Philosophy of Humanity

Ethics (Moral Philosophy)

Axiology

Closely related to moral philosophy is another branch of philosophy—axiology. The term derives from the Greek "αξία" (value), making axiology the philosophical theory of values. The question of values first arose in ancient philosophy, primarily concerning moral values as a complex of motivations behind moral actions. A value is what people strive for; no one will exert effort to achieve something unless it holds value for them. Thus, value is what motivates action. Different situations present different values: for a hungry person, a piece of bread is valuable; for someone who loves their homeland, their native land holds value; for a businessperson, financial or social capital is valuable. These values stimulate specific actions, which can be evaluated from a moral perspective. Philosophers intrigued by the problem of values, or axiology, have questioned the nature of values. In other words, the primary issue of axiology has been the nature of the values that motivate human behavior and for which people act.

In seeking answers to these questions, philosophers have divided into two groups. The first group asserts that besides temporal and relative values, there are also eternal and immutable values. These are the criteria for goodness in ethics and beauty in aesthetics. Plato, for instance, adhered to this axiology, believing that the world reflects eternal ideas, with the highest idea realized in all things being the Good. The Good embodies the highest ideal of moral goodness and aesthetic beauty, serving as an absolute value that gives meaning to everything else. In Christianity, God is the creator of absolute values. The recognition of absolute values is the highest form of justifying morality and evaluating human actions. Only from the perspective of eternal and immutable values can one assess a moral action. The second group of philosophers argues that eternal and immutable values do not exist. According to their beliefs, values arise and vanish under the influence of external factors. Proponents of axiological relativism can be categorized based on what they consider to be the defining factors in the formation of values. Thus, among axiological relativists, one can distinguish adherents of psychological relativism, cultural-historical relativism, sociological relativism, and other directions.

By the end of the 19th century, the theory of values had emerged as a distinct philosophical discipline—axiology. The term was first used by the German philosopher Karl Robert Eduard von Hartmann (1842-1906) in 1887. Since then, although axiology remains closely linked with ethics and aesthetics, it has developed independently. The main theme around which discussion in this field revolves is the problem of the nature of values, specifically the question of whether absolute values exist.