Actuarial values

This paper seeks to identify the characteristic values implicit in contemporary actuarial

thought and practice. ‘Values’ is used here to mean fundamental concepts which we

use, largely intuitively, to guide our patterns of thought and behaviour. We consider to

what extent these values are characteristic simply because actuarial work attracts

individuals who already subscribe to them, and to what extent these values may be

inculcated by actuarial training. We then consider whether the characteristic values we

have identified are congruent with the changing values of wider society, and whether

they are likely to be conducive to the continuing success of the profession in the 21st

century.