Value in an Ethical Context

I understand value, from an ethical point of view, to be an essential constituent or characteristic of a human. It is learned as a child, expressed and built upon throughout your existence. There are values that are consistent throughout several different societies, as well as contrasting ones, forming a unique way of living.

Value is learned. Your parents raise you the same values as they believe to be true. They place upon you an inherent worth on issues, thoughts, and goods, to aid in your contribution to your society. Though this is done in your parents best interests, the values you have learned as a child, can be forgotten, misconstrued, or altered through influences from another party. In addition, parents can all together teach value to be something that does not fit with the majority of society. Society is constantly changing, and becoming more and more advanced. If you are taught things that were relevant fifty years ago, teaching those same values now, may not hold with the rest of society now. For example, Hitler taught the value of man to be blonde, blue eyed warriors, with no tolerance or time for anyone other than that. Nazism was around decades ago, with a set of many values that are, or should be, now obsolete. For a parent to teach their children values that Hitler believed would not be publicly tolerated in the majority of today's society.

Values are not randomly chosen, as there is reason for which it is based upon. It is necessary that different cultures and society have some of the same values in order for their society to exist. For instance, cultures would have to endorse against murder, as well as honesty. Having said this, I have also thought about contrasting values between cultures. These contrasting values are what makes these groups of people unique, forming such a diverse world that we live in. I believe that people grow as they learn, and the more diverse humans become, the capacity we have to grow in increases. Being present in a society you do not understand the values of, we may not approve, but we should respect their values, even though we do not have to accept them. For example, female genital mutilation is practiced in some cultures, whereas it is illegal in western society, under the Human Rights Act. However, for these cultures that do perform these surgical procedures, value a fertile culture in order for their survival. Different societies have their own values to strive to be successful as a whole.

Value