The most important value is...?

Ahleckz

Ahleckz

Ahleckz

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I'm filling out an application to be part of a humanist advert on the TV and you have to pick a question from the following and write a short answer on it. I thought this would be an interesting conversation to have.

Why are you good?
What's the most important human value?
How should children be educated about religion?
What's your life about?
What's the best way to find happiness?
What does humanism mean to you?
How can we solve the problem of sectarianism?

I've picked the 2nd question and believe that it is passion. I feel that without passion then there really isn't much point in living. It doesn't matter what you are passionate in, or how you show that passion but what is important is that you have passion for something which may not give you a purpose but provides you with an outlet for your ideas and energy.
It's easy to plod through life, as many of us do (and indeed, I am doing right now) but I think that we should strive to do better and achieve things that go beyond ourselves (a bit hippyish this, but nevermind!). Passion provides us with this drive and creates things as diverse as love, success and harmony.

So yeah, a quick answer from me what about you guys? I imagine many of us are quite humanist in our leanings (even if you aren't sure of what that means - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Humanism). If you want some more details about this advert, then I can post them up.
 
Pride for me. Without having pride in most aspects of your life, those aspects don't get your full and deserved attention. if you haven't pride in your home, your home would become a mess, without pride in your job, You wouldn't give your full effort.

I have pride in most aspects of my life. Other need improvement, But...I pride myself in self improvement ;)
 
I don't know if I'd specifically pick passion, maybe compassion though. Compassion is a function of empathising with others and (often) attempting to help them in some way, it's one of those things that when you see it just makes you feel that little bit better about this human race we belong to and gives you (or me at least) that sliver of hope that we've got a future that isn't based on self-absorption.

However it's rather difficult to single out any any individual value as being significantly more important than any other. I've re-read the question and I'm not quite sure that I'm actually answering the question as value might have a rather specific meaning intended in this context.
 
Tefal said:
wtf is a humanist and why should i buy one?
Click to expand...

Humanism is a approach in study, philosophy or practice that focuses on human values and concerns.
Basically, human values and concerns are the most important thing (contrast it to religion/anarchism/etc)


semi-pro waster said:
I don't know if I'd specifically pick passion, maybe compassion though. Compassion is a function of empathising with others and (often) attempting to help them in some way, it's one of those things that when you see it just makes you feel that little bit better about this human race we belong to and gives you (or me at least) that sliver of hope that we've got a future that isn't based on self-absorption.

However it's rather difficult to single out any any individual value as being significantly more important than any other. I've re-read the question and I'm not quite sure that I'm actually answering the question as value might have a rather specific meaning intended
in this context.
Click to expand...

I'm not sure compassion is entirely necessary in life, or that important. Perhaps empathy would be more fitting. I can feel for people and share their troubles but not be sympathetic to their cause. I'm not sure if that is making sense. Perhaps I'm trying to wedge a difference between empathy and compassion which doesn't really exist? Can the two exist independently? Probably not.
 
Jokester said:
I was at a Humanist wedding last summer, best one I've been to in terms of the service.
Click to expand...

My brother (maybe me?) had a Humanist naming ceremony, it's like a Christening but without the pedo priest and the forcing the child into a faith they can't possible choose to be part of.

As i understand it, basically Humanism is the belief* that you don't need religion to be a good person.

Most important value? Probably love. Be it of another, of one another or of a thing. What is happiness if you don't love being happy? What is pride if you don't love what you do?

*citation needed
 
TheCenturion said:
Integrity :)
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Why do you say that? Without getting too far into utilitarianism, would it not be better to compromise your believes and change your actions from the norm in order to achieve a positive outcome for others? Or do you believe that remaining true to yourself is the upmost important thing? If so, why?

Elaborate men (and women!), elaborate!
 
Interesting, you didn't strike me as a humanist if I'm honest. Can't really qualify that, but it's nice to know you are.

EDIT:

As I understand humanism, it does essentially have a utilitarian perspective on moral values, however we do have this problem regarding the ego and one will always come at the expense of the other. I do believe compassion/empathy is a highly important trait, but currently, I'd have to say my over-riding concern and value is that of defining purpose. Without purpose, we have no pride. Without purpose, we have no aim, desire or anything to drive accomplishment; we are simply meandering. It's unused potential, and that is during our finite lives is a terrible crime; part of the human condition which should be addressed.

Without purpose we default to nihlism and madness. Even Neiztsche understood this.
 
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Nix said:
Interesting, you didn't strike me as a humanist if I'm honest. Can't really qualify that, but it's nice to know you are.

EDIT:

As I understand humanism, it does essentially have a utilitarian perspective on moral values, however we do have this problem regarding the ego and one will always come at the expense of the other. I do believe compassion/empathy is a highly important trait, but currently, I'd have to say my over-riding concern and value is that of defining purpose. Without purpose, we have no pride. Without purpose, we have no aim, desire or anything to drive accomplishment; we are simply meandering. It's unused potential, and that is during our finite lives is a terrible crime; part of the human condition which should be addressed.

Without purpose we default to nihlism and madness. Even Neiztsche understood this.
Click to expand...

Both interesting points.

Not sure what you had me pegged as, or why I didn't strike you as a humanist but I'm glad that you're glad!
I don't tend to discuss philosophy much on here, I've done most of the discussions before and I find debating many philosophical things online quite draining and useless.

There's really nothing I can add to your view, it's a bit difficult to argue against having purpose. I suppose my view of passion and yours of purpose are quite closely linked.
 
There is no single important human value. People are complex, individually unique and variable beings, what is right for one may not be for another and if you are a true humanist (as opposed to the modern secular humanism which is largely an anti-religion interpretation) then you would ask what drives people toward Altruism or toward Selfishness and why both those opposite traits are found in almost every human being regardless of their beliefs or environment.

As for passion, to illustrate what I mean by there cannot be a single MVP when it comes to Human Values, Passion can be used to do great good as the OP suggests, however Passion can also be the motivator for great evil, so for the benefit of the question, if I was going to choose a single Human Value that could be considered the most important I would say it is Temperance.

The human response to restrain our basest impulses should be considered as our greatest virtue as without temperance we would be slaves to our base nature. Interestingly this is something that many world religions have as the basis of their core values, illustrating that too much emphasis is sometimes placed on the ritualism of religion and not the humanism of religion in discussions relating to them.
 
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