This chapter develops the conceptual tools and a theoretical approach for determining the basic societal values. The starting point is the idea developed by Max Weber of sociology as a science of reality. Its basic principles are that social action is to be understood both interpretively and statistically-causally. The method for this is situation analysis (Popper), which must always explain action from the logic of a situation as it presents itself in the eyes of the actors. In this context, values play a central role as guiding perspectives. As elements of World 3, the world of ideas (Popper), ideas always persist once they have been put into the world. A concretization of the Weberian approach is represented by historical sociology, for which typification, determination of causal factors in social processes, and path dependency represent basic principles. On this basis, four types of social laws can be distinguished: universal (bio-)social laws, social structural laws, sociological laws, and societal laws. An important implication of this approach is that there is no sharp contrast between interests and values (Mead). Rather, basic societal values can be defined as intersections between basic needs and societal functional principles (common good); as values, those interests are particularly recognized which concern basic social needs, needs and interests of socially weak groups, and overall societal functional requirements.