Ethical values represent the general principles that should guide people in their social life.
It is worth remembering that ethics is only possible because life in society makes the actions of an individual directly affect another.
From the construction of this life in society, human beings became capable of evaluating actions as good or bad, beneficial or harmful, selfish or altruistic.
Based on this human capacity to judge actions, they become capable of defining general principles that can guide actions in view of the good. These principles are called ethical values.
Ethical values are all the universal qualities that a social group believes are favorable to relationships among its members.
Examples of ethical values
Justice
Justice is the fundamental value that guides the judgment of human actions so that the effects of actions are not harmful to others. An action is fair based on the idea that it is the most favorable possible for both parties, while injustices occur when an individual or group is favored over the prejudice alien.
Freedom
Freedom is an ethical value that sustains societies and is related to the possibility for people to make choices and that these actions do not restrict other people's freedom.
Thus, the rights related to the possibilities of action are guaranteed: freedom of expression, belief, coming and going, gender and other individual and collective freedoms.
Truth
Truth is a value linked to the idea of honesty in relation to knowledge and information about something. Actions must be guided by the truth so that those involved can have guaranteed access to factors relevant to understanding the context and can make choices without being totally misled or partially.
Respect
Life in society presupposes the relationship between different people. Thus, for the relationship between people to be the best possible, each person must understand themselves and others as a subject, never as an object. The understanding of the other as a subject is the basis of respect, guides actions so that everyone has the right to their individuality.
Solidarity
Along with respect, solidarity is based on the idea that, in society, people are often in different positions. Solidarity is a principle that aims at actions that can help people in difficult and vulnerable conditions.
See also the meanings of:
- Moral values
- Examples of moral values
- ethic and moral
- ethic
- Qualities and Flaws of a Person