KVE301/KVE401 Universal Human Values and Professional Ethics
Chapter 2: Self Exploration as the process of Value Education
Unit 1
Unit 2
Unit 3
Unit 4
Unit 5
Appendix
Content of Self Exploration
- The Desire/Goal: What is my (human) Desire/Goal?
- Program: What is my (human) program for fulfilling the desire?
The main focus of self-exploration is myself- the human being. Basically, it should dwell on the following two key questions:
- What do I really want in life, or what is the goal of human life?
- How to fulfill it? What is the program to actualize the above?
In short, the above two questions cover the whole domain of human aspirations and human endeavor. Thus, they form the content of self-exploration.
Process of Self Exploration
Whatever is being presented is a PROPOSAL.
- Don’t assume it to be true immediately, nor reject it without proper exploration.
- Verify it in your own right, on the basis of it being naturally acceptable to you,
- Not just on the basis of scriptures
- Not on the basis of equipment/instrument data
- Not on the basis of the assertion by other human beings.
Therefore, it is essential to carefully ponder over these on your own right. Neither accept these as true immediately nor reject them prematurely without proper exploration.
Don’t just accept/reject these only on the basis of the following:
- Because something like this/ different from this, has been mentioned in scriptures,
- Or, because it has been preached/ denied by some great men,
- Or, a large number of people possess such a view / a different view,
- Or it is claimed to have been verified through some physical instrument or, claimed that this is beyond the domain of verifiability by physical instruments.
Then what to do
- Verify on the basis of your natural acceptance
- Live accordingly to validate it experientially
- If the proposal is true in behavior with human leads to mutual happiness
- If the proposal is true in work with rest of the nature leads to mutual prosperity
- Results in realization and understanding
- On having realization and understanding we get
- Assurance
- Satisfaction
- Universality (Applies to all time space and individual)
Remember, it is a process of self-exploration, therefore, it has to be authenticated by us alone by means of verification at the level of natural acceptance and experiential validation. The process is shown in the diagram below:
Take an example: a proposal- ‘respect’ is a value in human relation. When I verify at the level of natural acceptance, I find that it is naturally acceptable to me. Similarly, when I behave with respect, it is mutually fulfilling to me and to the other.
Thus the proposal is ‘True’. If it fails on any of the two tests, it is untrue.
This verification leads to the realization of the truthfulness of the proposal and it becomes part and parcel of my understanding. It is reflected in my thoughts and in my behavior.
