The Paradoxes of Nietzsche's Introduction of valuesinto Modern Culture - Essay Example

The actual definition of “values”, its appreciation and proper evaluation has always remained an issue of great debate as well as dilemma throughout the entire domain of philosophical development. The progress of human civilization, cultural influences, and adoption of different attitudes towards interpretation of such influences have provided several dimensions in the context of defining values, or from the ethical perspective what can be said to be moral values. The issue of debate or dilemma evolves from the very basic argument that is there any universal definition of values or moral values or morality?

During various phases of human civilization and contextual philosophical dimensions values have been interpreted in different manners. What is regarded as values, or morality for people belonging to a particular socio-cultural context in a specific time period, may not have the same acceptance among people living in another socio-cultural context and a different phase of time. However, the terms, “values” or “morality” or “moral values” receive a universal connotation empowered with the common appreciation that while living in a social context, individuals are required to abide by certain codes of conduct or norms that, besides ensuring his/her enjoyment of social rights as a human being to the best extent possible, also aims inciting such motivation among the inhabitants so that same scope of enjoying human existence can be provided to fellow counterparts.

Truth behind this observation receives a strong foundation if Gert’s (1998) opinion on moral values or morality is taken into consideration: “Morality is an informal public system applying to all rational persons, governing behavior that affects others, and has the lessening of evil or harm as its goal” (Cited in Alavudeen, Rahman, and Jayakumaran,