When I talk about a “value” I will be referring to a concept that is held to be “good.” Now, it gets a little circular when you start referring to the value of “goodness” as good.
There are philosophical and lexical tools to dig us out of problems like these, but my intention is to write like I was talking to my literate neighbor, not composing an argument in a thesis to be graded by a post-graduate professor.
So, if you and your people think that some thing is good, you value it, give it a name, and label it as “good.” It becomes one of your values.
But, a value is worthless until you actually take some action to do something good with it. Doing something good is virtuous. So, if you and your people think some act conforms to your values, you say that it is virtuous, you give it a name and label it as “good.”
Notice several things here:
* You do not have to actually be motivated by a specific value to perform an act that is virtuous.
* You can do something that you and/or your people believe is good while others may believe that it is bad. Goodness may be judged differently by different individuals or cultures.
* You can do something at one time or in one situation that is good while the same thing may be wrong at another time or in another situation.
* Sometimes a situation is ambiguous or conflicted so that it becomes difficult or impossible to judge whether an act is good or bad.
* Some people consider that an act may be virtuous if it was performed from a good motive. I feel that motives are an important consideration and are usually safe to link with action. However, it is too easy for an individual to do harm through ignorant, careless, mistaken, or disputed judgment.
I do not accept that an individual may always claim a virtue of presuming to do unto others, regardless of the consequences. Thus, in considering virtue, the judgment of an individual must be considered within the context of the judgment of communities and societies.
This is an excerpt from “Family and Community Values in American Culture: Forming a More Perfect Union” to be published in 2014 by David Satterlee. Excerpts from other books of essays and short stories by this author are available at http://DavidSatterlee.com