Lecture 1 �Understanding Value Education
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Value
Value of a unit is its participation in the larger order
e.g. The value of a piece of chalk is its participation in the classroom
What is valuable
The chalk writes on the blackboard in the classroom?
or
The chalk scratches the blackboard in the classroom?
What is valuable = value (exchange value & use value). Here we discuss about use value.
The context is always the larger order
Value of a unit is definite
The value of a unit is also referred to as its role
Thus, the role of chalk is to write on the blackboard
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Human Value
Value / role of a human being is its participation in the larger order
E.g. My participation in the family defines my value in the family
What is valuable for you?
feeling of respect or feeling of disrespect?
I feel happy when I have a feeling of respect
The other feels happy when I express respect to him/her
Living in accordance with human values leads to mutual happiness*
*i.e. in the case of human-human interaction
In the case of human-rest of nature interaction, living in accordance with human values leads to mutual prosperity
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Understanding Human Values
In nature, every unit participates with every other unit in a mutually fulfilling manner
E.g. air nurtures plants and plants enrich air
Except for human being (who does not understand human values)
For a human being to live with human values,
s(he) has to understand human values
E.g. for a human being to live with a feeling of respect s(he) has to understand the feeling of respect
To live with happiness, human beings have to understand human values
They have to understand their participation
They have to understand their role
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Human Values, Role of Human Being in the Larger Order (May be Universe)
Individual
I have a role within myself
(eg. ensuring happiness in the self and health in the body)
Family
I have a role in my family
(eg. ensuring feeling of relationship and prosperity)
Society
I have a role in the society
(eg. to participate in social systems for ensuring justice, peace and harmony)
Nature/Existence
I have a role in nature/existence
(eg. mutual fulfilment with rest of nature)
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Deciding Our Values
Do you want to be able to decide on your own right?
or
Do you want somebody else to decide for you?
(this somebody may be a group of people, it may be the society or the education system, etc.)
If you are not able to decide on your own right then:
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Values Decided by the Other:
Eg. In a professional college, many first-year students start to use foul language within a very short time
They are made to assume that this sort of language is one of the indicators of their freedom, of their own progress to adulthood… and they may adopt it as a new value.
Similarly, with sleeping late and getting up late… and so many things
Did we decide it for ourselves?
Did it just happen “unconsciously”, without being aware of it?
Is it worth for us? Is it fulfilling for us?
Is it fulfilling for others (like our family members)?
So, if we are unable to decide on our own right, we are programmed by the other; our values are decided by someone else.
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Deciding Human Values on Our Own Right:
Would we decide on the basis of whatever we like, whatever we believe?
If we decide in this manner, human values will be different for different people
Or is there some definite, existential basis, something we can understand, something we can be assured about, something that ensures mutual fulfilment in living?
If this is the case, then there is a possibility that human values are universal, they are the same for all of us
Value education is about exploring into this possibility
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Should Education help us to Develop Holistically?
Understanding What to do, Values Value Education
Learning How to do, Skills Skill Development
Doing Skills guided by Values Practice
The problems around us are more due to lack of skills? or more due to lack of values?
Are both, values and skills, required?
Both are required; Values and skills are complementary to each other
If both are required, then what is the priority?
Values (what to do) first, then skills (how to do), but both are required
What is the state in present-day education?
Education has become skill-biased
(there is a need to make appropriate changes)
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Guidelines for Value Education
The content needs to be universal – applicable to all human beings and be true at all times, all places
It should not depend on sect, creed, nationality, race, gender, etc.
It must be amenable to logical reasoning
It should not be based on blind beliefs
The student should be able to verify the values on one’s own right
Should not be asked to believe just because it is stated in the course
Values have to enable us to live in peace and harmony within our own self as well as with others (human being and rest of nature)
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Guideline 1. Universal
It is universally applicable to all human beings and be true at all times and all places
It is about the basic principles of human existence which are universal. And if it is universal then it is not dependent on any sect, caste, creed, nationality, gender etc.
Eg. Living with a feeling of relationship is naturally acceptable to all human beings – it is universal
Q: What do you think: Value Education has to be universal or sectarian?
It has to be dependent on time, space and individual
or
independent of time, space and individual (i.e. apply equally to all of them)?
If it is universal then it is secular and it is more than that. When you say secular, it is a negation. Universal is more than secular. One of the interpretations of secularism is that we not talk about religion or sex.
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Guideline 2. Rational
It is a set of proposals about reality, not a set of negations.
It is amenable to reasoning
It is not based on whims, fancies, dogmas or blind beliefs
It is not a set of sermons
It is not a set of do’s and don’ts
It is not antirational
It is not illogical
it can be communicated clearly
It can be questioned
it can be verified
It can be understood
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Guideline 3. Verifiable
We want to verify these values ourselves, i.e. we don’t want to assume something just because something is stated, rather, each one of us will want to verify these to find out whether they are true for us
It has to be naturally acceptable, and
experientially verifiable in terms of mutual fulfilment in my behaviour and work
If it is naturally acceptable, it leads to commitment to live in that manner without being forced in any way or conditioned by another person
Every individual needs to be able to verify these values oneself
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Guideline 4. Leading to Harmony
Finally, value education must be able to enable us to be in harmony within and live in harmony with others in the complete expanse of our being, of our living
As an individual, it needs to take care of all the dimensions of our individual existence – thought, behaviour, work and the realization
Also it must cover all levels starting from individual to family to society and to nature/existence
Hence, when we live on the basis of these values, we start understanding that it will lead to harmony in us and harmony in our interactions with other humans and the rest of nature. That is, it leads to human conduct
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Content of Value Education
Holistic, All Encompassing
Covers all levels of living:
Eg. As a Family, Society – we want Fearlessness / Trust
NOT fear (due to mistrust / opposition)
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Four Dimensions of a Human Being
1. Understanding
2. Thought
3. Behaviour
4. Work/Participation in the larger order
Proposal
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Content of Value Education
Holistic, All Encompassing
Covers all levels of living:
Eg. As a Family, Society – we want Fearlessness / Trust
NOT fear (mistrust / opposition)
Covers all dimensions of being, as an Individual:
Eg: In Thought – we want to have clarity
(a state of resolution, solution)
NOT confusion (a state of problem)
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Process of Value Education
Universal
The content needs to be universal – applicable to all human beings and be true at all times, all places
It should not depend on sect, creed, nationality, race, gender, etc.
Rational
It must be amenable to logical reasoning… should be able to question
It should not be based on blind beliefs
Verifiable
The student should be able to verify the values on one’s own right
Should not be asked to believe just because it is stated in the course
Leading to Harmony
Values have to enable us to live in peace and harmony within our own self as well as with others (human being and rest of nature)
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Process of Value Education
Whatever is said is a Proposal (Do not assume it to be true or false)
Verify it on Your Own Right – on the basis of our Natural Acceptance
It is a process of Dialogue
A dialogue between me and you, to start with
It soon becomes a dialogue within your own self
between what we are and what we really want to be (our natural acceptance)
The purpose of this course is to initiate this internal dialogue,
to help you to be self-referential, self-confident
Is this process naturally acceptable to you?
Is the purpose of this course valuable for you?
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In this course, we will explore…
What is my role (value) in Nature/existence?
What is my role (value) in the society?
What is my role (value) in the family?
What is my role (value) with my Body?
Who am I?
What is my purpose? What is my role (value) with myself?
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Sum Up
Need for Value Education
To live with fulfilment, happiness, continuous happiness…� it is essential to understand what is valuable for human being (human values)
To understand human values, we need value education
Basic Guidelines for Value Education
Content of Value Education
All encompassing
Holistic
Process of Value Education
Self exploration, becoming Self-referential
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Human Aspiration – As an Individual and Where are we today?
A. Living (Surviving)?
Physical facility
B. Living with fulfilment?
Physical facility
Getting feelings from other
C. Living with continuous fulfilment?
(called by different names such as bliss, peace, satisfaction, happiness, fulfilment, salvation, contentment, enlightenment, liberation, independence, self-actualisation, ecstasy, divinity,…)
Having right understanding – in the Self (harmony in the Self, happiness)
Having right feeling – in the Self (living with fulfilment in relationship with human being,
mutual happiness)
Physical facility – with rest of nature (living with mutual enrichment with rest of nature,
mutual prosperity)
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Human Aspiration – As a Society and Where are we today?
A. Families living together, in a relationship of mutual fulfillment.
(common goal)
Society
B. Individuals living together, but not in relationship of mutual fulfillment.
(differing goals)
Crowd
C. Individuals living separately, in opposition / struggle.
(conflicting goals)
Battlefield
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Key Points
Understanding Value Education
Need for Value Education
To live with fulfilment, happiness, continuous happiness…
�it is essential to understand what is valuable for human being (human values)
To understand human values, we need value education
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Guidelines for Value Education
The content needs to be universal – applicable to all human beings and be true at all times, all places
It should not depend on sect, creed, nationality, race, gender, etc.
It must be amenable to logical reasoning
It should not be based on blind beliefs
The student should be able to verify the values on one’s own right
Should not be asked to believe just because it is stated in the course
Values have to enable us to live in peace and harmony within our own self as well as with others (human being and rest of nature)
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Content of Value Education
Holistic, All Encompassing
Covers all levels of living:
Eg. As a Family, Society – we want Fearlessness / Trust
NOT fear (mistrust / opposition)
Covers all dimensions of being, as an Individual:
Eg: In Thought – we want to have clarity (a state of resolution, solution)
NOT confusion (a state of problem)
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Process of Value Education
Whatever is said is a Proposal (Do not assume it to be true or false)
Verify it on Your Own Right – on the basis of our Natural Acceptance
It is a process of Dialogue
A dialogue between me and you, to start with
It soon becomes a dialogue within your own self
between what you are and what you really want to be (your natural acceptance)
The purpose of this course is to initiate/strengthen this internal dialogue,
to help you to be self-referential, self-confident
Is this process naturally acceptable to you?
Is the purpose of this course valuable for you?
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Check: What is generally done in the name of Value Education?
Understanding Value Education
(definite, universal, invariant…) (proposals,
Humane World-vision self-exploration,
knowing,
Self-discipline)
Natural Acceptance
Thinking Morals
(ideas, morals…) Beliefs
Doing Discipline, Instructions
(behaviour, work) (externally enforced
fear, incentive…)
Conduct is�Indefinite
Conduct is
Indefinite
Human Conduct
(Definite)
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