UNIT 1
Course Introduction - Need, Basic Guidelines, Content and Process for Value Education
Value Education is now being taught in almost every course of various disciplines. We must first try to understand what 'Value Education' means. As it is evident the term 'Value Education' is itself constituted from two terms ' Value ' and ' Education’. We will first try to understand what each of these terms means individually. 'Value' means anything which is important, worthy or useful to human beings. Anything which gives a feeling of happiness, content, prosperity or peace is valuable. While ‘Education' mean an organized way of teach how to develop and nurture our skills, and how to encompass knowledge to use our skills in right way. Then by analysing these two terms separately we may say ' Value Education' deals with the learning of what is universally valuable to all of us, which is happiness, peace and prosperity.
It may be said 'Value Education' deals with the learning of what is conductive to our individual and collective happiness and prosperity in sustainable way. It can be said 'Value Education' imparts the knowledge and skill in human beings about what is universally valuable and how to live in a continuous state of happiness, peace and prosperity. Value education enable us to be in harmony with our own selves, without our peers, our surroundings, our society, and with rest of nature at large. Nowadays more emphasis is laid on knowledge based or information-based education, which makes the students mechanical and devoid of value, due to which they fail to keep up their endurance and fail to meet their aspirations. ‘Value Education' aims at the all-round development of the students who understand the values and then acquire knowledge, rather than mugging up everything in a mechanical manner.
The former president of India, Dr. A.P.J Abdul Kalam during his inaugural speech of Summer Session of Jammu And Kashmir Legislative assembly on 28th of July 2006, said that “Value education should be imparted not only at secondary and higher-secondary stage of education but from primary stage”. This show how even great personalities like Dr. Kalam understood and stressed on the importance of ' Value Education'. For example, a child on seeing a beautiful flower may desire to pluck it and carry it back with him to his home, if the child is asked why he plucked the flower he may say he liked it felt happy to see it so he decided to pluck it and take it home with him. But in the same scenario value education will teach him that he should not pluck the flower only because he likes it and wants it, value education will rather try to make him understand that he is hurting the plant by plucking the flower, he is reducing the overall beauty of the plant to some extent, it will try to teach him if he leaves the flower he can derive happiness from it for a longer time, while if he plucks the flower it will wither soon and then it won’t provide that happiness. This is a very simple example to understand how ' Value Education' makes a difference in all our daily life scenarios to every particular and individual scenario.
In recent times 'Value Education' has become an important part of many academic courses like engineering, management studies and so on. It can be seen various courses belonging to various different disciplines have one common subject which is 'Value Education'. It is evident the course designers felt 'Value Education' will be important for the overall development of the students taking up the course. Here we will discuss in details what makes 'Value Education' necessary:
(i) Correct Identification of our aspirations: As human beings we all have certain aspiration and desires in life, but we often end up sad and depressed when we are unable to fulfil these aspirations. ‘Value education’ helps us to understand why our aspirations fail by distinguishing our immediate aspirations from our basic or long-term aspirations. For example, if someone aspires to be doctor due to family pressure and not because he likes the subject, he might later feel uncomfortable to carry on with the course or with his job. 'Value education' tries to make us observe that we should focus on our basic aspirations like happiness and peace rather than running behind aspirations induced by family pressure, social influence or peer pressure etc. ‘Value education' helps us to correctly identify what our basic aspirations are and focus on those, so that we can setup up realistic goals and frame our efforts accordingly. Thus, settings up more realistic basic aspirations will increase their chances fulfilment and will make us more content and confident.
(ii) Right understanding of human values to have a continuous fulfilment of our aspirations: 'Value Education' helps us to understand human values in correct manner, which in turn helps us to sustain our aspirations. Our basic aspirations are less materialistic and more idealistic like happiness, peace, prosperity, etc. Only achievement of our aspirations is not enough for a long-time fulfilment, we need to maintain that feeling of fulfilment and that can only be done by the right understanding of human values. Right understanding of the human values give us a clearer view of our aspirations and how we can differentiate between our short term and long-term aspirations, so as to as have a uninterrupted or continuous feeling of content or fulfilment.
(iii) Relation between values and skills: 'Value Education' teaches us how values and skills are related to each other in a complementary manner. It explains that neither value nor skill alone can help us achieve our aspirations but a combination of both value and skill will lead us to our desired goal. For example, values education helps in identifying what is conductive to human happiness at all times, while skills required will be maintaining regular physical exercise, healthy food etc. Here both the skill and value are equally essential and depends on each other for the achievement of the aspiration.
(iv) Proper evaluation of our beliefs: In the absence of correct understanding of human values we are driven by ad-hoc values and beliefs. Our beliefs are often influenced by the people around us, peer pressure our materialistic desires or lack of knowledge. Our beliefs originate from our daily interaction with our surroundings, form talking with others, reading books, watching television, from our first-hand experiences. Value education tells us that we should properly check and evaluate the beliefs we have formed in our mind, before performing our actions according to those beliefs.
(v) Balance between modern life ways and values: In the modern world of today we often mistake materialistic possession with human values. ‘Value education' teaches us that modern life, amenities, technology are not the values, rather they are just meaning which might help us reach our aspirations. Value education also teaches us how to strike a perfect balance between modern amenities and human values so that we can frame a proper path to achieve our goals.
To understand Value Education properly we must try to understand the constituting principles of 'Value Education’. This analysis will make our vista clear what Value Education is and what is the process of 'Value Education’. The principles of 'Value Education’ are as follows:
(i) Universal: One of the primary tenets of Value Education is that it should be universal in nature. Value education is applicable to all humans universally. It should be same for everyone at any given time and in any place, it is not restricted by age, gender, nationality, religion or any other social division or barrier. It is the universality of Value Education which makes it more effective and acceptable in every situation. For example, all humans need clean air and water for a good health, this is universally applicable to everyone everywhere, and the goal here is maintaining good health.
(ii) Rational: ‘Value Education' should be ration, it should be constituted and governed by proper logic. Value education should be amenable to reasoning and must be open to questioning. This means that if anyone at any given time tries to question the values, they should get the same answer each and every time, the logic must be same and acceptable to everyone. Value education should not be a rigid set of rules, or set of Do's and Don’ts. For example, it is hot in summer and cold in winter, the reason is the rotation and revolution of the earth.
(iii) Natural and Verifiable: ' Value Education' should be natural and must be derived from what naturally happens or exists it should not be artificial or drawn from someone' s instructions. Rather it should be derived from naturally occurring phenomenon and universal truth. For example, its hot weather in summer and cold weather in winter is natural but, cool air from air conditioner in summer or heat from a heater in winter is not natural but artificial. The content of Value Education should be verifiable by anyone at anytime, anywhere. Value education means not assume or belief something only because it is written somewhere or someone has told it, rather it means to verify and then accept.
(iv) All encompassing: Value Education is all encompassing in nature, it is aimed at transforming our consciousness and living at all levels. Value education penetrates all dimensions of our life ranging from our work, behaviour, thought, understanding etc. It also penetrates all levels of our life, ranging from individual, family, social, professional etc.
(v) Leads to Harmony: The main aim of Value Education is to make us and our lives in harmony with nature and our surroundings. Harmony means a state of perfect balance and stable where different entities co-exist with each other in a smooth way without any disruption. For example, a happy family is an example of harmony while a quarrel in the family is lack of harmony. Value education tries to teach us how to be at harmony with our own self, our own aspirations, our peers, our family, our co-workers, and the society around us.
Values form the base for all our thinking, conduct and various activities. Once we understand what is valuable for us, these values becomes the base, the foundation for our activities. We also need to apprehend the universality of various human values, because only then we can have a solid and easily acceptable program for value education. Then only we can be determined of a blissful and harmonious human society.
The process for value education must be that of self-exploration, which inculcates two things at large: verification or checking at the step of natural acceptance and experiential validation which has to be carried out by living according to the proposal. Self exploration may be defined as the procedure to find out what is important to us by investigating within our self, what is correct for us, true for us, has to be judged within ourselves. Through the process of self exploration we get to know about the value within our self. Various aspects of reality promoting the understanding of human values will be put forward as proposals. We need to check these proposals for our self and verify our living in this light of right apprehension and understanding.
1.5.1 Self-Exploration
In simple terms self-exploration means knowing about the unknown things in our own selves. It can be said, there are parts of us, within us, which we are unaware of, self-exploration is looking for those unknown parts of us within ourselves. Self-exploration means examination and analysis of our own spiritual and intellectual potential and capacity. It can be seen as a process of dialogue or discourse with our own inner self, a dialogue between 'what we are' and 'what we want to be'. Self-exploration can be seen as a first step of acceptance, we first need to recognise and accept what we actually are and where we actually stand, through the process of self-exploration. We expect people to accept our thoughts, our beliefs, our opinions, but before expecting others we must find out what we actually are, where we stand, and only when we are acceptable to our own selves, we may start expecting others to accept us.
It is a process of self-evolution through self-investigation. It is a process of knowing our own self and through that trying to understand the whole existence. It is a process of recognising our relationship with every single entity in this existence and try to bring out the best that relationship has to offer. Through self-exploration we try to find out what our real identity is, our identity is a constructive phenomenon. Our identify is neither fixed nor rigid, but changes with respect the point of reference. For example, to one person police officer maybe a very courageous person catching law-breakers, while to a crooked criminal the same Police man may seem very unjust and bad. Thus, our identity varies with a variation in point of view and situation. Thus, to know our self properly and what we are actually, we must try to find how we are related to each unit of existence, and how that relation is affecting both. It is a process of knowing human conduct, human character and living accordingly. It is a process of being in harmony with oneself so as to be in harmony with the whole existence.
To conclude it may be said 'Self-exploration ' is a process of identifying our innateness or “Swatva” and moving towards self-organization or “swatantrata” and self-expression or “swarajya”. Where “swatva” mean our inner true self, “swatantrata” means living in a state of harmony with self, and “swarajya” means living in a state of harmony with others.
1.5.2 Content of Self-Exploration
Contents of self-exploration may be broadly divided into 'Desire' and 'Program'. Here ‘Desire ' means what is our basic aspiration, what is our basic aspiration by which we get motivated to take the course of self-exploration. For example, people often tell we should take advice from person who really know us well, like our partners, parents, or best friend. But in case of self-exploration, we try to substitute this close person with our own self. If we know our self properly, then we will know what we actually desire in a long term rather than getting confused with instantaneous short-lived desires. So instead of relying on some other person 'self-exploration' focus that we should delve deep into ourselves and be our own best friend.
The other part of 'self-exploration’ is ' Program’. ‘Program ' is nothing but the process by which we will fulfil our basic aspiration, once we have identified Whatever actions, we perform like self-rhetoric, self-examination, spiritual insight, or intellectual cross check, all together may be called 'program’. Thus 'program’ here refers to all the action we do in order to complete self-exploration.
1.5.3 Process of Self-Exploration
The first stage in the process of ' self-exploration ' is a 'proposal'. The ‘proposal' is like a statement with which we may begin the process of Self-exploration. The ‘proposal ' is like starting point, it’s like an argument, from where we begin the process of Self-exploration. But unlike a research paper, we should not simply start by either accepting or rejecting the ' proposal', which we often do while initiating a research. In the process of Self-Exploration, we cannot accept or reject the 'proposal’ on the basis of some existing scriptures or guidelines, nor on the basis of reading from various instruments of intellectual evaluation, neither on the basis of what others have to say about it. If start the process by accepting or rejecting the 'proposal’ by following any of these methods we may not get satisfactory results.
Rather we should carry on the process by verifying the ' proposal’. We may follow two methods to verify the sustainability of the ' proposal’. Firstly, we may try to verify the 'proposal’ on the basis of our natural acceptance. The second way of verifying the 'proposal’ is to live by the proposal and check how far it sustainable. In the second method we will have to behave with other humans as per the 'proposal’ and also work with the rest of nature following the 'proposal’. Then only we can verify the 'proposal’ move further in the process of 'self-exploration’. After behaving as per the ‘proposal’ with others, it must lead to mutual fulfilment of both and after behaving with Nature as per the 'proposal’ it should lead to mutual prosperity.
After verification of the 'proposal’ by either of the above-mentioned methods we will reach a stage of realisation or understanding. Only after reaching this point we might assume the ' proposal' to be true or false, and then carry on further with the process of Self-exploration. This stage of realisation or understanding must fulfil three basic tenets or criteria to further move on. Firstly, the realisation should be self-assuring, that means we ourselves should be fully assured of whatever we have realised after the verification of the 'proposal’. Secondly the realisation should be satisfying, and must fulfil our urge to question the 'proposal’. Thirdly and most important criteria is that the realisation should be universal in nature. This means the realisation should not alter, irrespective of time, place, or in respect to other individuals or a group. The realisation should remain unchanged for the present and future. The realisation must in a manner that it is accepted by all individuals in the same fashion. If any of these above-mentioned criteria are not fulfilled, then it can be said that the verification of the ‘proposal’ is not by the method of ' natural acceptance’.
To put it in the simplest form 'natural acceptance' means, total unconditional acceptance of own-self, or the acceptance of another person, or the acceptance of any natural entity or event in their existing natural form without any modification. Anything which we accept naturally without any doubt, any hesitation is natural acceptance towards it. For example, a mobile phone, a mobile phone is a device which was primarily and initially developed for wireless communication between people, but today mobile phones perform many other functions other than wireless communication. Today mobile phones are being used for taking photos, videos, they are even being as a miniature version of computer to perform multiple functions. Though the mobile phone today may be capable of performing multiple functions, but it’s main and primary function still remains the same, which is wireless communication. A mobile phone which can perform multiple functions but not its primary function of communication is useless and unacceptable. Thus, here the natural acceptance towards a mobile phone is that it a device for wireless communication. We may accept a phone which can only make wireless communication and performs no other action, but we will never accept a mobile phone which can perform dozens of functions except wireless communication. Thus, it is very clear that our natural acceptance for a mobile phone is that, it is a device for wireless communication. In a similar way natural acceptance of clothes is the protection of body from natural elements and not fashion or status symbol.
Thus, when verifying a proposal in the process of Self-exploration, we may check if the proposal is naturally accepted by us without any change. Once we fully commit ourselves on the basis of natural acceptance, we feel a holistic sense of inner harmony, tranquillity and fulfilment. Natural acceptance also refers to the absence of any exception from others. Actually, natural acceptance is way to accept good things naturally. It means to learn everything which is naturally good in us, nature and others, bring it in and absorb it in our own way. We can easily verify proposals in the basis of characteristics of natural acceptance.
Characteristics of Natural Acceptance
To understand what is natural acceptance and to verify if something is naturally acceptable to us or not, we must learn about the characteristics of 'natural acceptance' which will help us determining if a given argument, instance, or event is naturally acceptable to us or not. The characteristics of 'Natural Acceptance' are:
(i) Natural acceptance does not change with time: It means if something is naturally acceptable to us today it will still remain naturally acceptable to us even after years. For example, Mobile Phone is mainly a device for wireless communication, this acceptance will remain same irrespective of time and development.
(ii) It does not depend on the place: For example, drawing from the above previous example of a mobile phone, it’s natural acceptance as device for wireless communication remains same irrespective of the place and in any state or country of the world.
(iii) It does not depend on our beliefs or past conditions: Natural acceptance is not affected by the personal and individual belief of people, nor the conditions or thinking of the people of past. For example, clothes are for protection it is its natural acceptance, it will never change even if we start using clothes as a fashion symbol also.
(iv) It is same for all of us: Natural acceptance of anything is same for everyone irrespective of their age, origin, gender etc. It is part of humanness. For example, Natural acceptance of food is, it is needed to fuel our body, this is naturally acceptable for all persons everywhere.
(v) It is constant in nature: Natural acceptance of anything is always there in a constant manner, and it does not stop to exist or perish. Even if we don’t refer to the natural acceptance of something, it still remains same, and we may refer to it any given time. For example, Mobile Phone is primarily for wireless communication and not for taking pictures.
Experiential Validation is a very important part in the process of Self-exploration. When we start the process of Self-exploration, we first begin with a proposal, and the next step is to verify that proposal before the further progress of the process of Self-exploration. The given proposal may be verified in two ways firstly by the method of 'Natural Acceptance’ and secondly by the method of ' Experiential Validation'.
In the method of ' Experiential Validation’, we try to behave with ourselves, with other persons and with Nature as per the proposal suggests. We try to perform our actions as per the suggestion of the proposal. In a manner it can be said we try to create or live according to the proposal in question and try to find out what is the outcome. If the proposal is not naturally acceptable to us, we try to live and behave according to the proposal. Then we see how and up to what degree the proposal is coming true to our own selves and to others. The outcome in turn decides the verification of the proposal and the further progress in the process of Self-exploration.
In general, all human beings want one thing in common that is happiness. If people are asked to make list of their aspirations, or desires. They may tell they want to be a doctor, or an engineer or a teacher, they want to be rich or they want to be famous, etc. But the reason behind all these aspirations and desires is happiness. The aspirations may vary from person to person but the main reason behind each of these aspirations remain same, which is their happiness. They think it will make them happy, or these aspirations are somehow related directly or indirectly to their sense of happiness or at least what they perceive to be happiness. It is also true one cannot live by just being happy, happiness is a state which is equally dependent on mental and physical condition. Thus, being happy means both the fulfilment of our mental desires and bodily needs, even if one is lacking neither our aspirations will be stable nor be will be in a state of happiness. Thus, to conclude we may say whatever different aspirations humans have, the basic human aspirations are happiness and prosperity.
The self is composed of two entity “I” and the “body”, when “I” which represents our consciousness is in a state of liking we may say we are happy. We may say we are happy only when “I” is in complete harmony with our surroundings. It is a state of unhappiness when “I” is in a state of disliking, which is caused when there is no harmony between “I” and our surrounding situation. But “I” alone is not enough for the stability of a state of happiness, since the self is composed of both “I” and “body”, the bodily needs also play a vital role in the stability of happiness. The “body” needs physical facilities and without them it starts disintegrating. Prosperity is a state when we feel we have enough or more physical facilities than what is need by the “body”. To ascertain a state of prosperity two things are essential, firstly we need to comprehend how much physical facilities and what physical facilities are need for the “body” to be in a standard state. Secondly, we need to make sure we have the competence or we must gain that competence to acquire more physical facilities than what is needed by our “body” to be in a standard shape. For example, we may not feel wealthy even if we earn crores of rupees, we will only feel wealthy if we are in a state of prosperity. For example, we may calculate how much food we consume monthly and how much money we spend on buying it, now if we earn enough or more money to buy more food supplies for a month that what is enough, we will get a sense of prosperity. Thus, we may conclude the basis human aspirations are happiness and prosperity and we must set our actions to fulfil those.
Whatever people do in their life, they do it fulfil the basis human aspirations which are happiness and prosperity. But, even after doing everything we can we often end in a state of unhappiness, this mainly happens because we fail to understand what real happiness is and what real prosperity is and before understanding them fully, we start running after them. Running behind our desires blindly may not give us happiness, to reach the state of complete happiness we must first get to know what we actually want, once we find what we want we must question our want and check its credibility. Credibility of our wants help us to set practical goals and help us determine our frame of actions. Having desires and aspirations is not enough, because when we fail to meet our desires and aspirations we enter into a state of unhappiness. Thus, if we think and question our desires and aspirations before running behind them, we will get some realistic goals, which are easier to achieve and once we achieve them, we get a sense of happiness. We get this sense of happiness because what we thought, the frame of actions we followed resulted in same outcome which we thought about before starting. This gives a sense of harmony between our inner self and the world, thus creating a blissful state or happiness. If we fail to achieve our goals again and again it affects our will power and confidence. Thus, we must set more realistic goals.
We must try not to focus our happiness on something particular, by doing so we increase the risk of failure and in term we develop anxiety and start losing our confidence. Instead of concentrating our happiness on something particular if we can distribute the focus into smaller parts, it gets easier to fulfil the final aspirations. If we divide the source of happiness to various smaller entities rather than something big, it will be easier to complete one small entity or desire at a time. The greater number of parts we successfully achieve, more confidence we get to complete the remaining part. The most reassuring feature of this method is, even if we fail in the achievement of one or two small parts the achievement from other successful parts provides us the will power to carry on. Thus, even if we fail in some parts, we will not be totally unsatisfied, as some parts our goal has been achieved. This may not give full happiness but will definitely give some degree of happiness from the successful parts and will encourage us to give another shot at the unsuccessful parts.
In the current scenario, we have often noticed that even after having all their worldly desires fulfilled, people are still not happy. If we compare an animal and human being, there happiness and its achievement is different in nature. The happiness of an animal is achieved when all its physical needs are fulfilled. For example, if a cow gets all the food, water, proper environment to live it stays happy. But in case of human beings, bodily needs are not enough to be truly happy and maintain that happiness, this is what most people fail to understand and remain to be in a state of dissatisfaction even after gaining everything.
In case of animals their happiness is complete if they have enough physical facilities. But in case of humans, complete happiness can only be achieved when they have both stable relationship with other entities of the society and enough physical facilities. Thus, for human beings, physical facilities are necessary for happiness, but they care not enough for complete and stable happiness. To achieve this complete happiness, humans must have a stable and harmonious relationship with other entities of the society. To maintain stability in these relationships these relationships must provide mutual fulfilment. To have this mutual fulfilment there must be right understanding.
To maintain a harmonious mutually fulfilling relationship, there must be understanding at four levels: Self, Family, Society and Nature. To have understanding between us and our own selves, we must first find out what we actually want, which can be done by the process of Self-exploration. To have better understanding with family we must understand through self-exploration what is our role towards them, and what they expect from us. To have a better understanding with society we must understand where we belong in the society, what are our roles towards the society, what it expects from us and what we get in return from the society. Finally, the last level of understanding is with Nature at large, we often end up over-exploiting the Nature and its resources for our short-term interests, what we fail to understand is the long-term ill effects. We forget that we have duty towards Nature and the world also, just like we have for our family and society. We must not only take from the Nature but must make sure we return the same to Nature in some form or other, then only the balance will be maintained. Thus, a harmony at all these four levels will gives a sense of complete happiness and will also make that happiness stable and continuous.
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