Miracles of Motivation and Guarantors of Paralysis. What Do Values Have? What Do They Do?

This chapter, titled “Miracles of Motivation and Guarantors of Paralysis: What Do Values Have? What Do They Do?” delves into the intricate nature of values and their role in shaping human behavior. The chapter challenges the idea that values are merely abstract concepts that shape individuals in a deterministic manner. It explores contrasting viewpoints from the political and sociological perspectives, highlighting the tension between values as motivators and values as impotent forces. The chapter examines how values can both motivate and paralyze action, with emphasis on the complex interplay between values, actions, and emotions. It contemplates whether values derive their motivating power from lack or surplus, and whether they function as self-verification mechanisms or triggers for guilt. The discourse delves into the intertwined relationships between values, conscience, debt, and modern morality, ultimately questioning the impact of values on individual and societal dynamics in a world of evolving economic and moral landscapes.