The elements that make up the behavior of a person, whether personal or social, are defined as principles and values, for this reason, these are responsible for the development, adaptation and behavior of each individual.
However, there are differences and specific characteristics between each one, this makes them typical of a specific element, that is, there are principles of life, equality, goodness and evil, among others that will be treated in this article.
Likewise, the values that each person acquires throughout their growth as part of what is considered socially correct.
What are principles and values?
Values and principles are the personal and social characteristics that determine the right and wrong way in which an individual develops individually and as part of a society. Below you will know what each one is about so that you know how to differentiate them:
Principles
Principles are the general rules that are established within society, they are usually universal and important to establish the order of populations and maintain the balance between what is socially accepted and what is not.
On the other hand, bad actions, contempt and incorrect acts committed by an individual, are considered as violations of the different principles that are known and used today.
Therefore, it is imperative that the principles are part of the development of the human being from childhood, so that he is part of a well-formed society and in turn, helps it grow in harmony.
Values
Values are the qualities and virtues that each person possesses, considered as a fundamental part when making decisions and carrying out any activity, in addition, they are the elements that build the attitudes of an individual, in turn, influence their behaviors and feelings.
On the other hand, an article published in the Last decadeMagazine of theUniversity of Chile, mentions that values are of great importance for the maintenance of an individual in society, in addition, they give the person self-confidence, security and they help her bond with other individuals.
Difference Between Principles and Values
The concept of principles and values is often confused by the degree of importance they have for the proper development of people within a society.
However, their difference lies in the fact that the principles are closely linked to consciousness, they are in charge of defining which acts and behaviors are correct or incorrect, according to the consequences that derive from them.
While the values are those that define the personality of each individual, they are in charge of establishing the behavior and the attributes learned to act and function in society.
types of principles
Each socially established norm is governed by basic principles that determine the acts that are allowed or that must be sanctioned, which are established according to the beliefs of each population. Therefore, below you will know the most outstanding:
Life
The most important principle and from which all the others derive, is that of life, this is because it is the first element for a society to exist, for this reason, it refers to the right to live and the duty to preserve the life, being one of the consolidated guidelines worldwide.
In this sense, the principle of life must be promoted to safeguard the emotional, physical, psychological and mental integrity of all individuals, also including the principle of equality, therefore, it is imperative that every human being can access health services. health, education and food.
Although, currently there are divided criteria regarding the legalization of the interruption of pregnancies (which are synonymous with life), these laws have certain characteristics that may be related to justified reasons, to stop the development of a life.
Of freedom
It is considered as a universal principle, acquired by all human beings from birth to death, therefore, it is a total obligation for society to respect individuality, beliefs and the free movement of people as long as they are legally free. .
On the other hand, freedom refers to the free choice of thought, worship and expression, on the condition that individuals know how to take charge of their actions when they violate any of the principles or laws established within their population.
of equality
Equality is one of the most controversial principles throughout human history, due to the differences that exist between thoughts rooted in not accepting diversity of gender, race, social class and even culture.
Therefore, this principle is part of mainly respecting the physical, ethnic or sexual conditions that each person possesses, which is why it has become one of the most important objectives to be achieved and instilled in the new generations within large societies. .
of humanity
Human rights were and are established to safeguard the physical, social and mental integrity of all human beings, therefore the principle of humanity refers to the protection that every individual should receive within a society.
Therefore, this principle is closely related to the preservation of the dignity of each person, as well as their recognition as a being who thinks, reasons and acts according to the interests they possess.
of morality
This principle refers to the norms, laws, statutes and beliefs that most societies establish to maintain balance and control the acts of each individual belonging to a particular population.
Also, the duties and rights that are determined by society and that must be fulfilled by its members, where union and respect prevail above all else, are known as the principles of morality.
Of goodness and evil
Kindness is a principle that refers to the execution of acts for the benefit of other people, is synonymous with social responsibility and is commonly used to solve a need or lack that some citizens have.
In contrast to the above, there is evil, which is the attitude that a person has to perform immoral, socially incorrect acts and thus harm other people, usually for their own benefit.
It is like this, as one principle is the opposite of the other, that is, good and evil, however, both are latent in every society, they are part of the decisions that each human being makes and are related to the level of training, development and education that each one possesses.
Value types
An essay published by the Center for Research in Social Sciences and Humanities of the Autonomous University of the State of Mexico , which highlights the contributions of the philosopher and essayist of Spanish origin José Ortega y Gasset , argues that all value has three dimensions.
In this sense, the author explains that values have quality, rank and class, ensuring that each era and each race has determined its own values, being assertive in some and making mistakes in others.
For this reason, below you will learn about the values that are taken into account today for the construction of a good society:
Moral
Moral values are the common characteristics and norms that all societies have, these can be acquired by the individual when he joins a population, but they are also transmitted between one generation and another that are established in the same society.
Therefore, these values are generally known as the traditions, beliefs and even attitudes that a society as a whole possesses, thus establishing its own moral laws.
Religious
These values are those learned by the religious beliefs that each individual possesses, therefore, they are considered as the behaviors, thoughts and actions that a person exercises as an act of devotion to sacred scriptures, demands by a particular religious deity.
Ethical
Ethical values refer to the behavior that every person has within the social group where they operate, the particularity of these values is that they are universally known and are learned during the training of each individual, such as respect, loyalty, honesty, among others.
Relatives
Beliefs, customs, political, religious and cultural conditions are taken as family values, that is, they are all those characteristics that are learned and strengthened within a family group, such as union and trust.
In this sense, the individual acquires the knowledge and execution of these values to later use them in their development within a society, however, there are poorly learned or socially unaccepted behaviors that are also learned within the family nucleus.
civics
These types of values are closely related to the beliefs that each society has and that are classified as positive and correct, such as cooperation and justice.
Therefore, they are considered as the behaviors and acts carried out by individuals in favor of maintaining the proper social and coexistence policies within a population, in general, civic values are behaviors learned by people who operate in a community. same society.
personnel
Personal values are all those personal traits that each individual acquires in order to have a better quality of life, be a better person and behave correctly within the society where they operate.
In turn, they are the characteristics that are developed in people according to their interests and life purposes, for their part, these values are mainly acquired from the closest example that the person has when they are being formed, thus being instilled mainly by the family.
In addition, personal values have the quality of being prioritized and taken into account as correct according to the beliefs and behavior of each individual.
Importance of principles and values in the human being
An essay published by the Education in Valores Magazine , from the University of Carabobo, Venezuela, affirms that the principles and values must be instilled as part of the education of every human being, this has as its main objective to promote and ensure the good behavior of the individual. as part of a society.
Although, there is a notable variation of attitudes among people who develop in societies with cultural purposes, religions and interests other than those that the general population is used to.
However, these values and principles can be adopted according to the interests and level of consciousness of each person, so their importance is fundamental both for the behavioral development of individuals and for the proper functioning and organization of a population or society. usually.
University Professional in the area of Human Resources, Postgraduate in Occupational Health and Hygiene of the Work Environment, 14 years of experience in the area of health. Interested in topics of Psychology, Occupational Health, and General Medicine.