From the Referential Pattern of Universal Values (RPUV) to a new Index of Human Development (HDI)

As Anatole France writes: "War begets wars and triumph leads to defeat" (The Rebellion of the Angels, ch. XXXV.

The first condition that a Reference Pattern of Values should satisfy is to present an acceptable theoretical dimensionalization. On the development and basic applications of the "Referential Pattern of Universal Values" (PRVU), can also be seen in F. Parra-Luna "An Axiological Systems Theory: Some Basic Hypotheses", in Systems Research and Behavioral Science, 00, 1–26 ( 2001).

For the anthropologist C. Kluckhohn, "value" is the reverse of the medal of "necessity" and hence the close identifying relationship established between these two concepts. See “Values and value orientations in the Theory of Action. In "T. Parsons and E. Shils: Theory of Social Action, Evanstons, Ill. 1951.

The operationalization of concepts in Sociology owes much to Paul Lazarsfeld. See "Des concepts aux indices empiriques", in Boudon, Raymond and Lazarsfeld, Paul, "Les vocabulaires des social sciences", Paris, Mouton, 1965.

Can be seen in AVANCES SISTÉMICOS (SESGE), num. 3, October 2018, page 7 et seq., A summary of the main international indexes published and their corresponding criticism based on the breach of three basic principles: "Purpose"; "Epistemological Totality" and "Transformative Maximization". On the other hand, and regarding its empirical content, a broader list of possible indicators can be seen in Parra Luna “A Score Card for Ethical Decision Making”, in Systems Research and Behavioral Science, Wiley, n. 25, (2008) where the following number of indicators are detailed for each “end-value” of Table 1: Health 3; Material Wealth 6; Security 20; Knowledge 18; Freedom 9; Distributive Justice 17; Conservation of Nature 7; Quality of Activities 15; and Moral Prestige 31. A total of 126 empirical indicators to quantitatively represent the PRVU. See also extensive lists of indicators in Caselles (2015).

When speaking of “human development”, either all the indicators that respond to this notion are used, or it is preferable not to use any. In general, it is always necessary to note that "human development" is understood only and exclusively, the indicators used on each occasion. There could be many "human developments" depending on the indicators used, hence the need to agree on an adequate PRVU.

The interval 0–100 should grant the "0" to theoretical minimum or the empirical minimum, as well as “100” may refer to the theoretical maximum or to the empirical maximum. In this way the scale takes on an interesting theoretical meaning and above all allows the comparability of levels in time and space.

The "Value Systems" should be as balanced as possible, that is, that the average deviation between the 0–100 levels reached by their indicators should be, in principle, as low as possible.

Theoretically Y = (Y (O) + Y (S))/2, where Y (O) are the objective outputs and Y (S) the subjective ones. The fact that the latter usually does not exist in the Human Development indices does not imply that they should not be included.

Througout this article, a starting hypothesis will be sustained: "A rich country that exports weapons of war to poor countries should not be called civilized.".

This exercise of "self-reflexivity" should not be confused with the constructivist tendency for a few decades that bases the facts held by scientists as a product of observing action. See Subjectivity and Cognitive Processes, 1 (1): 104–107; and also in New debates, new ideas and new practices in the social psychology of the ‘post-constructionist’ era. Athenea Digital, 8: 1–7.

The short reflection entitled “SALIR DERROTADO” (Exit Defeated)” can be seen in AVANCES SISTÉMCOS (SESGE), num, .1, 2018, p. 6.

The Seven Necessary Knowledge for the Education of the Future”, UNESCO, 1999.

Known is the apt phrase of Ortega y Gasset "I am me and my circumstance. See, for example, the circumstances of the Spanish economy in "Economía sin Valores, Quo Vadis", unpublished manuscript of the author, but obtainable upon request (parraluna3495@yahoo.es).

See the new developments on "Transhumanism." In TEMAS DEL QUIJOTE num. 7, March 2021.www.​CILMEQ

At least since Kuhn and his "Structure of scientific revolutions", science is a succession of knowledge as it is socially accepted at all times.

As seen in note 4 and the 126 indicators mentioned, these can be many, but a capital rule should be balancing the “expected product” with the “cost or effort to be made”; that is, having that the expression T = Y / X is always present, each insertion of a new indicator in "Y" (which may add little additional information, or else redouble it unnecessarily) may cause an increase in "X" so greater that it undesirably lowers the value of "T". It is, therefore, an ecological principle that in these times deserves to be taken into account, and this will affect the number of indicators to be included in the “Y” vector.

The well-known statement of H. Simon applies when he advises “not to be afraid to simplify, as there will be time to add complexities”. Which is precisely what is constantly put into practice in Systems Theory.

See “Des concepts aux indices empiriques (Boudon and Lazarsfeld 1965)., Les vocabulaires des sciences sociales, op cited..

What makes possible the integration of indicators of a heterogeneous nature (eg, adding “apples” with “trucks”), is achieved through the following formula applied, eg, by UNRISD (United Nations Institute for Social Development) to develop a new quantitative expression comparable to the others; Therefore,“Comparable quantity” = (current value-minimum value) / (maximum value-minimum value), which can be added or averaged directly, and if multiplied, applying logarithms.

The cascade of problems, both economic and social, derived from unemployment, can be seen in F. Parra-Luna, "Employment Policy and Social Welfare", Eudema, 1988.

Despite their conservative credentials, or precisely because of that, Bismarck (Germany), together with Lord Beveridge (England), were the creators in 1870 of the modern Social Security System in Europe, which would sometimes be labeled “socialism”for introducing an ambitious plan to protect workers against unfavorable circumstances (unemployment, illness, accidents, etc.), and was also proposed by President Roosevelt in the US seventy years later.

See introductions to the “ Model by Values- SETCU”in “ Resetting the Economy”, AVANCES SISTÉMICOS no., 11, pag. 3 to 32.

It is necessary to clarify that the “Outputs” of the social systems are both objective (by recording statistical facts) and subjective (by recording opinions). And since both are expressed in terms of 0–100, they can be added and averaged.

See modern trends in Systems Theory in Minati, G.F et al. "Towards a Post-BertalanffySystemics", Springer, 2016.

Ethics, since its founder Aristotle, studies good and evil and their relationships with morality and human behavior. In modern times, it would be seen as the set of rules of conduct that can be viewed from different positions: For example, for Hegel, these rules should come from three sources: the Family, the Society and the State, which in the end is not very different. of the proposal made here that defined Ethical Behavior as the difference between “duty” and “doing”, both depending on the Needs of the population “N”, on the opinion of the experts “E”, on the inputs (X), and also the realizations of the most significant Environment (€).These four dimensions are the moral strength of any social system.

The idea of "progress", or the desire to improve people's living conditions, although it is already in the Greek sophists (eg Protagoras), takes force in the world of modern ideas with the so-called "utopian socialism" (Moro, Campanella, Saint Simon, Owen, Fourier, and later Condorcet, Bentham, Comte, and so many others, from more scientific positions, until reaching Fuerbach, Marx and Engels, who take it with the radicality that the industrial age demanded Manchesteriana. Going to the present time and even proposing its quantification, a first introduction by the author can be seen in "La Mesure du Progress: quelques problems", in "Le Progress en question", Anthropos, 1978, which logically leads the author to contemplate the nine “end-values” of the PRVU to check progress in the “axiological profile” (Fig. 3).

Given the prevalence that is still observed over religious beliefs in the “developed” world, one of the most interesting applications of the PRVU would be to determine what role (beneficial, harmful or neutral) these beliefs would play on the level reached at what was achieved. length of the axiological profile "Y".

It is worth considering this “axiological profile” in reference to the ten most developed countries in Europe (our “sociological reference group) since Spain scores “ 0”in the values Material Wealth, Knowledge, Distributive Justice and Quality of Activities and yet it scores”100″ in the Freedom value. Such a dissonant imbalance deserves a deep analysis of our philosophical orientation as a society.

In any case, and on the basis of this new conception of the social system integrating the three rules used: epistemological (“value system); balancing (mean deviation of the "Y" vector) and reductive (exporting weapons), interesting results could arise from applications such as: a) discovering the "value systems" of any organization; b) Evaluate a management; c) Manage a conflict; d) Evaluate the interventions; e): Identify and solve a crisis. In all of them and in others, the “System of Values” “(Y); the mean deviation of its vector (dY); and the possible export of armaments (H) in some countries could be decisive.

See the description made by prof. Ian Stewart at www. "17 equations that changed the world." As should also change the two social equations that encourage to monitor and measure the "value systems" produced; its "internal imbalances" and the "export of armaments.".