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Chapter 8 Post

This reading talked lots of things about values. In the beginning, we can get the definition of values – “what is desirable that arguers use and decision makers understand”. From this definition, there are some specific things that we need to focus on. “desirable”, “arguers use” and “decision makers”. Then reading concept gave us some basic introduction of values. It did not give very exact thing about values. But I still can get some point from it.
   What is more, the reading provides some categories of values. 1)Positive and Negative values, 2) Terminal and Instrumental values and 3) Abstract and Concrete Values. As to me, these things are very interesting to me. Especially for terminal and instrumental values, I really like this category! I agree with this sentence that values will reflect the ends a person admires(wealth, health, happiness, security) or the means to attain the ends(hard work, faith, helpfulness, responsibility). I strongly support that. Values can represent many things in our life, as mentioned in the reading, “A comfortable life”, “An exciting life”, “Ambition”, “Cheerfulness”, these things can truly express what we want express in the end.
   Then, the reading talked some issues about values in systems. And values’ relationship with the ethics. Using values is also a key concept in the reading. Author explained it in a various of aspects. “Values may be found anywhere in an argument.” This claims seems to be wrong, however, if we can more deeply thinking of that, we would think of this to be correct. The reading also provided some ways to help us find values in the argument. Then we need to use the develop the values to help us and support us.
   “SPHERE DEPENDENCE OF VALUES” provides us more things about values. The values’ application in scientific argument. From my perspective, it is very useful for us to understand what is values. For example. “Knowledge in Science” stated that medial science has had a strong influence on this kind of thinking by suggesting that there are certain diseases that it is learning to conquer one by one. In this example, we can explicitly see the effect of values. It can straightly show what the medical science has. So powerful it is! Another part in this concept is “Values in Religion”. In this part, the author listed “God”, “Authority”, “Humans”, “Morality”, “Faith” and so on. I extremely like “Faith” this. As it stated in the reading, “Faith is an instrumental value unique to religion. What I think is faith can strengthen humans’ happiness in our life!
    To be concluded, values can provide many things to us in many ways. It is really useful thing!







Comments

  1. AnonymousOctober 31, 2018 at 4:28 AM

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  2. AnonymousOctober 31, 2018 at 4:30 AM

    I think you have a good summary of the main points of this chapter. I also think the category about the terminal and instrumental values is interesting. It seems like there is a clear difference between terminal and instrumental values, but it is also true that many people replace their final goal with instrumental values. Some scientists consider their hard work, which should be instrumental values that mean to attain their ends, as their principle in their lives. I also know there are many professors, who already have comfortable and wealthy lives, don’t stop studying new things to acquire new knowledge. What you mentioned in your following post about “values in religion” also demonstrates that it is common for religious people to use faith as an instrumental value to help other followers to achieve happiness. In total, as an important factor in the argument, values help in gaining more adherence to decision makers if they share similar ideas.

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