Values and norms

Themes

Values and norms

What is this about?

Values are important beliefs or ideals of a person in a community, serving as a motivation for action. Norms are action-guiding rules. The difference between a value and a norm is that a value is general, referring to an overall ideal, whereas a norm is concrete, specifying certain things that have to be done (or omitted). Values can be operationalized in specifying norms; norms refer to and are justified by underlying values.

Why is this important?

In codes of conduct for scientific research, the concepts of values and norms are often used interchangeably. Yet, it is crucial to distinguish between the two concepts (1, 2). Values are general ideals. They underlie norms, which are action-guiding rules. There are three kinds of such rules: permissions, orders or commands, and prohibitions. Values show what persons and communities hold as important, norms say what has to be done, in order to realize values. Without a reference to underlying values, rules lack motivation and justification. Without corresponding norms, values lack specification and concrete direction.

Values and norms can be formal (that is: explicitly formulated) or informal (that is: implicitly assumed). Often, when values are discussed, corresponding norms are not explicitly mentioned. On the other hand, when norms are posed, the underlying values often remain implicit. Yet it is important to be aware of the concrete action-guiding rules envisaged when a certain value is mentioned, and of the general ideal behind a specific norm. An important aim of moral reflection is to provide such clarifications.

For whom is this important?

phd students

The Embassy Editorial team, Iris Lechner, Hannele Pitkänen, Guy Widdershoven, Jan Helge Solbak contributed to this theme. Latest contribution was Mar 25, 2021

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