Today I’m going to talk about why it doesn’t make sense to prioritize equity or freedom – or any other single value – above everything else.
Now don’t get me wrong.
Equity and freedom are important values.
But when you prioritize either of them above all other values, you blind yourself to the problems they may create.
As the social psychologist Jonathan Haidt argues,
“Any time you make something sacred, you make it impossible to talk about. You can’t criticize it, you can’t balance it against anything else.”
That’s a stifling environment.
Luckily, there’s another way, which begins with understanding trade-offs among values.
Let’s dive in.
Values are incommensurable
The philosopher Isaiah Berlin argued that values cannot be fully compared or ranked in a rational way.
He called them “incommensurable.”
In his words,
“There is no infallible method, nor indeed any conceivable method, of ranking in one series all the values that men may pursue.”
Makes sense when you think about it.
There’s no moral measuring tape.
Berlin’s assertion stems from his critique of values monism, which is a philosophical view that holds that there is a single fundamental value or principle that is at the heart of all moral and ethical decision-making.
At first, monism sounds simple-minded and silly.
Surely it’s impossible that every choice in our complex world could be reduced to one ultimate value, right?
But you hear people say just that all the time.
“Equity is the most important value and it drives all of our decisions.”
Or, equally simplistic:
“Freedom trumps all other values.”
According to values monists, all values and principles can be reduced to or derived from their one central value, and it serves as the foundation for all their moral judgments.
You hear things like,
“Diversity, fairness, and inclusion are really just subsets of equity.”
Or,
“Liberty, justice and equality – they’re actually just measures of freedom.”
But actually, each of these so-called sub-values is distinct, and there’s no easy way to balance among them.
They are naturally in conflict.
Pretending otherwise is just equivocation, a rhetorical sleight of hand.
To be clear, choosing one value sometimes means – by definition – that you can’t prioritize others.
Balancing trade-offs among multiple valid values
Let’s examine a less dogmatic approach.
Values pluralism is a philosophical view that holds that there are multiple, equally valid and important values that guide human behavior and decision-making.
In this view, there is no single overriding principle or value that can be used to guide all moral judgments, and different situations may require different values to be taken into consideration.
It’s an appreciation that different people have different values and apply them in different situations.
Sure, it’s heresy to monists.
But it’s much more in line with the complexity and diversity of human experiences and cultures.
We don’t all have to value the same things, and that’s OK.
Not relativism
Some may worry that by adopting values pluralism they’re succumbing to relativism.
But, they’re not the same thing.
Relativism is the view that there is no objective or universal truth, and that all knowledge, values, and beliefs are relative to the individual or culture that holds them.
Values pluralism, on the other hand, recognizes that there are multiple valid and important values, but it does not deny the existence of objective truth or universal moral principles.
Values pluralism also acknowledges that balancing among values necessarily involves trade-offs.
Since there’s no moral measuring tape, it’s more of an art than science.
But perhaps most importantly, in values pluralism there is still room for ethical evaluation and judgment, even when multiple values are taken into account.
For example, a pluralist might acknowledge that both equity and freedom are important values, but they might weigh them differently in different situations depending on the circumstances.
How to practice values pluralism
Here are three tips for avoiding values monism and embracing values pluralism:
- Cultivate empathy and understanding: Recognize that different people and groups have different values and priorities. To embrace this approach, it’s important to cultivate empathy and understanding for others, and to seek to understand their perspectives and experiences. This can involve listening actively to others, learning about different cultures and belief systems, and being open to new ideas and perspectives.
- Be aware of your own biases: It’s also important to be aware of your own biases and assumptions when it comes to values and moral judgments. Recognize that your own experiences, beliefs, and cultural background may influence your perceptions of what is right or wrong. By acknowledging and challenging your own biases, you can become more open to the perspectives of others and more willing to consider multiple values.
- Practice ethical reasoning and reflection: Engage in ethical reasoning and reflection, and to be willing to weigh multiple values and perspectives when making moral judgments. This can involve asking questions like: What values are at stake in this situation? What are the potential consequences of different courses of action? How do different values and perspectives intersect and interact with each other? By practicing ethical reasoning and reflection, you can become more comfortable with the complexity and nuance of moral decision-making and better equipped to navigate diverse and challenging ethical situations.
I hope this helps you navigate the minefield that values discussions have become over the last several years.
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See you next week.
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