Q&A: What Are “Values”? (In Relation to Free Choice)
What Are “Values”? (In Relation to Free Choice)
Question
What are values in your view?
That is, according to your thought, the definition of “values” has critical significance in relation to free choice.
A decision that is value-based is not deterministic.
I understand values to be basically a collection of beliefs and principles that underlie a person’s views and behavior. They include the things a person regards as important, right, or desirable, and they serve as guidelines for actions and decisions in his life.
That is, it is a collection of individual items.
A worldview, plus another thought, plus morality, etc., etc.
Assuming that each individual item is deterministic (I understand that you agree that non-value-based decisions are deterministic) —
why is it that values, which are the sum of many items, involve free
- choice?
Answer
I didn’t understand the question. A value is not a collection of details but a value. Exactly as you defined it. I don’t see what the question is here.
Discussion on Answer
Values are not based on morality. Morality means a set of values. A person freely chooses his values and freely chooses whether to act according to them. By contrast, his other decisions can be mere calculation. I don’t understand where this discussion is going.
1. Are values based on morality? Is that what you mean?
In moral considerations there is no determinism?
2. Conceptually, how is a value-based decision different from a non-value-based decision?