Values relate to that which is good.
There are two kinds of good:
- Right: The correct thing to do; that which maximizes the happiness of everyone affected.
- Good: That which is desired; anticipated increase of happiness or pleasure for the chooser.
Right exists independent of being chosen. It exists as a possibility for action in every context, and is always context-specific (particular). Wrong exists in the same way, as a possibility for action in a specific context. It also always particular, but is manifold (there are always many wrong possibilities for action in any specific context).
Righteousness is real only when an agent chooses and does what is right. Evil exists only when an agent chooses and does what is wrong.
Good is a possibility considered for choice by an agent.
- Best (or better) is what is actually chosen.
- Bad is what is not even considered.
Good is always personal and specific to a given choosing situation.
Righteousness exists only when the right is best (the greatest good) in the eyes of an agent who then does what is right. (For righteous beings, their good is always and only what is right.)
Evil is the substitution of personal good (better or best) for what is right in any choosing situation.
Values are goods chosen by agents. But values are always universals. Goods are always particulars. Therefore values are fictional, non-existent entities. What is real is only choosing, the particular historic choice of an individual in a specific situation.
Choosings in real historic situations are always and inevitably spiritual options. One will either choose his own selfish good (aided and abetted by the evil spirit), or will choose as his good what is right (necessarily assisted by either the Light of Christ or by the Holy Ghost, for Jesus Christ is the sole fountain of righteousness).
What the world calls values turn out to be just the habits of choosing of an individual. Values are invented and used as a concept by the world to hide the reality of spiritual choice between good (right) and evil (selfish desire). The pretense is that one simply has values and chooses accordingly with no personal responsibility involved. Therefore, according to this thinking, the way to cure evil in the world is to program better values (the values of those in power) into people.
Thus language is used to mask reality (to lie) and to get people to believe in that which does not exist (values) so that they will both be manipulable (through propaganda) and non-culpable (ersatz sanity by denial of conscience, which witnesses of good and evil).
But real sanity comes only in choosing right (Christ) in every situation.