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Values and Justice - A new Perspective
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to display a sense of justice, fight against exploitation, care for environment, be compassionate to all, work against cruelty to animals, some show patience and tolerance, struggle and suffer for Social Justice, yet others take risk for great sacrifices. All these behavior patterns have emerged from the main spring of cherished or fully internalized Value system.”3 According to Swami Atma Prabhananda five basic human Values are: Right Conduct, Truth, Peace, Love and Non-Violence. Values, such as we talked, could be National Values, Social Values and Human Values. The report of the National (Indian) Commission on Teachers identifies as many as 80 different Values, all spring from Truth, Goodness (Love) and Beauty. Philosophically, we may classify Values in to Eternal or Permanent Values and Relative or Changing Values. Since I come from India let me tell you that the significance of Indian Philosophical tradition lies in the utmost importance given to the determination of the ideals (eternal value) and ways of life rather than formation of theoretical views of the universe. Dr. S. Radhakrishan, expressing this, says, “The ideal man of India is not the magnanimous man of Greece or the brave knight of medieval Europe, but the free man of Spirit, who has attained insight in to the Universal source by rigid discipline and practice of disinterested virtues, who has freed himself from prejudices of his time and place. It is India's pride that she clung fast to this ideal.”4 Values in the Modern Word:
Modern age is one of scientific and technological advancement in all walks of life. It is marked by belief in rationality, empiricism and verifiability. It is also an age of democracy, secularism and socialism as proclaimed and accepted by all. At the same time we see cross currents in the sphere of economic, political, social and cultural ideologies and movements, making the life very complex, Present age is an age of propaganda and we all live in a world of social inequalities, economic disparities, moral crisis and political insecurities. The values have deteriorated and there is a mad rush after materialistic and sensual pleasures. Childhood is miles away
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