Universal Values

UNIVERSAL
VALUES
Despite the claims of cultural relativism, the concept
on the reality of universal values persists. Are there
universal value?
 Plato talked about the values or

virtues of temperance, courage, and
wisdom.
 Jesus preached the value of love
from which springs patience,
kindness, goodwill, forgiveness, and
compassion.
 Confucius taught righteousness,
human-heartedness, filial piety.
 Are not these universal values, that is, they remain
values at all times and in all places?
 Yes, Plato would say, they exist apart from the

concrete world.
 On the other hand, Aristotle would say that they
exist embodied in the concrete individual as
common or essential characteristics.
 St. Thomas agreed with them, but the universal do

not exist apart from the individual; they exist as
universal features individuated, instantiated in the
individual. In other words, the universals are
abstracted common features from the individual.
 In other words, the universals are abstracted
common features from the individual.
 For example, the individual characteristics of man

are that he is a “rational, sentient, living body” are
abstracted as characteristics common to all
persons.
 A human person differs from a stone because he/she is
alive. He/she differs from living things like plants
because he/she is sentient, and differs from sentient
things like animals because he/she is rational. This
universal character of a human person exists in the
mind as idea.
 Universals are immaterial and immutable, beyond
(transcendent) space and time, or spatio-temporal
conditions. In other words of Van Peursen, they are
termed as “logical structures “underlying the material
world and making the world possible.
 The same thing is true with moral standards and
values. The values of honesty and respect for
human life are characteristics individuated in all
people who respect, do not harm, injure or kill,
human beings.
 All the standards and values implied in the Ten
Commandments can be reduced to the value or rule
of love. This is because no one can wish or will the
opposite, hatred, killing, stealing, to be universal.
 Values are universalized because they can only be

wished to be the values for all. For instance, one
cannot wish that killing be obligatory because it is
like wishing anyone to come and kill you.
 Using Kant’s criteria, can these identified
“universal values” be willed as universal. Can one
will these values be the values of all? Certainly, the
answer is in affirmative.
 Related to the empirical finding on the universal

values, Dr. Kent M. Keith (2003) came up with a
list of fundamental, or universal moral principles
that can be found throughout the world.
These are groups into negative and positive
statements as follows.
DO NO HARM
 Do not do to others what you would not like them to do to you.
 Do not lie.
 Do not steal.
 Do not cheat.
 Do not falsely accuse others.
 Do not commit adultery.
 Do not commit incest.
 Do not physically or verbally abuse others.
 Do not murder.
 Do not destroy the natural environment upon which all life
depends.
DO GOOD
 Do to others what you would like them to do to you.
 Be honest and fair.
 Be generous.
 Be faithful to your family and friends.
 Take care of your family and friends.
 Take care of your children when they are young.
 Take care of your parents when they are old.
 Take care of those who cannot take care of themselves.
 Be kind to strangers.
 Respect all life.
 Protect the natural environment upon which all life
depends.

KEY TAKEAWAYS
 Universal values are for human survival.

 Universal values are the ultimate bases for living
together and learning how to live together. Without
respect for human life by all then people will just
kill each other. If honesty or truth telling is not
valued by all, there will be endless lack of trust
among people.
 In spite of cultural relativism, there are values that
are universal for human survival.

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UNIVERSAL

 Plato talked about the values or

 Yes, Plato would say, they exist apart from the

 St. Thomas agreed with them, but the universal do

 For example, the individual characteristics of man

 Values are universalized because they can only be

 Related to the empirical finding on the universal

 Universal values are for human survival.

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