Values are good things only if they are good values.

Michael Josephson (often cited as Michael S. Josephson) is an American lawyer and ethics educator best known for founding the Josephson Institute of Ethics and for popularizing practical, character-based ethics training in schools, sports, and workplaces. The line “Values are good things only if they are good values” reflects a recurring theme in his public talks and educational materials: that “values” as a concept are morally neutral until evaluated. In late-20th- and early-21st-century American ethics discourse, “values” language was frequently used in politics and education; Josephson’s formulation pushes back against treating any sincerely held preference as automatically virtuous.

The quote draws a sharp distinction between having “values” and having ethically sound values. Josephson argues that commitment, sincerity, or cultural popularity does not make a value admirable; values must be judged by moral criteria such as honesty, fairness, responsibility, respect, and compassion. The statement also critiques relativism and empty “values talk,” where the word is used to confer legitimacy without scrutiny. In practice, it urges individuals and institutions to examine what they prize and why, and to recognize that some “values” (e.g., loyalty to a corrupt group, greed, prejudice) can be harmful. Ethical character, on this view, requires evaluation and choice, not mere preference.