Chapter 1 Politicla And Economic Systems

Chapter One:
Values and Political and Economic Systems

What is an ideology and why is it important?

World events such as riots and demonstrations often occur quite unexpectedly. Although the world is constantly changing, and it s obviously impossible to forecast the future accurately, an understanding of the past can help us make sense of world events. It is also important to be able toplace changing events into proper perspective.

This broad and important field of study is inevitably laden with controversy – in fact, disagreement and controversy are the very essence of politics and economics. Inflation, elections, taxes, and welfare policies are only a few controversial topics. The most brilliant minds in the world have wrestled with these subjects and have been unable toagree on all answers. This means that individuals must decide for themselves.


FACTS AND VALUES:

Life is not a simple choice between good and bad alternatives. If each dilemma or problem could be solved by referring only to facts, then it would be a relatively simple task to resolve conflicts of opinion. In that case, only a lack of knowledge on one or both sides could cause a differenceof opinion. Yet we know that this is no always the case. A group of people can be given identical information and still arrive at different conclusions. Some of your classmates, for example, are very concerned about the environment, whereas others are not. Varying opinions often result from different values held by each individual. Values are fundamental ideas about what is important inlife. They are the standards of conduct that cause people or groups to think and act in certain ways. Although we might disagree about what the ‘facts’ are in a situation, a fact is simply ‘what is’, whereas a value is a deeply held conviction or belief. As people encounter new and different places, ideas, and people, their values are constantly tested and shaped. Over time, major value changesare less likely to occur. A disagreement over facts can be resolved on the basis of concrete evidence, but a dispute over values is much more difficult to settle. Three examples illustrate the problem.
• Cali is a beautiful city.
• Uribe is a great president.
• Lance Armstrong was the world’s greatest athlete.

These three statements combine fact and value judgments. It ispossible to verify the factual statements: Cali is a city; Uribe is the President of Colombia; Lance Armstrong was an athlete. The words ‘beautiful,’ ‘great’, and ‘best’ however, are value-laden terms – what exactly do they mean? Is the whole city of Cali beautiful, or just parts of it? Are skyscrapers and large apartment buildings beautiful, or do they signify crowded living conditions? Iseverything that Uribe does great? Do his policies benefit everyone? Is it possible to compare athletes from one sport to athletes from another sport? Value-laden statements are almost impossible to ‘prove’. To many Colombians who want an end to civil violence, Uribe is great because of his increased pressure on guerrillas and paramilitaries. To many students his policies are too harsh and violatetheir freedoms. A person living in Bogotá might not think Cali is beautiful because of the rivalry between the two cities.

Since it is impossible not to make value judgments, it is important to know and understand your own values and to ensure that your conclusions are grounded on a solid base of information. If you think that natural areas are beautiful, you can support your belief that Cali isbeautiful by referring to its valley location between two mountain ranges or to the lush greenery throughout the city. It is also essential that you examine other people’s values and opinions with an open mind. When faced with different choices, people react with selections that vary largely because they possess different values. It seems inconceivable that only one religion, one country,...