Love of neighbor, generosity and tolerance are human values.
Human values are those ideas that most cultures share regarding what is considered correct. These values are those that exalt the human being : that is, they place the species on a plane of superiority thanks to morality.
It should be noted that, in the field of philosophy , values are the qualities that make a reality estimable or not. These values can be negative or positive, and classified as lower or higher according to their hierarchy.
set of virtues
A human value, therefore, is a virtue . Although customs and behaviors change with history, it is considered that there are values that must (or should) remain unchanged since they are what define man as a species. Human values, which are associated with ethics , are responsible for guiding and directing the action of people who want to do the right thing .
There is no specific list of human values, since their definition may vary according to the philosopher or thinker who proposes them as a result of their research. However, there are many values that are usually mentioned without discussion .
Examples of human values
Sensitivity is one of those human values recognized at a general level. It is considered that people should be sensitive to others, feel empathy and react to the suffering or pain of others.
Other values, which are sometimes also called moral , are honesty , respect , responsibility , gratitude , punctuality , prudence , sincerity , compassion , detachment from material things, loyalty and humility . .
There are human values that can be developed with discipline.
Its reflection in laws
It should be noted that, sometimes, human value is reflected in laws or obligations . In certain contexts, an individual does not choose to be responsible because of his or her mere intention to act "correctly," but also because irresponsibility constitutes a crime ; This happens, for example, when we decide not to drink alcohol before driving.
And here we enter controversial territory, where the essence of human values is questioned: if they were intrinsic to our nature, then we should not need rigor to respect them. We live immersed in different systems that offer us a supposed order in exchange for our freedom , and this generates a feeling of frustration and suffocation that slowly grows within us and leads us to break the rules very often.
On the other hand, we do not understand the true meaning of freedom , since it is not about the right to pass through the Earth as we please, but rather it represents a series of obligations, headed by the following: not to violate the balance of nature. .
Human values and the treatment of other living beings
Until people learn to respect other animals and plants, it is useless to recite by heart a list of human values such as "do not steal, show gratitude and compassion to your neighbor." An individual who imprisons and tortures a group of animals and then murders them and sells their bodies in pieces cannot say with his head held high that he has values, any more than someone who adopts a dog and takes it for a walk around the country can do so. asphalt, tied and muzzled.
Western cultures focus too much on avoiding incest and polygamy, which are normal in many other animal species, but are not afraid to confine and exploit cows, pigs, horses, chickens and dogs, among many other victims of our cruelty ; We don't kill our neighbor because that represents a crime, but we do shoot a fox if it enters our farm.
In short, we should not wait for an official statement to tell us what human values we should download to our mobile phone, but rather look within ourselves, in our wildest corner, our most human corner .
It can be said that human values contribute to the common good.
The view of religion
Sometimes human values are associated with religious values . However, it must be taken into account that the latter are principles that a believer adopts as established by his religious creed.
Following what a clergyman says or following the instructions of a holy book can be considered religious values. However, this submission is not universal : a Catholic does not feel the obligation to do what an imam indicates, for example. What is expressed in the Torah, likewise, does not constitute a commitment for a Muslim.
In any case, solidarity , integrity and altruism , among others, are human values that are also usually part of religious values.
Types of human values
It is possible to recognize different types of human values according to various classification criteria.
Universal human values are accepted by all people, regardless of culture or religion. The case of cultural values and religious values is different.
One can also distinguish between ethical values (adopted by the individual to conduct themselves in society) and moral values (that each community instills and transmits to its members).
All these values are considered human since they are typical of human beings. That is, they are not virtues that can be attributed to animals , beyond common characteristics in certain behaviors, which in animals develop by instinct .