Value Systems

"Even value systems can no longer be seen as stable over longer time spans." -- Horst Rittel (from "Decision Theory", trans. JP Protzen).

We all want certainty, don't we?
Some of us cling on to it desperately; some of us just want to play the odds.

I'm not really one who believes in a universal truth. I don't believe there's only one right way to describe the world.

But is there anything stable?
Value systems are tricky and difficult. Put to the test, value systems are situational.
So is there nothing universal?

I think there is something universal in human value systems, and that is life and respect for other humans. It's a great place to start. It's not a place that is entirely stable--how does one deal with a situation where any choice may lead to loss of life? But at the same time, it does seem like a value system that is fundamentally stable: even if we sometimes have to put aside our respect for life in moments of difficulty.

It seems to me that, while there may be no stability in the sense of an absolutely unshakeable, unalterable foundation on which to base a value system, there is a grounding that is as solid as the earth beneath our feet: which is to say that it's mostly solid, but sometimes it shifts around.

Wouldn't it be great if people built their value systems on the fundamental premise of respecting the life of others?