Human Values Around the World

In Ancient Greece and Rome, before human values faded, the Cardinal Virtues were Fortitude, Justice, Prudence, and Temperance. When Christianity replaced the Greco-Roman gods, the Cardinal Virtues were Faith, Hope, and Charity. This book encompasses all of the above and many more. It is broad in scope and tolerant in content and in moral intent. Most of the selections stem from the literatures of Western Europe, since most residents of the US are more familiar with these areas of European culture, but choices from literatures and folktales from a wide spectrum of cultures are not neglected. We believe that readers everywhere, no matter what their roots, can benefit from mutual understanding and what may best be described as intercultural harmony. These 52 human values are amply supplied with illustrative selections, so as to provide easy access to examples brief enough to be read in a few minutes. We have chosen selections which we believe will entertain and also instruct.