Abstract

The process of unification of the continent has become a stimulus for researches on fundamental values. In multinational societies these fundamental values cause that people unite to struggle for their common right. All social groups are concerned with these values and all groups should respect and defend them. Ignorance of fundamental values causes social alienation and depravation. In the article presented above, the level of recognition of fundamental values by High School students has been presented, on the example of one of the schools in Krosno in Podkarpacie Province in the years of 1996 and 1997. In the first point, the values recognized and postulated by students were presented, in the second one-realized values are described and in the third point a conflict in the area of fundamental values were analyzed. The analysis of the research shows that students recognize and prize these values, although they are not fully recognized. Most recognized values such as: freedom, religion and democracy need to be completed by students` own values as truth, justice and dignity of human being. The students usually are willing to defend human life, freedom, peace involving even the eagerness of devoting their own life. As far as the conflict between life and faith is concerned, the opinion of defending the faith is prevailing.