VALUES

 Introduction

Values relate to the aims of human life. For the achievement of the aim, men frame certain notions and these notions are called values. According to its verbal meaning value signifies that quality of an individual of thing which makes that individual or thing important, respectable and useful. This quality may be internal or external or both. John Dewey (1948) explains the term value as – to prize, to esteem, to appraise, to estimate. According to him values means to cherish something.

Axiology the branch of philosophy deals with values. Philosophy, education and values are intimately related to the branches of knowledge. To be more specific “Education is Value Enterprise.” Values guide the behaviour and conduct of individual. They help in framing goals and direct actions towards achieving the goals. Values are the moving spirit in our lives.

  Concept

Values is derived from Latin word ‘Valerie’ –strong and vigorous. According to Oxford dictionary ‘value’ means ‘worth’. Values guide individual’s physical and mental health as well as promote social welfare. They serve as guiding principles of life. They are part of the philosophy of a nation and of its educational system.

  Meaning of Values

The values may be defines as

1.         Psychological meaning – Anything that satisfies our need or desire is valuable.

2.         Biological meaning – It is the characteristic of a thing of activity which helps in conservation and furtherance of our life.

3.         Ethical meaning – All those things or activities are valuable which help in making our soul perfect.

4.         Philosophical meaning – Value signifies neither a thing nor an individual, but a thought or a point of view. Everything which is useful to a individual becomes valuable to him.

           Definitions or values

·       Values are conscious or unconscious motivators and justifiers of the actions and judgments.                                                         

- T.W. Hipple

·       Value is considered to be judgment concerning the worth of an object, person, group or situation. Value judgment contains evaluating rating terms such as good, bad, moral, immoral etc.

-M.P. Hung

·       Values are the ideas, beliefs or norms which a society or a large majority of a society’s members hold.

-Kane

·       Values belong wholly to the inner world of the mind. The satisfaction of the desire is the real value, the thing that serve is only an instrument. A value is always and experience, never a thing of an object.

-D.H. Parker

·       Anything which satisfies a human want becomes hereby a value.

-Henderson

·       The term value means the relative prominence of the subject’s interest or the dominant interest in personality

-Allport

·       Any object whatever it be, acquire value when any interest, whatever it be, is taken in it, just as anything whatsoever becomes a target when anyone whosoever aims at it.

-R.B. Perry

·       Values means whatever is actually liked, prized, esteemed, desires, approved or enjoyed by anyone at anytime. It is the actual experience of enjoying a desired object or activity.

-Edger Brightman

·       A value is what is desired or what is sought. Value  may be operationally conceived as those guiding principle of life which are conducive to one’s physical and mental health as well as to social welfare and adjustment and which are in tune with one’s culture.

-N.T. Ram