What are moral values?

Moral values ​​tell us about the art of the good life, about good and evil. They are inherent in all our relational and narrative practices. Through them, our actions take shape and meaning, since they are like a candle that illuminates us and guides us towards good actions in relation to others.

These values ​​are closely related to our social conscience and to the network of ideas associated with the spiritual, community and political life of each society. They are the foundation of all harmonious coexistence between people and cover everything related to relationships between men.

Moral values

Before defining moral values, it is necessary to understand what a value is and what morality is. Values ​​are a set of predicates that guide attitudes and actions and they provide meaning to life when they are aligned with them. They are also a conglomerate of attitudes shown by people that give meaning and govern human life.

Values ​​are the foundation on which a sense of life. By committing to them, you are building a valuable life, worth living. Thus, the life of each human being only has meaning to the extent that it is lived in accordance with a system of values ​​that guides each action and decision in the midst of the uncertainty of existence.

For its part, Morality is the set of duties and norms that guide behavior. They allow us to differentiate between good and bad behaviors, what should be done and what should not be done. Unlike ethics, which is a theoretical reflection on normative obligations, morality has an eminently practical component.

Morality is a necessary condition for peaceful coexistence in any society. It offers the rules on which each action must be based, thus supporting the demands of each society.. The principles that it constitutes indicate what is the good, virtuous and correct way to behave in relation to others.

Starting from all of the above, we can say that moral values ​​are a set of qualities and normative actions intended to regulate and guide behavior. These values ​​are the basis for good behavior in relation to our neighbors. They are inherent to every form of human interaction that fosters the development, growth and harmony of all people involved.

Characteristics

Moral values ​​are the standards of right and wrong that govern an individual’s behavior and choices, both personally and socially. Thanks to them, people can live cooperatively and harmoniously.. Among the characteristics of these values ​​we find the following:

They are everyday: We apply them in our daily lives, although sometimes we don’t realize it. How many times have you been honest or respectful in a day and not realized it?They are enduring and they do not wither with the passage of time. It is very difficult to find a person who will abandon them from one day to the next. If you are a compassionate person, it is difficult for you to stop being so from one moment to the next. These values ​​tend to be enduring because they are a solid foundation for the relationships we have. In addition to giving meaning to our lives. Moral values They are generators of welfare, both personal and social. Acting correctly and virtuously is satisfying and generates a feeling of duty accomplished.Conflicts decrease between people, that is why they constitute themselves as guarantors of a peaceful and harmonious coexistence. They tend to passed down from generation to generation. Without its transmission it would not be possible to preserve it over time.

Moral values ​​are learned in the socialization process. School and family are two great mediators for learning. School education and upbringing play an important role in helping children introject the importance of acting in accordance with the moral and ethical principles that govern virtuous human behavior.

List of moral values

Below we leave a list of the main moral values, although there are some more.

I respect: moral value that allows a person to recognize, accept, appreciate and value the qualities of others and their rights.Responsibility: It is the ability to respond for our actions. It is also the willingness and assuming the consequences of what we have done.Honesty: It is a moral value that is associated with telling the truth, being decent, modest, respectful and fair.Justice: This value refers to being equitable and giving each person what is rightfully theirs.Generosity: It consists of the act of giving or sharing with others without expecting anything in return.Tolerance: It is respect for the beliefs and practices of other people when they are different from one’s own.Gratitude: It is recognition for a benefit that has been received or will be received.Goodness: It is the tendency to do good. It also implies a considerable degree of compassion, of being and suffering with another’s suffering and looking for a way to alleviate it.Freedom: power to act according to one’s own judgment and will, within the limits established within society.Love: value that drives a person to care, respect and commit to the well-being of others without expecting a benefit in return. It is going out of oneself to meet the other to love them as they are.Loyalty: virtue of remaining faithful to moral principles or commitments towards someone or something (institutions, government, state).Modesty: It consists of recognizing one’s own weaknesses or limitations and acting in accordance with them.Solidarity: It is helping other people in a selfless way, that is, without expecting anything in return.Prudence: It is the ability to think about the risks or effects that actions or words will have on others, and to act accordingly so as not to cause them any physical or emotional harm.

To conclude, moral values ​​not only help us to have better relationships with others, but also allow the construction of a more humane and ethical society, in which each man is an end in himself and not the means to ends. of other. Through them, the importance that each human being has in social life is restored.

You might be interested…