UNIT - V

Values and Ethics

AIM :
 The aim of this unit is to develop values and ethics in their day to day life.
OBJECTIVE :
 The main objective of this unit is to teach the importance of values and ethics.
COURSE OUTCOME :
 At the end of this course learners will be able to have good ethics and values in their personal and
professional life.

Values are that which we seek to achieve or maintain in life according to the standard of evaluation.
Values are the ends to which we act. Without them, life would be impossible. Life requires self-generated
action to sustain itself. Without values one cannot act.
Value specifies a relationship between a person and a goal. A value requires a valuer--a particular
person who aims to achieve or maintain something. An object cannot have value in itself. Value is
relational, and so it requires a person and a goal. The goal which one aims at is called the "value", but the
relationship is always required. This means an object cannot be a value in itself. It only gains the title of
value when a person acts to achieve or maintain it.
Values are not desires. A desire is an emotional longing for something. It differs from values in a
couple of ways. First, the desire may not be achievable. One may desire to grow wings and fly. Values are
concerned with goals one is able to pursue. Only when a course of action is apparent can one value
something.
Another difference between values and desires is the emotional content. Desires are emotions, so a
desire without an emotional response is a contradiction. A value, on the other hand, need not have an
emotional response. It is an automated judgment, which often produces a desire, but not necessarily. One
may value getting a college degree to get a better job, but certainly during a long, boring lecture, finds that
the desire is not applicable.
Values and ethics play an important role in our life. Values define a person’s character and their
actions, their behaviours and attitude.
Values are essential to ethics. Ethics is concerned with human actions and the choice of those
actions. Ethics evaluates those actions, and the values that underlie them. It determines which values
should be pursued, and which shouldn't. Ethics is a code of values.
At its simplest, ethics is a system of moral principles. They affect how people make decisions and
lead their lives.
Ethics is concerned with what is good for individuals and society and is also described as moral
philosophy. The term is derived from the Greek word ‘ethos’ which can mean custom, habit, character or
disposition.
Ethics covers the following dilemmas:
 how to live a good life
 our rights and responsibilities
 the language of right and wrong
 Moral decisions - what is good and bad?
Our concepts of ethics have been derived from religions, philosophies and cultures. They infuse debates
on topics like abortion, human rights and professional conduct.
 Ethics is the branch of study dealing with what is the proper course of action for man. It answers the
question, "What do I do?" It is the study of right and wrong in human endeavours. At a more fundamental
level, it is the method by which we categorize our values and pursue them.
Ethics is a requirement for human life. It is our means of deciding a course of action. Without it, our
actions would be random and aimless. There would be no way to work towards a goal because there would
be no means to pick among a limitless numbers of goals. Even with an ethical standard, we may be unable
to pursue our goals with the possibility of success. To the degree which a rational ethical standard is taken,
we are able to correctly organize our goals and actions to accomplish our most important values. Any flaw
in our ethics will reduce our ability to be successful in our endeavours.
People should first realise, what are values and ethics? Which is the valuable thing in their life?
Here they don’t get clear answer. They think that their diamond pendant is valuable, some people think that
their gold neck set and fancy dresses are valuable. Some upper class people think that their assets and their
house are valuable. Some think that their latest mobile phones with advanced features, their latest bike and
their dream house are valuable.
Some kind of people, for example students may think their Graduation certificate, P.G., Ph.D.,
without arrears are valuable. Some people think that their friends and their love are valuable in this world.
But these things are not valuable in our life. After our demise, these car, house, certificate will not
talk about us.
A person is not valued for his physical appearance (fat, lean, fair, black), wealth or money which he
possess (high, middle, poor class), job or position he leads.
Always a man is remembered for the value he has carried throughout his life. The values a person
carries may be truth, mercy, simplicity, patriotism and so on.
We all are well aware about Gandhiji - the great freedom fighter of our nation. His value is
trustworthiness. He worked a lot for following the value trustworthiness.
Mercy is another value. Service oriented people will have the value as mercy. Mother Theresa is an
example for a person valued for mercy.
There is another value called “simplicity”. Kamaraj is an example for simplicity. Even though he
occupied a high position, he led a simple life.
“Partriotism” is an important value which every person of a nation should have. A person who
loves the nation will have patriotism as their value.
Values can be important beliefs, or set of desires. These values shape the attitude of a person. A person’s
actions determine his/her values. This value can change the person’s attitude. Ethics is a set of rules that
determine the behaviour of a person. A person can be evaluated by the ethics he follows. The ethics may
help or harm the creatures, based on this, your character will be determined.
Values and ethics are not reflected by what you speak or what you believe or think, it’s what you do
for others.
How to turn Valuable?
A person becomes as a valuable person when he/she accepts the present. They should be adaptable
and be flexible for the present situations.
Develop good character with you. Without good character you will not become a valuable person.
A person all the time gains value by his/her character.
To become valuable, choose a value for yourself according to your wish. Do things and start to live
for it. In each and every action, your value should be reflected. This makes you as valuable person. At any
cost, you should not forgo your values.
 Analyze your values in depth, and follow he values in your thoughts, words when you talk in your
actions and even in your dreams.
You should accept and appreciate the critics you get. You can take it in positive approach. Don’t
take the critics into heart. Practice self cleansing in your thoughts. By doing this, your values can be
highlighted.
For what I will be remembered:
After death, our values alone will be remembered.
There is a big difference between what is right and what is right to do. As a person, we have lot of
rights to do things. But we can’t do all the things because we should analyze what is the right thing and
what is the wrong thing, i.e. we have the right to do only right things.
Values and Ethics:
The real test for values, ethics and character is whether we are willing to do right thing even, in the
situation we can’t do it. At any situation, we must be able to follow our values and ethics.
Values and Character:
Values are determined by one’s character.
Pillars of Character:
There are six pillars, which help a person to build a good character. These pillars increase the value
of a character.
1. Trustworthiness:
Trustworthiness is a moral value considered to be a virtue. A trustworthy person is someone in
whom you can place your trust and rest assured that the trust will not be betrayed. A person can prove their
trustworthiness by fulfilling an assigned responsibility - and as an extension of that, not to let down
expectations.
Good people are people you can trust. They are honest; they tell the truth. They are brave enough to
do good things, even when people want them to do otherwise. They keep promises. They say and do good
things for their families and friends; they are loyal.
Good people do the right thing, even when doing or saying the right thing gets them into trouble or
causes them to lose friends, opportunities or money.
Integrity:
Integrity is the virtue of practicing what one preaches. A 'man of principle' is not a man who
understands a principle, but a man who understands, accepts, and lives by a principle.
Reliability:
Reliability is the quality of being dependable or reliable. A person we can trust upon.
Loyalty:
Loyalty is faithfulness or a devotion to a person, country, group, or cause. It is the act of binding
yourself (intellectually or emotionally) to a course of action.
2. Responsibility:
Responsibility can be defined as assuming accountability for a task, decision or action. A person is
said to be responsible for something when he or she accepts the consequences of something.
Diligence:
Diligence is Conscientiousness in paying proper attention to a task; giving the degree of care
required in a given situation, Persevering determination to perform a task.
Other factors which encourage diligence in students include discipline, concentration, conformity
and spirituality
Diligent behaviour is indicative of a work ethic — a belief that works is good in itself.
Perseverance:
Perseverance is commitment, hard work, patience, endurance. Perseverance is being able to bear
difficulties calmly and without complaint. Perseverance is trying again and again.
Perseverance is to keep going in spite of difficult obstacles.
Accountability:
The quality or state of being accountable; especially: an obligation or willingness to accept
responsibility or to account for one's actions
Pursuit of Excellence :
Excellence is the quality of being outstanding or extremely good. To live to a standard of
excellence is to consistently surpass what is common, usual or expected.
Continual Improvement:
Continual Improvement is a value which is an ongoing effort to improve products, services, or
processes.
3. Respect:
Respect is to honour and show consideration. Its A courteous expression (by word or deed) of
esteem or regard. Respect can be a specific feeling of regard for the actual qualities of the one respected
Civility and courtesy:
Civility can be described as the art of showing regard for others. Civility is to use respectful
language and being nice to one another.
Courtesy is polite behaviour. If a man be gracious and courteous to strangers, it shows he is a
citizen of the world, and that his heart is no island cut off from other lands, but a continent that unites
them.
Dignity and Decency:
Dignity is giving self-respect. Everyone should learn to give self-respect. It you cannot respect
yourself, you can’t respect others.
Decency is the quality of conforming to standards of propriety and morality. It is the quality of
being polite and respectable.
Tolerance and Acceptance:
Tolerance is the power or capacity of an organism to tolerate unfavourable
environmental conditions. It’s the Willingness to recognize and respect the beliefs or practices of others.
Acceptance in human psychology is a person's assent to the reality of a situation, recognizing a
process or condition (often a negative or uncomfortable situation) without attempting to change it, protest,
or exit. It’s the mental attitude that something is believable and should be accepted as true.
4. Fairness:
Fairness is the Ability to make judgments free from discrimination or dishonesty. It’s the quality of
being good looking and attractive. Fairness is treating other people equally.
Fairness is the state, condition, or quality of being fair, or free from bias or injustice.

5. Citizenship:
 All the people are the citizens of our nation. Each and every citizen should do their duties properly.
We have lot of duties such as voting, involving in community affairs, protecting the environment, and
working for peace.
Behave as a good human being in the community by following the rules and laws. Be a good
neighbour to everyone.
6. Caring:
To care is to feel and show concern for others. If you want to feel the richness and warmth of
unfailing love, give it. If you want to make a difference and leave your world a better place, let others
know how important they are as you put their needs above yours.