CHALLENGES IN VALUE JUDGEMENT IN THE MODERN WORLD
AND SOLUTIONS TO TACKLE THEM
Values and value judgement have a profound significance in today’s world. We have in an age, where the distinction between truth and lie, good and wrong, guru and cheat, sin and virtue have blurred. It is therefore imperative that we understand and analyze a few of the values and the challenges involved and also seek solutions to free ourselves. In this paper, we have analyzed the challenges posed by a couple of these values and seek solutions to overcome the questions.
Introduction
In this modern world, of cut-throat competition and savage pursuit of riches, values have taken an altogether different meaning in both spirit and usage. Values are always changing with cultures, circumstances and time. Value Judgement, an assessment of objects or persons based on different frames of reference [1], has been used to dictate the ‘good’ as desired by the ‘stronger’ man. Yet, there are values that have stood the test of time and civilizations and have constantly continued to inspire us. The moral frame of reference with which we judge people has also evolved continually. Thus, in today’s world, as quoted in Srimad Bagavatham, Canto 12, values will diminish.
tataç cänu-dinaà dharmaù
satyaà çaucaà kñamä dayä
kälena balinä räjan
naìkñyaty äyur balaà småtiù
(Srimad Bhagavatam, 12.2.1)
Then, O King,
religion, truthfulness, cleanliness, tolerance, mercy,
duration of life, physical strength and memory
will all diminish day by day because
of the powerful influence of the age of Kali.[2]
During the present age, Kali-yuga, practically all desirable qualities will gradually diminish[2]. The grouping of values under different areas as shown below offers a better perspective from which to work upon. These are listed[1] as follows:
· Discrimination: roots of prejudice and its various manifestations, in relation to age, animals, anti-semitism, gender/homosexuality, islamophobia, race
· Environment: relationships between humankind and animals; use of natural resources; meat eating and vegetarianism; realism and romanticism
· Family and Sexuality: monogamy, serial monogamy and polygamy; divorce and remarriage; hetero- and homosexuality; celibacy and obligations of kinship
· Health: IVF and reproductive technologies; gene and gender selection; blood transfusion and transplant surgery; contraception and abortion; euthanasia, senility and suicide
· War and Peace: pacifism and non-violence; just and holy-warring; nuclear deterrence; rebellion and revolution; espionage; international law; particular international conflicts
· Wealth: inequalities of distribution and poverty; command and free enterprise models of economy; triage and resource allocation; charities and voluntary organisations; spiritual and material riches; transnational companies
A rigid dichotomy between theology and science have made some theologians to modify their doctrines so that they conform to proven and speculated scientific facts. Thus bereft of systematic Vedic theology, value judgement has drifted into the superficiality of relativistic ethics. Thus dharma, or true religion, Satyam, or truthfulness, Kşamä, tolerance or forgiveness, are diminishing. The meaning of values viz., altruism, conscience, forgiveness, relativism, revelation, mercy and sin and value judgement have become twisted and have become challenges where practical methods are needed by which people can understand their true nature. It is therefore imperative that we understand and analyze a few of the values and the challenges involved and also seek solutions to free ourselves. In this paper, we have analyzed the challenges posed by a couple of these values and seek solutions to overcome the questions.
ALTRUISM: Altruism is “care for others, which is independent of care for self, sometimes involving significant elements of personal sacrifice”. Considering the involvement of a large group of people and the publicity involved, several questions arise, which need to be answered.
Q1. Will giving our material possessions make us altruistic?
So it happens, for instance, when a beggar on the street corner comes to you for help, with only a stump for an arm, you will be so shocked the first time that you’ll give him a rupee. But if he comes round a second time, you’ll chase him away, saying that, “Don’t be greedy; if I see you again, I will hand you over to the police”. What will you lose, if you give him one more rupee? Unlike Lord Krishna who might have become a servant to his friend Kusela, you won’t lose anything if you give him one more rupee. The great Tamil poetess, Avvaiyaar says, “mwQ;nra tpUk;G” - “Intend to give”. She did not tell us to ‘give’ but rather she says ‘intend to give’. This is because the intention is more important; the kindness and the thought behind giving are more important than the act of giving itself. Though there were several kings who were generous, we recognize only seven kings as being ‘extraordinarily generous’(filnaO ts;sy;fs;) because of their kindness and generosity.
Q2. Should our altruism be advertised?
Though advertising serves its purpose for a larger charitable organization, in bringing more donors and needy people together, it is to be abhorred in the case of an individual intending to help others. ‘,lf;if nfhLg;gij tyf;if mwpahJ” – “What your left hand gives should be unknown to the right hand” is an old saying. Our helping nature should not build our ego. No one is a giver; everyone is a receiver. We do not own what we think we own. When you give to someone, it is you who receive the satisfaction of giving.
Q3. Is altruism selfish?
This raises the question as to whether altruism is selfish. People who help others receive the benefit of a personal gratification from their helping behaviour. Is it this gratification which drives them to be altruistic?
Solutions towards being truly altruistic: The following solutions can be derived from the above discussions. These solutions point to the obvious need for us to be altruistic and yet not feel the ‘tingling’ pride or ego.
- It is the thought of giving that matters; kind action and kind words are worth more than all the comforts you can provide with a frown on your face and cruel words.
- When you give to someone, it is you who receive the satisfaction of giving. The happiness of giving secretly can never be surpassed by any happiness derived from publicity.
- Being ‘selfish’ in giving can be accepted if the giver follows the above two rules. The happiness obtained from giving can be enjoyed as it does not cause harm to anyone.
CONSCIENCE: Conscience is the “centrepoint of individual awareness of right or wrong, which may provide signals regarding what to do or not to do” It is so variable from one culture to another, and between one individual and another. In most cases, conscience is the gateway to moral and religious awareness.
Q1. Should we follow conscience only when self-interest and conscience coincide, but
when they don’t, should we ignore it?
Most of the time, we follow our conscience only when it suits us. Lying in business, or cheating for leave are considered normal these days. The morality has gone or the conscience has stopped ‘pricking’! Remorse because of guilty conscience seems to belong to the shakespherean world. In a greek tragedy Orestes[4] by Euripedes, which follows the events of Orestes after he had murdered his mother, he talks of being sick with remorse.
Orestes: I call it conscience. The certain knowledge of wrong, the conviction of crime.
Menelaus: You speak somewhat obscurely. What do you mean?
Orestes: I mean remorse. I am sick with remorse.
Orestes (c.420 BC) 11.395f
Vaisampayana said: “Thy heart is a witness to the truth or falsehood. He who being one thing represents himself as another thing to others, is like a thief and a robber of his own self. Of what sin is he not capable? Thou thinkest that thou alone hast knowledge of thy deed. But knowest thou not that the Ancient, Omniscient one (Narayana) liveth in thy heart? He knoweth all thy sins, and thou sinnest in His presence. He that sins thinks that none observes him. But he is observed by the gods and by Him also who is in every heart.”
The Mahabharata, Adi Parva, Section LXXIV (Sambhava Parva)
Our scriptures extract a pledge from us to be oriented to our conscience. This scene from the bible [3] illustrates ‘conscience’ even among hypocrites!
"And the scribes and Pharisees brought unto Him a woman taken in adultery; and when they had set her in the midst, They say unto Him, Master, this woman was taken in adultery, in the very act. Now Moses in the Law commanded us, that such should be stoned: but what sayest Thou?"“He lifted up Himself, and said unto them, ‘He that is without sin among you, let him first cast a stone at her’”.
"And they which heard it, being convicted by their own conscience, went out one by one, beginning at the eldest, even unto the last: and Jesus was left alone, and the woman standing in the midst." (John 8:2-11)
It is always a wonder that they were convicted by their own conscience! Imagine that happening today…and wonder what would have happened to the poor woman.
“O God, Thou hast been gracious unto us and hast bestowed conscience upon us. It is a spirit from thee. What it enjoins and what it prohibits are alike thine. whosoever obeys it obeys thee: the one who flouts it flouts thee. Thou hast left to us the obeying of it.”
Kamel Hussein, “City of Wrong - One World” Pubs 1994 p146
Q2. Conscience is pre-existent in all humanity!
Do you think a time will ever come when we know longer need teachers?
Is conscience is merely the internalisation of our parents’ inhibitions, as Freud suggests? If you are free to do whatever you want to, will the society as we know it end? If all the teachings of great teachers and the Bible, the Koran or the Hindu scriptures were to be followed, we would not need teachers anymore. Our conscience may point us the ‘right’ way.
Solutions to instill Conscience
- The teachings of all of the above wisdom could not put us on the right path, because it is their idea and their wisdom, not ours. It is their way of life to be lived; not ours. If you want to instill conscience, the only way is to think and do it for oneself. It must be your own wisdom. If it is your own wisdom, then it is less questioned and better followed by yourself. It is every man for himself. The wisdom of others may only act as a guide.
- Take the ‘Lonely test’. When you are alone, do you think or act against your conscience. If so, it is time to change. ‘Kaizen’ is the way to perfection and happiness.
- Conscience tells you whether it is right or wrong. It is for you to decide whether to follow it or not.
Conclusions:
There may be countless other facets to a discussion of values and value judgement. The discussion of the above two values and the challenges posed by them along with the practical solutions suggested point us in the obvious direction. Understanding values in the modern world and judging ourselves accordingly requires contemplation and truthfulness. Lord Krishna says, “Humility, pridelessness, nonviolence, tolerance, simplicity, approaching a bona fide spiritual master, cleanliness, steadiness and self-control; renunciation of the objects of sense gratification; absence of false ego, the perception of the evil of birth, death, old age and disease; nonattachment to children, wife, home and the rest and even-mindedness amid pleasant and unpleasant events; constant and unalloyed devotion to Me, resorting to solitary places, detachment from the general mass of people; accepting the importance of self-realization, and philosophical search for the Absolute Truth--all these I thus declare to be knowledge and what is contrary to these is ignorance.” In this age obscured through atheism and agnosticism, we grope for solutions where none exist. We need to look inwards and find the light.
References:
- http://www.ybgud.net
- Srimad-Bhagavatam_Canto_12 (http://www.krishna.com)
- http://www.keyway.ca/htm2004/20040811.htm
- http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Orestes_play
