use the term "moral
psychology" relatively narrowly to refer to the study of moral development.
However, others tend to use the term more broadly to include any topics at the
intersection of ethics and psychology (and philosophy of mind). Such topics are
ones that involve the mind and are relevant to moral issues. Some of the main
topics of the field are moral responsibility, moral development, moral
character (especially as related to virtue ethics), altruism, psychological
egoism, moral luck, and moral disagreement
ETHICS IN EDUCATION
Ethical standards in education contain basic
principles, procedures and behavior patterns based on commitment to core values
that are deeply rooted in education. Ethical standards enable educators,
students and administrators to maintain and promote quality education.
The principles of ethical conduct lie at the core of
the teaching profession. The introduction of a set of ethical norms agreed by
both the teaching profession and the public provides a collective understanding
of educators' role.
Jeffrey and Vincent argued that[5]"With
students daily observing a decline in moral behavior from individuals entrusted
with leadership positions, measures to improve ethical conduct are needed more
than ever in education. Ten recommendations for improving ethical conduct are
provided in this discussion." Jeffrey and Vincent (1996).
When ethical conduct is integrated into teaching,
then instruction can be performed properly, according to researchers. Teachers'
ethical conduct at school can be improved by the introduction of clear
standards and instructional strategies that properly target students' needs.
The school administration can also help improve ethical standards at school by
review of lesson plans and visit classes.
The Ontario College of Teachers has defined four
ethical standards in education: care, respect, trust and integrity. Care stands
for compassion, acceptance and efforts to develop students' potential. Respect
is based on the honor of dignity, emotional wellness, cultural values and
freedom. Trust embodies fairness and honesty, whereas integrity consists of
honesty, reliability and moral action.
Goodman and Lesnick say[6] “certain
responsibilities
are inherent to the teaching profession. The teacher
is expected to respect the students and to believe
in
their dignity. In democratic countries, the
educational
system has to ensure the freedom to learn and the
equal
access to education regardless of one's race, color,
creed,
sex, national origin, marital status, political or
religious
beliefs, family, social or cultural background, or
sexual orientation.”
The National Education Association (NEA) in the
United States, formulated in 1975, has two major principles of ethical
standards in education: commitment to the student and commitment to the
profession. According to the NEA, the educator has to enable each student to
develop his or her potential and help him or her find a place as a member of
society. This will be ensured through the stimulation of acquisition of
knowledge. In particular, the teacher has to encourage the student's
independent action in pursuit of learning. The educator has to respect various
points of view. He or she has to protect students from hazardous conditions,
and cannot deliberately expose students to embarrassment and disparagement. Students
cannot be unfairly excluded from programs. Teachers are also forbidden to use
their position for personal advantage. Furthermore, they are obliged to keep
confidential information that has been made known to them via the teaching
process.
The teacher is also expected to promote certain
ethical standards among students, teaching them to respect other people, to
understand the diversity of values and beliefs and accept various opinions. The
education should also prevent discriminatory behavior among students. Ethical
issues can be integrated in the course of the regular discussion as well as in
dedicated lectures. Teachers can also share personal reflections and insights
with an ethical message.
Teachers are also responsible for the physical
development of students and the learning environment. They should ensure a safe
and supportive physical environment.
The educator is also supposed to establish
relationships with students' families.
On
the other hand, the teacher is supposed to adhere to the highest ideals of the
profession. The educator has to stick to and raise professional efforts and
ensure a favorable learning climate.
Students are entitled to file complaints against
teachers who break the code of conduct.
School boards can investigate complaints against educators. The board
can also impose penalties if the teacher is found to be guilty of breach of the
code of conduct. These sanctions can include disciplinary actions such as
revocation of the teaching license.
ETHICAL VALUE OF STUDENTS TOWARDS
LEARNING
Every
parent and teacher of a struggling student has looked in the mirror at one
point or other and asked themselves. Many feel that there is an unconditional
amount that adults should do since students are still learning how to be
responsible for them.Dest postulate that:-
“a
student should be allowed to struggle without
being abandoned to his or her sole efforts. School
is a place of learning, after all. But students
struggle
for all sorts of reasons, not the least of which is
the fact
that their emotional and impetuous side of their
brains
develop earlier than their logical, rational side.
In other
words, they are wired to make poor decisions.”[7](Dest,
2005)
The use of proper
language
One
of the main rules to students is to try to avoid the use of a word with a
negative connotation. The word no is the clearest example of such a word. The
same can be said about the word not. The meaning of the sentence is turns into
the opposite with the use of the word not. This makes it harder for the
receiver to understand the message. The receiver has to think twice. The
message and the words recall one sort of meaning. The use of the word not turns
the meaning of the sentence into the opposite of the meaning of the used words.
“A
negative word can recall a negative association to the word. When the sender of
the communicated message wants to appeal to positive feelings and thoughts it
is recommended to use positive words.”
Good behavior
Good
behavior is sitting still, doing what you’re told, and speaking when you are
spoken to and generally following instructions. And that is great, except for
the fact that students are in school to learn and behave. Behavior rules are
only a means to an end; they enable us to teach. But if rules encourage
unquestioning passivity, should we really be compelling students to follow
them.
Ever
heard of Behavior for Learning, all it seems to mean is that students are being
quiet and respectful so that the teacher is free to impart knowledge instead of
wasting time trying to make them shut up and listen. Shutting up and listening
is important, and anyone who’s ever had charge of a truly dysfunctional class
knows how horrible an experience it can be. As Hill argues that:-
“List of classroom
rules fastened to classroom walls.
They usually contain some variant of the following:
Show respect for school and personal property,
Listen when others are talking,Follow directions,
Keep hands, feet, and objects to yourself,
Work quietly and do not disturb others,
Work and play in a safe manner.[8](Hill,
2004)
These are great rules for instilling ‘good’ behavior.
Students need to know that these things are important. What all of us have
learned is that it is not important that our utterances satisfy the demands of
the question or of reality, but that they satisfy the demands of the classroom
environment. Teacher asks. Student answers. Have you ever heard of a student
who replied to a question, ‘Does anyone know
the answer to that question?’ or ‘I have been asked that question before and,
frankly, I’ve never understood what it meant’? Such behavior would invariably
result in some form of penalty and is, of
course, scrupulously avoided, except by ‘wise guys’. Thus students
learn not to value it. They get the message. And yet few teachers consciously
articulate such a message. It is not part of the ‘content’ of their
instruction.
Do not engage in
drug abuse
A
drug is any chemical you take that affects the way your body works. Alcohol,
caffeine, aspirin and nicotine are all drugs. A drug must be able to pass from
your body into your brain. Once inside your brain, drugs can change the
messages your brain cells are sending to each other, and to the rest of your
body. They do this by interfering with your brain's own chemical signals:
neurotransmitters that transfer signals across synapses. Lovat and Toomey
argued that:-
“Teens today are having many problems dealing with
drugs.
Teenagers get influence by ads in magazines, on TV,
people pressuring them, and from everyday life.
Drugs and Alcohol does not help anything in the
world.
When teens are having problems, some of them do
drugs
or even drink alcohol to get rid of their problems,
but that would not do any good it just causes
more problems.”[9](Lovat
and Toomey, 2007)
There
are many types of drugs that teens can use. For example, Marijuana, Ecstasy,
Cocaine, Heroin, LSD, Speed, Morphine, Nicotine, and Tobacco. These are the
most known drugs that Teenagers use.Using drugs is that it just causes more problems
to your life. Teens do not know that drugs would not solve any problems they
have, it just messes it up more. Some of them do not even have problems; they
just do it to be cool. Teenagers say that when you try it once, you just get
hooked and can not seem to stop. Teenagers know that it is bad for them but they do it anyways,
some teens are smart and know that being a "Pot-Head" is not a good
idea. It's bad for your health and for your life; it will only bring more
problems.
Responsibility
The student is responsible for
his/her own success in the learning process. He/she should
be actively involved in the learning process and should behave appropriately for a learning
environment.Elich listed student responsibilities as follows:-
be actively involved in the learning process and should behave appropriately for a learning
environment.Elich listed student responsibilities as follows:-
• The student is
responsible for attending class every day.
• The student is responsible for arriving in class on time.
• The student is responsible for remaining quiet and on task during class time so as not
to disrupt the learning of other students.
• The student is responsible for bringing to class all necessary materials (book, paper,
pen, pencil, and calculator.)
• The student is responsible for taking proper care of his/her book and returning it at the
end of the course.
• The student is responsible for completing all assignments, including quizzes and tests,
and for handing them in to the facilitator (remote sites) or teacher (local site).
• The student is responsible for participating in all class discussions and question-and answer
sessions.
• The student is responsible for arranging to take make-up quizzes and tests and for
arriving at the math department make-up session at the appropriate time.
• The student is responsible for communicating any concerns to the facilitator and/or
teacher.[10](Elich, 2001)
• The student is responsible for arriving in class on time.
• The student is responsible for remaining quiet and on task during class time so as not
to disrupt the learning of other students.
• The student is responsible for bringing to class all necessary materials (book, paper,
pen, pencil, and calculator.)
• The student is responsible for taking proper care of his/her book and returning it at the
end of the course.
• The student is responsible for completing all assignments, including quizzes and tests,
and for handing them in to the facilitator (remote sites) or teacher (local site).
• The student is responsible for participating in all class discussions and question-and answer
sessions.
• The student is responsible for arranging to take make-up quizzes and tests and for
arriving at the math department make-up session at the appropriate time.
• The student is responsible for communicating any concerns to the facilitator and/or
teacher.[10](Elich, 2001)
CODE OF STUDENT ETHICS
Offenses are very serious violations
of the Code of Student Ethics. The school takes a zero tolerance approach to
students who violate these standards. Violating the standards of conduct in
this area, as a first offense, will result in a sanction of either suspension
or permanent expulsion from the school.
Assault, Harassment, and Fighting:
Students
are subject to disciplinary action for harassing, threatening -including any
terrorist acts-, intimidating, coercing, or using physical force in a manner
which causes another person of the University community or a guest of the
University to be reasonably apprehensive or which endangers the health or
safety of oneself or another person. Harassing, assaulting, stalking,
intimidating, threatening, or abusing another person by written, electronic,
pictorial or oral communication or suggestions is prohibited. Students are
further prohibited from violating the provisions and intent of applicable
University policies on Sexual Harassment (Sexual Assault & Misconduct),
Affirmative Action, the Americans with Disabilities Act or on the basis of
race, national or ethnic origin, creed, age, sex, sexual orientation,
disability, political affiliation or other ideologies.
Theft:
Students
are subject to disciplinary action for taking or attempting to take, sell or
keep in one’s possession, including but not exclusively, items of University
property, or items belonging to students, faculty, staff, student groups,
visitors or to others within the larger community whether on or off campus.
Criminal Conduct:
Students
are subject to disciplinary action for violating local, state, or federal law,
on-campus, at events sponsored by the University, or at other locations whereby
the misconduct clearly contravenes the University’s interests and purposes. The
University does not condone the violation or attempted violation of criminal
laws. Alleged violations that constitute serious misdemeanor or felonies will
be referred to appropriate authorities
Damage to Property:
Students
are subject to disciplinary action for damaging, destructing, or defacing
University property, including library materials, or property of any person as
a result of deliberate action or as a result of reckless or imprudent behavior.
Disorderly Conduct:
Students
are subject to disciplinary action for engaging in conduct that is disorderly,
rowdy, lewd, or indecent. Furthermore, students may be subject to disciplinary
action for engaging in breach of peace or aiding, abetting, or procuring
another to do the same on University property or University sponsored events.
Joint Responsibility for
Violations:
Students
are subject to disciplinary action for knowingly acting in concert with others
to violate University regulations.Students are subject to disciplinary action
for being aware of the existence of a violation of University regulations and
failing to take reasonable action to report the violation in a timely
manner.Students are responsible for violations of University regulations that
occur in on-campus residential facility rooms and are to report such violations
in a timely manner.
Dress Code Violation:
Students
are subject to disciplinary action for:
Failure
to adhere to University’s “Dress Code Policy” which states: “A student’s attire
while on campus and in public should never be lewd, indecent, or distracting to
the educational environment. (Examples: Inappropriate dress may include, but is
not limited to, halter tops, shorts or skirts revealing any portion of the
buttocks or genitals, shirts with obscene language or words undergarments and
clothing which allows undergarments to be visually observed such as pants for
men and women intended to reveal those undergarments including, sagging pants
and extreme low riders”.
Six Types of Human Values
According to Rokeach, (1973) Postulated that[11]“Human
beings need different things to live in this world. However, nothing in this
world is available free of cost. Everything has a price and one has to pay the
right price to get ones need satisfied. However, we value the things based on
our needs and the needs depends on the basis of our value system.
First,
there are basic necessities like food, water, air, shelter, and clothing
without which survival of the body itself is not possible. However, once these
necessities are satisfied, man moves to satisfy his higher needs like the
social needs, security needs or the need of self-actualization.
However, every person does not follow the same path
as his path would depend on the inherent values of the person. These inherent
values are acquired by the man by virtue of his nature and also by his nurture.
The effect of the family, society, nation and individual makes every person
unique as he develops a unique set of values. These values decide the priority
and lifestyle of the person. The values make the personality of the person and
decide the growth of the individual, family, society, nation and the humanity.
Individualistic Values
The most inherent value of a person is
individualistic which means valuing the self over anything else in the world.
This is also the most natural value which is inherent in every animal of the
world. The animals live for themselves without much bothering about the other
animals. The only exception would be the mother animal which takes care of her
child animal till the child grows up sufficiently to support itself.
The
modern world has been moving more and more towards individualistic values where
the interest of the individual is considered to be the most "right"
and needs to be protected over everything else. The individualistic value
support freedom as it believes that every person has the right to decide what
is good for him.
Every
child starts with individualistic values and he wants everything in the world
for the self and wants everyone to serve him. When the need of the child is not
satisfied, he cries and do everything to get the need satisfied.
Family Values
The human species may be the most powerful specie in
the earth but it is also true that human species is also the weakest specie. A
human child does not learn to even walk for one year. If the child of the man
is allowed to survive of its own, it just can not survive. The support of
family is must for the growth of every human child. It is for this reason that
human specieover the year has invented the concept of family that lives like
one unit and supports a new born child till it becomes strong enough to support
itself.
The concept of family has given rise to the family
value where a family is considered to be the basic unit of the society instead
of the individual. The family has right and power to control the other member
of the family. In a family system, the members of the family divide their work
in a way that all members perform complementary functions rather than performing
same functions. For example, father earns the livelihood and protects the
family being the strongest member of the family. The mother takes care of the
family by cooking food, cleaning house and rearing children. The children on
their part get these benefits free of cost from their parents but they have the
family obligation to provide the same benefits to their children. Thus the
family ensures the continuity of the value and tradition of the family.
In
the family system, the interest of each member of the family is protected
through an unwritten law as love and trust alone govern the management of a
family. The parents do not seek any personal benefit when they give something
to their children. The children to recognize the contributions made by the parents
in building their lives and they not only pass on the same benefits to their
own children but also take care of their parents when they grow old.
The
entire system of family value is maintained by tradition and trust.
However, when family values are strong, it results
in the reduction of individual freedom and decline in the individual values.
Every person has to think for the family first and the self as secondary. This
often kills the creativity of the man as he is never free to think as an individual.
Professional Values
A society is made of not only families which are
natural but also by origination which are artificially created to fulfill a
specific requirement of the society. The government is one of the most
important organizations which had been created to bring order in the society.
The government is further divided into different departments like police,
revenue, and defense which are needed to keep the country united and protect it
from external aggression. There are many other organizations which are run by
private persons or bodies which produce goods and provide service to the people
of the nation and the world.
Every person has to join an origination to earn his
livelihood and to contribute to the society. These organizations are designed
to serve a specialized function of the society and thus need a set of value to
keep all members of the organization motivated and united.
Thus man develops a set of values due to his
profession. The values of a police official are different than the values of a
judge or a politician. Each profession has its own set of values which often
contradict the values of another profession. Yet these values are necessary to
keep the professionals united and deliver what is expected from them.
National Values
The world today is divided into a number of
countries and each country is sovereign and independent. However, in recent
years the countries have started behaving like family members as the
independence is gradually being replaced by interdependence in the globalize
economies. If China is emerging as the manufacturing hub of the world, India
has become the outsourcing and out-shoring hub of the world from where the
different services are being provided to the world. Arab world is producing oil
for the world and USA has taken the leadership role in creation of the
knowledge and the Information Technology for the world. Each country is
gradually becoming specialist in some specific task and getting the rest of the
requirements fulfilled from the other countries of the world.
Thus, just like individuals and families have to
compete with and complement each other for their survival in a society, each
nation has to compete with and complement with the other countries of the
world. In order to make the nation stronger, certain types of values need to be
cultivated in their citizen who makes the country not made of millions or
billions of individuals or families but like one family.
By
virtue of independence, every country develops certain values which keep on
evolving with time. The values of a nation represent its tradition, history and
experiences of its people since its creation. The values of India and China are
many thousands of years old while the values of the newly created nations like
USA, Israel, Australia, and Pakistan are quite new.
The
national values are often codified in their laws that seek to grant equality
and justice to all its citizens. There, is wide diversity in these laws as the
requirement of each country is different. The violation of national values is
treated criminal acts which are punished by the State. Thus the countries with
strong national values enforce their laws very severely as they keep the
interest of the country over the interest of the individual.
Moral Values
While the legal values of a country or society is
documented and enforced, these are insufficient for the smooth functioning of
the state. The ideal state is one where the State does not have to enforce any
law as the citizens voluntarily follow the laws of the land. However, this
rarely happens since all the State laws are drafted by the people who are in
power or those who have influence on powerful people. These powerful people
ensure that laws are drafted in their favour of few rather than in the favors
of the masses. Thus over a period of time, the enforcement of laws creates a
class of people who are extremely powerful and rich while the majority
population live the life of haplessness and poverty.
However, the disparity and injustice created by law
is largely reduced due to the prevalence of the moral values in the society
which need not to be codified in the statute books. Yet the moral values are
passed on from one generation to another by tradition. For example, the
sanctity of the institution of marriage in India has kept the divorce rate to
the minimum despite having the provision of divorce in the law books like any
other western country. The moral laws are enforced jointly by the society. As
every man desires to be loved and respected by thesociety, the moral values are
often more powerful to keep the man on the right path than the legal
enforcement.
Spiritual Values
All values adopted by men create exclusivity in
human beings as these values are different for every society and indeed for
every man. The values are thus the source of conflicts in the world as every
person or nation believes strongly in their values as right. Yet all these
values are non-permanent and transient which changes with time and space. The
values of the present generation are not same as the value of the previous
generation.
Yet
there is some ingredient in all values that never changes. It has remained same
in long years of human evolution. These values are eternal as they never
change. Therefore, often people call such values as spiritual or divine as it
never dies and its origin too is not known.
These
are the spiritual values.
The spiritual values are often attributed to God and
called divine. The spiritual values include love, compassion, justice, truth
etc. It is the nature of the man to imbibe these values irrespective of his
religion, race, culture or nationality. These values are so universal that all
human beings seem to understand it without being taught.
The
spiritual values unite all human beings on this world. It is due to these
spiritual values that we want justice and cannot see injustice in this world.
The feelings of love and compassion cut across all barriers of religion, race
and nationalities. The spiritual values can not be eliminated from man and
these are universal
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Dest, (2005), National Framework for values
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Elich,G
(2001), Deviant behavior, Hamitton
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Goodman,R.F and Lesnick,J (2001), The moral stake in education: Contested
and practices: . ..
New York USA.
Hill,B
(2004), Values education in school, Longman,
New York.
Jeffrey, O and Vincent,
B (1996), Applying Ethics. Thomson
publisher inc: Mexco.
Lovat,T
and Toomey (2007), Values education and
quality teaching, the double helix effect; .
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Australia.
Paul, R and Elder.M
(1996), Understanding ethics,
Annandale, Australia; the federation press.
Rokeach,
M. (1973).The Nature of Human Values.judge
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