Your Values Are a Hallucination

The Materialist Case for Ending Moral Abstraction Human beings speak about values as if they were eternal stars suspended above history. Love, honesty, justice, loyalty, compassion—these concepts are treated as universal truths that exist independently of human behavior. Even when societies fail to embody them, people still imagine these virtues as perfect ideals floating somewhere beyond material reality. But this understanding of morality rests on a profound illusion. What we call “values” are not eternal truths waiting to be discovered. They are not sacred metaphysical entities hovering above humanity. They exist only through material practice. Love does not exist unless someone performs loving acts. Justice does not exist unless systems materially reduce harm or restore balance. Honesty does not exist outside moments of truthful conduct. The abstraction of morality allows people to emotionally identify with virtues they never materially practice. This creates a dangerou…