Universal Values Discussion and Explanation

Universal Value. A value is a universal value, if it has the same value or worth for all, or almost all, people.
Spheres of human value encompass morality, aesthetic preference, human traits, human endeavor, and social
order.
What is meant by universal human values? It is… Truth, Love, Peace, Non-Violence and Righteous Conduct
are the Universal Human Values. ... These are needed for well-being of an individual, society and humanity and
ultimately Peace in the world.
Learning Outcomes:
a. Explain the concept of universal values.
b. Recognize the existence of universal values.
c. Discuss the significance of universal values for human survival in the society.
The claim of cultural relativism that there are no culture independent standards of right and wrong is untenable
because the existence of universal values is more noticeable and practical. Universal values are those that are
commonly shared by different societies or cultures all around the world. Despite the differences in both Western
and Eastern cultures, values that can be classified as personal, human, social, cultural, aesthetic, spiritual are
commonly held. Values of family, freedom, respect, honesty, education, love, and justice are universally
maintained or practiced in all societies.
According to Rachel (1993) claimed that cultures do not differ nearly as much as they appear. His example:
Examining two cultures —
a) believing that eating a cow is right, and
b) believing that eating a cow is wrong.
The second culture could be a poor culture when even there is not enough food but still, the cows are not being
touched. It appears that this has different values than the first culture.
For example, the belief in the 2nd one is from the religion of “Hinduism” -- Hindus believe that both humans and
animals have souls and both of them are caught in the death and life cycle. The concept of animal reincarnation
in Hinduism shows up mostly as punishment for a human soul that was wicked in the previous life and now has
been reincarnated in a “lower form,” such as an animal.
But it is proper to ask why they could not eat the cow because they believe that after death the souls of the
humans inhabit the bodies of animals especially cows. A cow then can have one’s grandma’s soul. This now
shows that the difference is in the belief systems not in the values. Both cultures agree that they cannot eat their
grandma but disagree that the cow is grandma.
Many factors work together to produce the culture or customs of a society. Values are just one of them. The
differences in customs may be attributed to other aspects so that there should be less disagreement about values
than there appears to be.
According to Rachel (1993), culture has some values in common. His example: among the Eskimos, infanticide
(or killing of an infant) does not signal a fundamentally different attitude toward children. Instead, it is a
recognition that drastic measures are sometimes needed for the family’s survival. It is not the first option
because adoption is common. Killing is the only last resort. The values of the infant’s life and family survival
are just the same as any other society. It is just that other forces of events push them to choose those that they do
not want to do.
And it should be surprising that despite appearance the parents are protective of their children so how could it
do otherwise? How could a group survive? That did not value its young. This suggests a certain argument one
which shows that all cultural groups must be protective of their infants. Human in France are helps and cannot
survive if they are not given extensive care of a period of years.
Therefore, if a group did not care for its young. The young would not survive and the old members of the group
would die out. Infants that are not cared for mostly the exemption rather than the rule.
Rachel (1993) believes that some values must be more or less universal. They are the standard that must be
followed. If a society does not value truth-telling, then anyone can presume that when one speaks, he cannot be
presumed to be telling the truth or can be telling a lie. Communication could be difficult or not be possible. Any
cultural group that continues to exist follows the standard values because not following them could lead to its
extinction though with exemptions.
Specifically, moral values are universal values necessarily accepted by the members of a society which are also
shared and practiced by others around the world. They are the basic rules or principles of good behavior
established to maintain harmony in the universe and attain desired benefits for the majority.
Moral values direct behaviors. Moral values such as honesty, integrity, and respect, instill and enhance
relationships. Knowing these moral values or right actions help shape one’s moral character.

Universal Values for Human Survival

It is undeniable that universal values are highly necessary for human survival. Universal values as moral
principles help people grow every day with honesty, dignity, respect, integrity, and responsibility. Living moral
principles create a better world and future of right decisions and actions. “Better people for a better world”,
Imagine if all the people in this world possess honesty, dignity, respect, integrity and has a sense of
responsibility… What could go wrong right? There are some moral rules that all societies must have in common
because those rules are necessary for society to exist.
For example: Do not lie and do not murder are moral rules in all viable cultures. There may be legitimate
exemptions but in the larger background, they remain abhorrent. Not every moral rule can vary from culture to
culture.
A general rule of right living especially such as a rule or group of rules conceive as a universal and unchanging
and has having the sanction of God’s will of conscience of man’s moral nature or natural justice as revealed to
human reason. The basic protection of rights is the moral law based on one’s dignity.
If the moral rule, “people ought to value or respect life” is not universal, then there will surely be more numbers
of murder, conflict, war, extrajudicial killing, and suicide. Everything can lead to human extinction because
simple conflicts, misunderstandings, and rivalry may easily resort to eliminating each other.
Why morals tend to be driven by personal belief and values? there are certainly some common morals that most
people agree on such as “Always tell the truth” “do not destroy property” “have courage” “keep your promises”
“do not cheat” “treat others as you want to be treated” “do not judge” “be dependable” and many more
Human persons need to be kind and compassionate to each other to survive. These moral values teach the
ability to understand other humans regardless of race and nationality, which is a sign of an advanced culture and
development.
Kindness and empathy help us relate to other people and have more positive relationship with friend’s and
family and even perfect strangers that we encounter in our daily lives, besides just improving personal
relationship and showing kindness which is a basic moral value can actually make you and the other person
healthier.
As an essential part of ethics, values are essential to our survival as the human race. This is why religions,
families, institutions, cultures, and societies have continuously change dynamically.
When we say “change dynamically” meaning in a way that it is continuously changing or developing as a
situation change. For example, in terms of families, before it is a shame to have a gay son, or a lesbian daughter
but now as it changes dynamically, they are now accepted. Change is constant and inevitable so If you decided
that you were going to change at least choose to change for the better not for the worse.

Is the excerpt speech “On Global Ethics” of Secretary-General Kofi Annan (2003) that Justifies the
Universal Values.
The values of peace, freedom, social progress, equal rights and human dignity, enshrined in the Charter of the
United Nations and in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, are no less valid today than when, over half
a different nations and cultures.
The field of ethics or moral philosophy involves systematizing defending and recommending concept of the
right and wrong behavior philosophers today usually divide ethical theories into three general subject areas
multi takes normative ethics and applied ethics so there are major parts of ethics
The values of our founders are still not fully realized. Alas, far from it. But they are much more broadly
accepted today than they were a few decades ago. The Universal Declaration, in particular, has been accepted in
legal systems across the world, and has become a point of reference for people who long for human rights in
every country. The world has improved, and the United Nations has made an important contribution.
But universal values are also more acutely needed, in this age of globalization, than ever before. Every society
needs to be bound together by common values, so that its members know what to expect of each other, and have
some shared principles by which to manage their differences without resorting to violence.
That is true of local communities and of national communities. Today, as globalization brings us all closer
together, and our lives are affected almost instantly by things that people say and do on the far side of the world,
we also feel the need to live as a global community. And we can do so only if we have global values to bind us
together. Universal values are values that upgrade many human beings in the vast majority of places and
situation at almost all times do in fact hold in common whether consciously in simplicity or as expressed in
their behavior second something could have universal value when all people have reason to believe it
We have seen what disastrous consequences such particularist value systems can have: ethnic cleansing,
genocide, terrorism, and the spread of fear, hatred and discrimination….
Ethnic cleansing - the mass expulsion or killing of members of an unwanted ethnic or religious group in a
society.
Genocide - the deliberate killing of a large number of people from a particular nation or ethnic group with the
aim of destroying that nation or group
Terrorism - a person who uses unlawful violence and intimidation, especially against civilians, in the pursuit of
political aims.
Spread of fear – spread of fear
Discrimination - the unjust or prejudicial treatment of different categories of people or things, especially on the
grounds of race, age, or sex.
In the face of such a challenge, we can reassert universal values only if we are prepared to think rigorously what
we mean by them, and how we can act on them. That means we must also be clear about what they are not. And
one thing that should be clear is that the validity of universal values does not depend on their being universally
obeyed or applied. Ethical codes are always the expression of an ideal and an aspiration, a standard by which
moral failings can be judged rather than a prescription for ensuring that they never occur….
Also, our universal values require us to recognize the human characteristics, both good and bad, that we have in
common with all our fellow human beings, and to show the same respect for human dignity and sensitivity in
people of other communities that we expect them to show for ours. As Confucius said “Don't do unto others
what you don't want done unto you.” You can’t be rude to other people and at the same time expect them to be
kind to you.
That means we should always be prepared to let other people define their own identity, and not insist on
classifying them, however well-meaningly, by our own criteria. If we believe sincerely in individual rights, we
must recognize that an individual’s sense of identity is almost always bound up with the sense of belonging to
one or more groups –- sometimes concentric, sometimes intersecting.
Therefore, the rights of an individual include the right to empathize, and to express solidarity, with others who
share this or that aspect of that individual’s identity…. The function of universal values is not to eliminate all
such differences, but rather to help us manage them with mutual respect, and without resorting to mutual
destruction. Tolerance and dialogue are essential, because without them there is no peaceful exchange of ideas,
and no way to arrive at agreed solutions allowing different societies to evolve in their own way….
Tolerance is allowing, permitting, or acceptance of an action of an idea, object, or person which one dislikes or
disagrees with. Again, as mentioned earlier it is about the “healthy communication”, you can agree and disagree
at the same time but still remain humans because exchanging of ideas that is searching for solutions and
common ground and you disagreeing what they have said doesn’t mean they are less than a human. We all have
different belief and view on a certain situation and If we listen to other people maybe we can acquire new
solution or answer to our question.
Values are not there to serve philosophers or theologians, but to help people live their lives and organize their
societies. So, at the international level, we need mechanisms of cooperation strong enough to insist on universal
values, but flexible enough to help people realize those values in ways that they can actually apply in their
specific circumstances.

In the end history will judge us, not by what we say but by what we do. Those who preach certain values
loudest – such as the values of freedom, the rule of law, and equality before the law – have a special obligation
to live by those values in their own lives and their own societies, and to apply them to those they consider their
enemies as well as their friends. You don’t need to be tolerant of those who share your opinions, or whose
behavior you approve. It is when we are angry that we most need to apply our proclaimed principles of humility
and mutual respect.
When we are angry that’s when we MOST need to apply our proclaimed principles of humility and mutual
respect. Because when we are angry, we say mean things and do some bad things when we are angry. Nor
should we ever be satisfied with things as they are. The state of the world does not allow that.
In our own case, at the United Nations, we are sometimes tempted to proclaim our self-evident utility and
relevance to the world, and to blame our Member States for not making better use of such a valuable institution.
But that is not enough. We need to do everything we can to improve the United Nations –- that is, to make it
more useful to the world’s peoples, in whose name it was founded, and more exemplary in applying the
universal values that all its members claim to accept.
That means that we need to be more effective in many aspects of our work, and especially in what we do to
promote and protect human rights. Human rights and universal values are almost synonymous – so long as we
understand that rights do not exist in a vacuum. They entail a corresponding set of obligations, and obligations
are only meaningful where there is the capacity to carry them out. “Ought implies can.”
So, what is my answer to the provocative question that I took as my title? Do we still have universal values?
Yes, we do, but we should not take them for granted.
They need to be carefully thought through.
They need to be defended.
They need to be strengthened.
And we need to find within ourselves the will to live by the values we proclaim – in our private lives, in our
local and national societies, and in the world.
In this speech of former UN Secretary General Kofi Annan. His main message is to urge from across politics,
business, faith groups and civil societies to help establish relation of trust between communities by promoting
dialogue, tolerance and understanding.
We need to have that to discuss the differences or the diversity each people have. If we all have “Understanding
and respect” We will have the courage and confidence to embrace our Diversity and to focus on what we share
without forcing everyone into outdated conformity.
This is the realities of today. We have gays, bisexual, pansexual, transgenders, lesbians, queer and many more
not just girls and boys. What we are seeing now is new powers emerging eager to share global responsibilities.
Respecting Diversity on the world stage means giving them the opportunity to play their role in the world, in
our society.
Universal Values need to be embedded at the level of communities through the application of the law through
education, and by respecting freedom of expression. We must urgently work on both to improve our social and
cultural understanding between peoples. If we can find in our hearts the same qualities, we too can bridge the
divides in our world. As Kofi Annan says “Differences should not be feared” and as Group 2 continues
“Differences should be valued and celebrated with dignity and respect”. That’s all thank you

GROUP 2 MEMBERS:
Batua, Faisal
Caasi, Realyn
Carpio, Rashid
Cera, Chris Angelo
Cercado, Bryan
Daracan, Keithly Charm
De vera, Anna Rachelle