Value should be put in the right place, right time and right people.

The word

‘value’ comes from Latin word ‘valere’ which means to be worth or valuable1. There

is a research which explains a theory of axiology (‘value’ in Greek). The meaning of

axiology here is a research or a theory related to moral ethics2. In this context, John

Dewey said that value is assumed as an instrument which has the function to verify a

person’s expression such as to like and dislike people while interacting with their

social environment 3.

Furthermore, value is always related to the fact. Fact is assumed as a

situation or an objective characteristic.4 When the fact emerged, then the value

comes. That’s why, value can become a foundation, reason either motivation in

behaving when it is related with some situation, observation and event happened

with the person’s life.

Value has three characteristics (Bertens, 2001: 141). First, value is related

with the subject such as behavior, individual and the community. Second, value will

be shown after an action. Last, value concerns the subject’s character which is

added to the object’s character. Therefore, value has a role to guide someone to

decide either to choose also to considerate things in every condition and needs.

Next, value itself is related to the needs, such as economic value, cultural value,

social value, Pancasila value, etc and for sure, each perspective differs. 5 As a

student, we should keep Pancasila value where University Indonesia itself has the

rule about this. It is explained that at the first verse of Pancasila has the religious

1
Tim Revisi, Buku Ajar MPKT A, University of Indonesia, (2016): 11
2
https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/axiology
3
https://www.journals.uchicago.edu/doi/10.1086/286595
4
Tim Revisi, Buku Ajar MPKT A, University of Indonesia, (2016):11
5
Tim Revisi, Buku Ajar MPKT A, University of Indonesia, (2016): 12
value, the second has the value of humanity, the third has the value of unity, the

fourth has the value of democracy and the last has the value of justice.6

Beside Pancasila, University of Indonesia also has some values to be kept by

all of the members, such as honesty, just and fair, trust, dignity and respect,

accountability, togetherness, transparency, academic freedom and scientific

autonomy, and compliance to laws7. Plagiarism would be the example of the first

value, honesty. At the second value, just and fair, we should not discriminate each

other and start to develop our academic skills. The value trust is about being trusted

to do something and to be responsible for every task where this value is actually

related to the fifth value, accountability. Also, dignity value means we should respect

the rules and people surrounds us. Next, the value togetherness is the main identity

of this nation that we should keep this value tight with our soul.

In summary, value does really matter to our lives because it changes our

behavior, it is the heart of our cultures8 and we are valuable.

6
Tim Revisi, Buku Ajar MPKT A, University of Indonesia, (2016): 12
7
Tim Revisi, Buku Ajar MPKT A, University of Indonesia, (2016): 13
8 Gary Peterson, https://www.forbes.com/sites/garypeterson/2013/08/14/three-reasons-why-values-

matter-and-im-not-talking-the-money-kind/#6a48de821d93, 2013