UNIVERSAL HUMAN VALUES - NOTES (R23)

III/IV SEM (Common to all)

UNIT 1 Introduction to Value Education
Q1. What do you mean by values or human values? or
What is value education? Why there is a need of value education? or
How does value education helps in fulfilling one's aspirations?
ANS. Character oriented education that instils basic values and ethnic values in one’s psyche is called
‘Value Based Education’. The subject that enables us to understand ‘what is valuable’ for human
happiness is called value education. Value education is important to help everyone in improving the value
system that he/she holds and puts it to use. Once, one has understood his/ her values in life he/she can
examine and control the various choices he/she makes in his/ her life. Value education enables us to
understand our needs and visualize our goals correctly and also helps to remove our confusions and
contradictions and bring harmony at all levels. It also helps remove our confusions and contradictions and
enables us to rightly utilize the technological innovations.
Values form the basis for all our thoughts, behaviours and actions. Once we know what is valuable to
us, these values becomes the basis, the anchor for our actions. We also need to understand the universality
of various human values, because only then we can have a definite and common program for value
education. Then only we can be assured of a happy and harmonious human society.
Q2. What are the basic guidelines for value education?
Ans: The subject that enables us to understand ‘what is valuable’ for human happiness is called value
education. In order to qualify for any course on value education, the following guidelines for the content
of the course are important:
• Universal: It needs to be applicable to all the human beings irrespective of cast, creed, nationalities,
religion, etc., for all times and regions.
• Rational: It has to appeal to human reasoning. It has to be amenable to reasoning and not based on
dogmas or blind beliefs.
• Natural and verifiable: It has to be naturally acceptable to the human being who goes through the
course and when we live on the basis of such values it leads to our happiness. It needs to be experientially
verifiable, and not based on dogmas, beliefs or assumptions.
• All encompassing: Value education is aimed at transforming our consciousness and living. Hence,
it needs to cover all the dimensions (thought, behaviour, work and realization) and levels (individual,
family, society, nature and existence) of human life and profession.
 • Leading to harmony: The value education ultimately is targeted to promote harmony within the
individual, among human beings and with nature.
Q3. What is the need for value education? or
Write a short note on the need for value education in today’s scenario.
Ans: The subject that enables us to understand ‘what is valuable’ for human happiness is called value
education. Need for value education is:
 Correct identification of our aspirations. The subject which enables us to understand ‘what is
valuable’ for human happiness is called ‘value education’ (VE). Thus, VE enables us to understand our
needs and visualize our goals correctly and also indicate the direction for their fulfilment. It also helps to
remove our confusions and contradictions and bring harmony at all levels.
 Understanding universal human values to fulfil our aspirations in continuity. Values form the
basis for all our thoughts, behaviours and actions. Once we know what is valuable to us, these values
becomes the basis, the anchor for our actions. We also need to understand the universality of various
human values, because only then we can have a definite and common program for value education. Then
only we can be assured of a happy and harmonious human society.
 Complementarity of values and skills. To fulfil our aspirations both values and skills are
necessary. When we identify and set the right goals and produced in right direction. This is known
as value domain, the domain of wisdom, and when we learn and practices to actualize this goal to
develop the techniques to make this happen in real life, in various dimensions of human endeavor
(struggle). This is known as domain of skills.
Hence, there is an essential complementarity between values and skills for the success of any human
endeavor. For example, I want to lead a healthy life. Only wishing for good health will not help me keep
my body fit and healthy and without having understood the meaning of health, I will not be able to choose
things correctly to keep my body fit and healthy.
 Evaluation of our beliefs. Each one of us believes in certain things and we base our values on
these beliefs, be they false or true which may or may not be true in reality. These believes come to us from
what we read, see, hear, what our parents tells us, our friends talk about, what the magazines talk of, what
we see from TV etc. Value Education helps us to evaluate our beliefs and assumed values.
 Technology and human values. The present education system has become largely skill-based.
The prime emphasis is on science and technology. However, science and technology can only help to
provide the means to achieve what is considered valuable. It is not within the scope of science and
technology to provide the competence of deciding what really is valuable. Value Education is a crucial
missing link in the present education system. Because of this deficiency, most of our efforts may prove to
be counterproductive and serious crises at the individual, societal and environmental level are manifesting.
 Q4. Values and skill complement each other. Elaborate. or
“For success in any Human Endeavour both values and skills are required.” Explain. or
What do you mean by values? How do they differ from skills? How are values and skills
complementary? or
Explain how production skills and human values are complementary. Give two examples.
Ans: Values means importance or participation and skills means qualities, training, and capabilities.
To fulfil our aspirations both values and skills are necessary. When we identify and set the right goals and
produced in right direction. This is known as value domain, the domain of wisdom. Basically we must
know what really is useful to achieve human happiness, the happiness to all and for all the time.
And when we learn and practices to actualize this goal to develop the techniques to make this happen
in real life, in various dimensions of human endeavour (struggle). This is known as domain of skills.
Hence, there is an essential complementarity between values and skills for the success of any human
endeavour.
For example, I want to lead a healthy life. Only wishing for good health will not help me keep my
body fit and healthy and without having understood the meaning of health, I will not be able to choose
things correctly to keep my body fit and healthy. So i have to learn the skills to achieve the goal of good
health i.e. food to be consumed, the physical workout to be designed. So without knowing the meaning of
good health, health cannot be achieved and also it is necessary to make use of the goal to achieve the goal
of the goal.
Q5. Define self exploration. What is the content of self – exploration?
Ans: Self exploration is the process to find out what is valuable to me by investigating within myself,
what is right for me, true for me, has to be judged within myself. Through self exploration we get the
value of ourself. We live with different entirety (family, friends, air, soil, water, trees, etc.) and we want to
understand our relationship with all these. For this we need to start observing inside. The main focus of
self-exploration is myself - the human being. Content of self exploration is just finding answers to the
following fundamental questions of all human beings:
1. The Desire/Goal: What is my (human) Desire/ Goal? What do I really want in life, or what is the
goal of human life?
2. Program: What is my (human) program for fulfilling the desire? How to fulfil it? What is the
program to actualize the above?
In short, the above two questions cover the whole domain of human aspirations and human
endeavor. Thus, they form the content of self- exploration.
 Q6. Self exploration is a process of dialogue between ‘what you are’ and ‘what you really want
to be’. Explain and illustrate.
Ans: Self exploration is the process to find out what is valuable to me by investigating within myself,
what is right for me, true for me, has to be judged within myself. Through self exploration we get the
value of ourself. It is a process of focusing attention on ourself, our present beliefs and aspirations vis-à-
vis what we really want to be (that is to say, what is naturally acceptable to us). If these two are the same,
then there is no problem. If on investigation we find that these two are not the same, then it means we are
living with this contradiction (of not being what we really want to be) and hence, we need to resolve this
contradiction this conflict within us. It is a process of discovering that there is something innate, invariant
and universal in all human beings. This enables us to look at our confusions and contradictions within and
resolve them by becoming aware of our natural acceptance.
Q7. How can we verify proposals on the basis of our natural acceptance? Explain with example.
or
What do you mean by your natural acceptance? Is it innate, invariant and universal? Explain
or
“Natural acceptance is innate, invariant and universal.” Explain this statement with an
example.
Ans: Natural acceptance implies unconditional and total acceptance of the self, people and
environment. It also refers to the absence of any exception from others. Once we fully and truly commit
ourself on the basis of natural acceptance, we feel a holistic sense of inner harmony, tranquility and
fulfillment. Actually natural acceptance is way to accept the good things naturally. Learn everything that
is good from others, but bring it in, and in our own way absorb it; do not become others. We can easily
verify proposals in the basis of characteristics of natural acceptance mentioned below:
a) Natural acceptance does not change with time. It remains invariant with time. For example,
our natural acceptance for trust and respect does not change with age.
b) It does not depend on the place. Whatever we have accepted, in our life, at any time of our age,
does not change, even if we move from one place to another one.
c) It does not depend on our beliefs or past conditionings. No matter how deep our belief or past
conditioning, as long as we ask ourselves the question sincerely, as long as we refer deep within ourselves,
the answer will always be the same.
d) This natural acceptance is ‘constantly there’, something we can refer to. Natural acceptance
is always there. Whatever we do, this natural acceptance is within us, it is telling us what is right.
e) Natural acceptance is the same for all of us: it is part and present of every human being, it is
part of humanness. Though each one of us, may have different likes and dislikes and means to live and to
react etc. but if we go deep in our mind the purpose of our work, behaviour, efforts etc. are based on
common goals like need to be happy, need to be respected, need to get prosperity. So our basic acceptance
remains the same.
Q8. What is the meaning of prosperity? How can you say that you are prosperous?
Ans: The feeling of having or making available more than required physical facilities is prosperity.
Almost all of us feel that wealth alone means prosperity and try to explain this phenomenon on this
nonexistent or half fact. We are trying to achieve happiness and prosperity by maximizing accumulation
and consumption of physical facilities. It is becoming anti-ecological and anti-people, and threatening the
human survival itself. For prosperity, two things are required-
1. Identification of the required quantity of physical facilities, and
2. Ensuring availability / production of more than required physical facilities.
We can be prosperous only if there is a limit to the need for physical facilities. If there is no limit
what so ever be the availability the feeling of prosperity cannot be assured.
Secondly, just assessing the need is not enough. We need to be able to produce or make available
more than the perceived need.
Q9. What is the difference between prosperity and wealth? What is more acceptable to us and
why? or
What do you understand by prosperity? What is the difference between prosperity and wealth?
How are the two related? or
What is the meaning of prosperity? How does it differ from possession of wealth? Explain with
examples. or
Differentiate between prosperity and wealth with examples.
Ans: Prosperity is a feeling of having more than required physical facilities; it is not just physical
facilities. Almost all of us feel that wealth alone means prosperity and try to explain this phenomenon on
this nonexistent or half fact. Wealth is a physical thing. It means having money, or having a lot of physical
facilities or both. This is a very important distinction. We mostly fail to make this distinction today. We
keep working for wealth, without realizing that the basic desire is for the feeling of prosperity, to have
a feeling of having enough. Prosperity is more acceptable to us because wealth is just a part of prosperity.
We are trying to achieve happiness and prosperity by maximizing accumulation and consumption of
physical facilities. It is becoming anti-ecological and anti-people, and threatening the human survival
itself. A person has lot of money, but does not want to share even a bit of it. The person ‘has wealth’ but
feels ‘deprived’. If one felt prosperous he/she would have shared what one has, since there is lot more than
enough wealth anyway.
 Q10. What is your present vision of a happy and prosperous life?
Ans: We are trying to achieve happiness and prosperity by maximizing accumulation and
consumption of physical facilities. It is becoming anti-ecological and anti-people, and threatening the
human survival itself.
Some of the consequences of such trend are summarized below:
 At the level of individual: rising problems of depression, psychological disorders, suicides, stress,
insecurity, etc.
 At the level of family: breaking of joint families, mistrust, and conflict between older and younger
generations, insecurity in relationships, divorce, dowry tortures, etc.
 At the level of society: growing incidence of terrorism and naxalism, rising communalism,
spreading casteism, racial and ethnic struggle, wars between nations, etc.
 At the level of nature: global warming, water, air, soil, noise etc. pollution, resource depletion of
minerals and mineral oils, etc.
All the problems are a direct outcome of an incorrect understanding, our wrong notion about
happiness and prosperity and their continuity – this is an issue for serious exploration.
Q11. What do the abbreviations given as SVDD, SSDD and SSSS signify?
Ans: To achieve our basic aspirations we need to work for right understanding as the base on which
we can work for relationship and then physical facilities. Today we are not working according to this that
why we can see that there are two kind of people in the world:
1. Those that do not have physical facilities/ wealth and feel unhappy and deprived. i.e. SVDD:
Sadhan Viheen Dukhi Daridra – Materially Deficient, Unhappy and Deprived.
2. Those that have physical facilities/ wealth and feel unhappy and deprived. i.e. SSDD: Sadhan
Sampann Dukhi Daridra – Materially Affluent, Unhappy and Deprived. But these are states we don’t want
to be in. We want to move from this to third category i.e.
3. Having physical facilities and feeling happy and prosperous i.e. SSSS: Sadhan Sampann Sukhi
Samriddha – Materially Adequate, Happy and Prosperous.
Presently, as we look around, we find most of the people in the above two categories called SVD and
SSDD, while the natural acceptance of all human beings is to be in the category of SSSS.
 Q12. “Physical facilities are necessary and complete for animals, while they are necessary but
not complete for humans.” Comment. or
Explain how physical facilities are necessary but not complete for humans while they are
complete for animals. or
Physical facilities are necessary but not complete for human being. Do you agree with this
statement? Support your answer with reasons and examples.
Ans: Physical facilities are necessary and complete for animals, while they are necessary but not
complete for humans. It is easy to verify.

For Animals: Animals need physical things to survive, mainly to take care of their body. For
example; cow will look for food when it is hungry. Once it gets the grass or fodder. It eats it, sits around to
chew at leisure. Hence, we can say that as long as animals have physical things, they are largely fine. They
don’t desire other things like knowledge or a peaceful animal society or getting a good MBA.
For Humans: While physical facilities are necessary for human beings, they are not complete by
themselves to fulfill our needs. Our needs are more than just physical facilities. We all have other needs,
other plans, perhaps we think of going to a movie or reading a book, or go to college, or watch some TV,
or spend time with family and friends….. this list is endless. Thus it is easy to see that while physical
facilities are necessary for us human beings, they are not complete by themselves to fulfill our needs.
Hence we can say that for animals – “Physical facilities are necessary and complete.”
For humans “Physical facilities are necessary but not complete.”
 Q 13. What are the requirements to fulfil basic human aspirations? or
What is the program to fulfil the basic human aspirations? Explain or
Explain the basic requirements to fulfil human aspirations. Give the correct priority among
them. or
Three things are needed in order to fulfill basic human aspirations–right understanding, right
relationships and physical facilities. Explain meaning of each one of these.
Ans: Our basic aspirations are happiness (mutual fulfilment) and prosperity (mutual prosperity).
Happiness is ensured by the relationships with other human beings and prosperity is ensured by working
on physical facilities.
Right Understanding: This refers to higher order human skills – the need to learn and utilize our
intelligence most effectively.
Good Relationships: This refers to the interpersonal relationships that a person builds in his or her
life – at home, at the workplace and in society.
Physical Facilities: This includes the physiological needs of individuals and indicates the necessities
as well as the comforts of life. It means the feeling of having or being able to have more physical facilities
than is needed.

In order to resolve the issues in human relationships, we need to understand them first, and this
would come from ‘right understanding of relationship’. Similarly in order to be prosperous and to enrich
nature, we need to have the ‘right understanding’. The ‘right understanding’ will enable us to work out
our requirements for physical facilities and hence correctly distinguish the difference between wealth and
prosperity. With nature as well, we need to understand the harmony in nature, and how we can
complement this harmony.
 Q 14. What do you mean by animal and human consciousness? Explain with the help of a
diagram. or
Distinguish between ‘human consciousness’ and ‘animal consciousness’. How “shiksha and
sanskar” are helpful in raising man to “human consciousness” level. or
What is the difference between animal consciousness and human consciousness? How does the
transformation take place in a human being?
Ans: Giving all priorities to physical facilities only, or to live solely on the basis of physical facilities,
may be termed as ‘Animal Consciousness’. Living with all three: Right understanding, Relationship and
Physical facilities is called ‘Human Consciousness’.

From the diagram we can say that:

• For animal, physical facility is necessary as well as complete – whereas for human beings it is
necessary but not complete.
• Working only for physical facilities is living with Animal Consciousness.
• Working for right understanding as the first priority followed by relationship and physical facilities
implies living with Human Consciousness.
• There is a need for transformation from Animal Consciousness to Human Consciousness. It can
be accomplished only by working for right understanding as the first priority.
• This transformation from Animal Consciousness to Human Consciousness forms the basis for
human values and values based living.
The content of education is the understanding of harmony at all the four levels of our existence –from
myself to the entire existence. Right living or sanskar refers to the ability to live in harmony at all the four
levels of living. This dimension of society works to ensure ‘right understanding’ and ‘right feelings’ in
individual. Or all-encompassing solution called samadhan in every individual and ensures that our
succeeding generation have both the content and the environment available to work towards achieving
their goal of continuous happiness and prosperity.
Q15. There are many problems manifest today at the level of individual, family, society and the
nature. Identify some of these problems humans suffer from.
Ans: Today we are generally trying to achieve happiness and prosperity by maximizing accumulation
and consumption of physical facilities. This effort is giving rise to many problems manifest today at the
level of individual, family, society and the nature. These problems are:
• At the level of individual– Rising problems of depression, anxiety, suicides, stress, insecurity,
increasing health problems, lack of confidence and conviction etc.
• At the level of family– Breaking up of joint families, mistrust and disharmony in relationships,
divorce, generation gap, dowry deaths, neglect of older people etc.
• At the level of society– Growing incidences of terrorism, violence, communalism, racial and ethnic
struggle, corruption, adulteration, sex-crimes exploitation, wars between nations, proliferation of lethal
weapons etc.
• At the level of nature– Global warming, weather imbalances, depletion of mineral and energy
resources, deforestation, soil degradation etc.
All the problems are a direct outcome of an incorrect understanding, our wrong notion about
happiness and prosperity and their continuity.
Q16. Critically examine the prevailing notions of happiness in the society and their
consequences. or
What is prosperity? Is it different from happiness? or
What are the basic human aspirations? Explain. or
What is the outcome when we try to identify relationship based on the exchange of physical
facilities?
Ans: Happiness may be defined as being in harmony/synergy in the state/ situation that I live in. “A
state or situation in which I live, if there is harmony in it then I like to be in that state / situation. The state
of liking is happiness.” Whereas, prosperity is the “feeling of having or making available more than
required physical facilities”.
In the current scenario, we are generally trying to achieve happiness and prosperity by maximizing
accumulation and consumption of physical facilities. This is an attempt to achieve happiness through
pleasant sensory interactions. The physical facilities are not seen in terms of fulfilling bodily needs but as
a means of maximizing happiness.
This has resulted in wrong assessment of wants for physical facilities as being unlimited. But this
pursuit is self-defeating. Neither can we hope to achieve continuous happiness through sensory
interactions nor can we have prosperity, as it amounts to trying to fulfil unlimited wants through limited
resources. This effort is engendering problems at all the levels. It is becoming anti-ecological and anti-
people, and threatening the human survival itself. Some of the consequences of such a trend are
summarized below:
1. At the level of the individual – Rising problems of depression, psychological disorders, suicides,
stress, insecurity, psycho-somatic diseases, loneliness etc.
2. At the level of the family – Breaking of joint families, mistrust, conflict between older and
younger generations, insecurity in relationships, divorce, dowry tortures, family feuds, wasteful
expenditure in family functions etc.
3. At the level of the Society – Growing incidences of terrorism and naxalism, rising
communalism, spreading casteism, racial and ethnic struggle, wars between nations, attempts of genocide,
fear of nuclear and genetic warfare, etc.
4. At the level of nature – Global warming, water, air, soil, noise, etc. pollution, resource depletion
of minerals and mineral oils, sizeable deforestations, loss of fertility of soil.
It therefore, calls for an urgent need for human beings to correctly understand happiness and
prosperity as well as the sustainable way to achieve these.