[Silver Incubus]

If the 'ends' are what determines values and there is more then one value that can create the end, what is the most productive value to reach that end? Generally I think values come in a few different ways. The first and most changeable is Authoritarian values such as religion and laws. These are set by others and are intended to be followed. The next set are personal values, still possibly influenced by the Authoritarian/societal norms, but are harder to change because the person came to those values based on personal experience. The third set of values are determined through logical debate(much like is going on here) and they tend to be the hardest to accept because they may directly be in opposition to what you have either experience or have been told by members of authority. I think values are really tested in the most extreme situations where the common everyday events do not apply. Such as cannibalism to survive when the plane crashes in a mountain. I'm finding that values that tend to go towards a more naturalistic sense(survival, happiness of yourself and loved ones) are the more valid ones. Those ends can be justified by your ability to live. I mean what good are having values that get you killed? Unless of course your values determine that the greater good of humanity is more important than the good of a few, aka utilitarianism. I know for many people it is hard to change values because they are hard wired in your brain from when you are a child by your parents and other forms of authority and being able to step outside of your own values and ends to see how and what they are determined from is very useful in doing some in-mind housekeeping of junk values that are baseless, ignorant, and possibly harmful in one way or another.

Sorry for the rant, I'm sure I just said nothing new.