Milton Rokeach The Nature Of Human Values 1973 |top| May 2026
Then do the same for the 18 Instrumental Values.
But here’s where Rokeach broke new ground. He argued that all human values can be organized into just and 36 total values . The Two Types of Values Rokeach divided values into two distinct families: milton rokeach the nature of human values 1973
Why ranking? Because Rokeach understood that values are comparative. You can’t truly know what you value most until you are forced to choose. Do you value “Freedom” over “Equality”? “Self-Respect” over “Social Recognition”? The ranking reveals your true hierarchy. 1. The Stability Paradox Rokeach found that while instrumental values (like being polite or clean) could change with social pressure, terminal values (like salvation or self-respect) were remarkably stable across adulthood. Your destination changes slowly; your daily driving habits might shift more often. Then do the same for the 18 Instrumental Values
In other words, a value isn’t just a preference (like “I like chocolate”). It’s a conviction that one way of living is better than another. The Two Types of Values Rokeach divided values
Because as he wrote in the closing pages of The Nature of Human Values : “To understand a man’s values is to understand the man.”
