On Human Values

Just as traffic rules have been established by humans to ensure the safety of motorists and pedestrians, and standards have been set in various domains to safeguard and enhance the quality of life, rational agents inevitably devise values in an attempt to bolster their survival and wellbeing. This article explores how values are formulated, the limitations of humans in creating values, and dispels the notion that values are solely dependent on religious belief.

Rational agents, characterized by their ability to make decisions based on logical reasoning and empirical evidence, inherently seek ways to enhance their survival and wellbeing which are instinctual goals. Recognizing the obvious benefits of collaboration, groups of these agents will converge on rules of engagement that promote the common good. It is unsurprising that all surviving human societies have laws and norms promoting public safety, including traffic regulations designed to prevent accidents and ensure smooth transit. Similarly, in various domains, from medicine to construction, standards are established to ensure the safety of workers and clients. These rules and standards result from lessons learned from past experiences, identification of common threats, and rational deliberation aimed at benefiting all involved.

Laws against theft, murder, and fraud are rational constructs designed to protect individuals and maintain social order. Their formation implies that, due to factors such as ignorance, lack of emotional restraint, mental limitations, and fatigue, some individuals might engage in harmful acts. Resources, which are often insufficient or scarce, are required to enforce these laws, and violators sometimes escape due to human and technological limitations. This is where values come in. Entrenching values like self-control, honesty, fairness, tolerance, patience, and diligence can complement legal frameworks by reducing the need for enforcement measures, thereby reducing security costs and preventing crimes that might be difficult to prosecute. Rational agents will naturally advocate for these values upon realizing their immense personal and societal benefits.

While rational agents will tend to create values that are beneficial to society, human decision-making is often influenced by irrationality (cognitive biases and groupthink), ignorance, and emotional biases. This can lead to the formation of detrimental values. History and contemporary society provide numerous examples of values leading to adverse outcomes, such as discrimination based on race, gender, sex, or religion which are rooted in irrational beliefs and ignorance, resulting in social division and conflict. But with more education and experience, there's been a gradual reduction in these harmful values.

A prevalent misconception is that values are inherently tied to religion or belief in a higher power. This view overlooks the instinctual and rational foundations of many values. Throughout history, many societies have developed values promoting human wellbeing without reference to religion. From the 5th to the 4th century BCE, the Athenian philosophers; Socrates, Plato, and Aristotle argued for ethics based on reason, virtue, and the pursuit of the good life or eudaimonia, rather than on divine command. The Socratic method encouraged citizens to ask, “What is justice?” and answer through logic, not scripture. Stoic moral philosophy which was founded by Zeno around 300 BCE in ancient Greece was grounded in reason, nature, and virtue rather than divine commandments. Its four cardinal virtues of wisdom, justice, courage, and temperance were aimed at enabling people to live lives guided by reason and virtue, not by emotions or external events beyond their control. Over the centuries, it attracted many adherents, from philosophers and statesmen, to soldiers and ordinary citizens, all seeking to live in harmony with nature and cultivate inner resilience. 

The Enlightenment period championed reason, science, and human rights, laying the groundwork for modern democratic and ethical values aimed at human flourishing. In contemporary times, international organizations, legal systems, and global movements continue to advance values such as justice and equality before the law, based on rational discourse and shared human experience, rather than religious edicts. The idea of human rights, while not having a tangible basis in reality, function as a tool to influence minds towards acts that build a safer society. Even values claimed to originate from religious beliefs are often adhered to based on physical, spiritual, or eternal survival and wellbeing. Both religious and secular communities fundamentally value survival and wellbeing, with the underlying question being how to best achieve these goals as a group and as individuals.

In the end, values are a testament to humanity’s ability to reason, cooperate, and adapt. They are not frozen in time; they evolve as we learn and as societies change. Yes, humans are vulnerable to irrational thinking, but the same mind that falls for bias can also self-correct, learn from history, and choose better. The truth is simple: values are not the exclusive property of religion. They belong to all of us. Like traffic rules or safety standards, they exist because without them, survival becomes harder, and flourishing becomes nearly impossible. By embracing reason and collective intelligence, we can keep building values that serve the common good; values that unite us and give each generation a better starting point than the one before.