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+2 votes
I personally reject the idea of morals, but are values the same? Do Anarchists reject the idea of values?
by (380 points)
Depends on how you define "values", I think.

I could say that I, as a person, recognize certain things as being consistently and universally undesirable for myself (and/or the environment I inhabit), and that could be interpreted as having a sense of "values", and I don't think that's inconsistent with being an anarchist - in fact it's probably necessary.

But maybe that terminology might be loaded with connections to morality, social norms, etc?

Not making this an answer since I don't know that it comes to much of a conclusion.
I appreciate your input. I often struggle with trying to separate the two.

if you struggle with trying to separate them because it's hard to tell when you value something because you do, and when you seem to value something because other people have told you to, then i think that's a common problem, especially when we're trying to figure out who we are.

i do think that gets easier as you get older. for example at a certain age i just decided that i would never be pure, and that i do care about things i have been told to care about (superficial example -- i still recycle, even knowing that it makes no difference). then it can be good to have friends who laugh at me. :D (also, even though these things may be remnants of a morality, they can also be symbolically meaningful to me for other reasons...)  anyway, yea, a complicated thing--which is also why so many people are moralist without recognizing it.

while the term "value" can be way overloaded (and even vague), i have no problem identifying things that i "value". as dot alludes to, there may always be questions about *why* i value something: is it authentically my own value? has it been imposed on me by others/society? and if the latter, does that mean it is not, or cannot be(come) my own?

for me, there seems to be a direct connection between what i value and my desires. my desires impact my values (and vice versa?). morals, on the other hand (as i understand them), would seem more related to fears and guilt than desires.

just my quick thoughts.
To facilitate conversation, I'd like to offer these definitions and distinctions between morals, values, and ethics.  I paraphrased them from results of a web search, and chose them because they're short and easy to read.

Values are individual or personal standards of what is important.

Morals are generally accepted standards of what is important.

Ethics are standards of behavior, either individual or for a group.

So, values are the individual judgments, morals are the group consensus/acquiescence judgments, and ethics are the rules that reflect and help implement judgments.

Just a suggestion, naturally. Define as ye will.

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