Traditional Culture Encyclopedia - Traditional festivals - What are some of the aspects of the value base of traditional western culture

What are some of the aspects of the value base of traditional western culture

There are at least four sources of value centers in Western societies: (1) the teachings of Christianity and its concepts of the integrative value of mankind and its responsibility to its neighbors; (2) the concept of democracy, which emphasizes the equality of all men and their right to "live in liberty and the pursuit of happiness;" (3) the Protestant ethic, which stresses that individuality is everything, and that the environment is worthless. is worthless, that a moral gentleman is a hard-working person with an independent personality, and that the pursuit of enjoyment is a sin; and (4) the dogma of Social Darwinism, which emphasizes that the mechanism of superiority and inferiority in the process of natural evolution creates strong individuals and societies.

The prescription of these values fully reflects the cultural characteristics of Western society. Although Western countries also emphasize the individual's responsibility to society and to others, the individual is seen as the core of the value system. The responsibility of society is to help the individual to obtain a satisfactory and happy life, and to provide conditions for the realization of personal values. The individual, of course, becomes the core of social work's values. However, social work, as a helping profession, has every member of society as its object of concern. Therefore, the social needs of each member of society for each other must reach a balance, a balance that is compatible with the level of social development.

The so-called balance of needs among the members of society contains three meanings: first, when individuals make their own needs satisfied, they must not infringe on the interests of others; second, every individual has the obligation to help others to realize themselves; third, the balance of needs among the members of society must be compatible with the level of social development. Once a need arises that exceeds the range of resources that society can provide, it would be detrimental to the public interest if it were to be realized. Therefore, the realization of each individual's value is realized in a limited way, not in an unlimited way. Otherwise the realization of one person's value would be at the expense of others. And to the detriment of others.