Abstract

The question concerning the general nature of value and in particular the nature of human intrinsic goodness has interested thinkers throughout history. An exact definition of goodness in general, as opposed to definitions based on specific instances of goodness, is nowhere to be found before the writings of Robert S. Hartman. In his primary work, The Structure of Value, Hartman takes a great step forward in value theory, articulating the first logical definition of goodness as the axiomatic core of a science of value, formal axiology. Hartman gives us a clear formal method for the objective understanding of specific values, but he did not work out the universal forms of value emphasis original to consciousness of the world or self, the source of valuation. For a general science of value applicable to the complex of all values in the world, the universal structures of the self must be achieved. This essay investigates the deeper nature of value and valuation in the constituting valuing subject in an attempt to establish the transcendental ground for formal value science such that axiology can become a disciplined practice. ;In this essay on the formal and transcendental aspects of man as a valuing subject, the primary method employed is that of phenomenological analysis. The focus of this analysis explores Hartman's assertion that the notion of intrinsic value can be understood as the complete fulfillment of intentionality, thereby converting phenomenology into axiology. This notion is pursued herein in intricate detail, achieving a rational, transcendental ground for a general science of value capable of ordering the values of any possible world. ;In the last section of the essay, this system of formal and transcendental axiology is applied to persons, as treated in the theory and practice of psychology. This application to psychology is termed "axiological psychology" based on its capability to introduce systematic order to the complex of different value emphases in the general field of psychology. Also covered in detail is the generation of a complex typology of the person, based on habits of value judgement, which is shown to have potential benefit for psychological and medical diagnosis and therapy