Philosophical Writings

Author(s): Hemant Shah
Publisher: Academy of Philosophy

Page 96

The Role of Beauty as a Value in Everyday Life
3.2 To being with, the term value means that which is intinsically valuable in 'itself unlike things a product which gain value only through exchange. In Indian Philosophy and tradition, in Indian religion and culture the Value' is expressed in terms of Truth (Satyain), Goodness or Love (Shivam) and Beauty (Sundaram). All the value are derived from these three basic values.
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There is no need to talk baout the role or values in life; we are all aware of it. In fact, "they provide a framework, a guide, the rails for purposeful, quick and efficient movement through life. They give a reason to live, and if needed a reson to die." Moreover, values have their sources in culture and are rooted in it. Culture is a whole way of life of a people, their work, their faith, their beliefs and religion, customs and celebrations, in short values are the constituent elements of life and living, and are the basic characteristics of human society.
values, such as we have just talked about, could be National values, Social Values and Human Values. The Report of the (Indian) National Commission on Teachers identifies as many as eighty different values, all spring from Truth Goodness and Beauty. Philosophically we may classify values into Eternal or Permanent values and Relative or Changing Values.
3.3. Role of Values:
Values have a very significant role. They do not merely govern or guid but provide a direction to go forward, a reason to strive to, a goal and purpose to be attained and to be fulfilled. The values dterrnine the activity, which in result determine the character - of a Nation, Society or an Individual. To be very simple and strait, we can say that values influence a person or people. Yes, values do influence and so at the root of every culture or every state of life it is the value that influences. Values give meaning to life, values provide movement to life, values lead "from death to immortality" as it is said in Upanishad.