The reading for this week offered a variety of contestable opinions concerning values and how they are developed and utilized. For me personally, the most intriguing topic concerned the idea that values are not something encrypted in every person’s genetic code, but rather values are something that can be chosen and developed throughout the course of a person’s life. Lewis uses a series of examples that strengthen this idea like the fact that many people in Tibet, prior to Chinese invasion, opted to live practicing celibacy in monasteries, challenging the notion that sex and the desire to sustain our own species is an inherited trait that we all share. This example and the others that Lewis uses in his argument show that the values we live with are things that we can choose to live with and things we can change when we feel it is necessary. For me personally, I still don’t have the desire to “sustain my own species”, this is a value that I have chosen to live with up until this point in my life, but that does not mean that my values cannot change somewhere along the line.
Because Lewis uses several different contestable ideas, there is an idea I would challenge. When Lewis uses his Star Wars example, he explains that Obi Wan’s character is pushing Luke’s character to choose emotion over deductive reasoning and would therefore make emotions Luke’s primary force in discerning his own values. (I enjoy Star Wars as much as everyone and thoroughly enjoyed the reference.) But in my own opinion, I view this as a much more, scenario-based value decision more so than a large scale choice. Because Luke’s character ultimately chooses emotions and doing what’s right, that does not mean that all of his values are going to be constructed along the same lines. Some values are made in small decisions and are not as concrete as others. I would contest that examples like this just goes to show that people can possibly change their value system when it means making the right decisions.
I like your follow up on the example that the author Lewis used with Luke Skywalker and Obi Wan. I think that you are correct in saying that it is a situational example only and that it is really only in context of the lesson that is being taught to Luke by his elder. When I was writing my blog post I had not considered that sometimes the values we may chose may only be influenced on certain situations occurring at the time. It makes me wonder to then what is the value of having values when some may only be for a few minutes of our lives, and then ultimately change later. This is not exactly a question geared toward your post, but more of an observation to what you said about how Luke’s value that he formed at the time may not be the same later on, or that other values he may form may not last forever. I think though that it is good we are not locked into certain values, as in the case of very oppressive countries where you are not allowed to question authority etc., but that we can adapt our morals, ethics, and values as we progress in our lives.
Yes, I think that the reading was a good one for allowing multiple interpretations and giving all of us different ideas of what it meant. For me the text showed us how values can be fluid and change depending on the situation, the manner in which someone grew up, etc. The fact that we both saw two different concepts come from the same reading makes the reading that much more valuable. I also agree that not being permanently bound to our values is an important quality to have. Being able to choose our values as our lifestyles change makes for easier transitions into adulthood. If everyone was locked into their morals and values from their births, we’d have a lot of irresponsible people running around. Our circumstantial values are also highlighted in the text and I found that important because we don’t use them as often, therefore it doesn’t come to mind as easily when discussing values. I think we have these changing values so that we can make the right decisions when it is necessary to do so, even if it goes against what we would typically believe.
No one commented on my post so I came back to do some follow up here. I agree to that having values and morals is good, but allowing your values to adapt to new life situations is good. Right now I would value staying out late and being with friends, but I imagine when I have kids that I would not value those things as much. Still seeing friends would be good, but staying out late is not useful as a parent I would think. I liked your comment about people being locked into their values at birth and thought it would be a funny thing. If someone was locked into their values at such an early age and never changed, then they would teach the same thing to their children. This cycle would then repeat and you would get generations of people that basically do not think for themselves. I think there are many times in history when people were encouraged not to think on their own but to just listen to what they were told. There have been many religions and governments that practice this way. Luckily we, as a worldly society, do not adhere to this practice as much anymore and I think this has to do with the globalization of information and media, but that is a topic for another class.