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Chapter 4, Main values
A value is a thing or behaviour that is seen as important by a large group of people. The laws in our
country are based on four of these values. Therefore, we call these four values the main values. The
main values are: freedom, equality, democracy and tolerance.
Section 1, Freedom
a. There are two kinds of freedom:
1. freedom from oppression
2. freedom to make decisions.
b. Freedom has its limits and these limits are hard to define. Therefore, it is important to take
into consideration:
1. good manners
2. someone else’s needs
3. someone else’s freedom
4. the other main values
c. Everyone has to bear responsibility, so everyone has to be able to justify his/her behaviour.
Section 2, Equality
a. As you learned in chapter 2, everyone is unique. And although everyone is unique, everyone
is also equal.
b. And although everyone is equal, everyone has different needs. A good understanding of the
word discrimination is in this case important. Discrimination means literally making
distinguishes. Distinguishes can be made in two ways:
1. in a good way, this means that you take into consideration the differences between
people, because all people are unique
2. in a bad way, this means that you consider people/a group of people inferior. This can
have different reasons such as of the colour of their skin, their religion, sexual
preferences, their sex.
Section 3, Democracy
a. Democracy is a Greek word, meaning ‘power to the people’. The Netherlands is a democracy,
because:
1. we have the right to vote and there are elections
2. we are able to make known our opinions via a protest march, a letter to the editor of a
newspaper, have a talk to a member of Parliament, have a talk to the city councillor,
have a talk to the principal, etc.
b. In a true democracy the majority has to respect the interests of the minority.
Section 4, Tolerance
a. Tolerance means the acceptation that people act and behave different.
b. The question is whether we have to tolerate everything. The answer is no, because there are
limits. The limits are the other main values. In cases freedom, equality or democracy are in
danger we have to stand up and raise our voices.
Chapter 4, Main values _ BC Broekhin, Margot Maassen