Axiology Primer

Axiology - allowing your roots to grow deeper

gwoods@thevaluesourcegroup.com — Mon, 20 Oct 2008 01:40:45 GMT

Paradigm Shifts

Before we approach the details of axiological science which involves a major paradigm shift, we need to reflect on what it means to us to make such a paradigm shift.

What is a paradigm? A paradigm is the exemplary model for truth and knowledge. Paradigms are the pre-logical foundations of legitimate knowledge. A paradigm contains all our basic assumptions for truth and knowledge. So, you say we need to experience a paradigm shift to understand axiology? Yes, indeed, if the shift is not made, you will probably not open up your receptivity to understand axiology.

In the past, during the Middle Ages, we had a mono-polar paradigm based on the infallible pronouncements of the Pope and the Church. There was no questioning the Pope’s authority. He said so and so, and that was the end of the matter. This was a monarchist kind of rule, and many monarchs/dictators have the same authority paradigm - enforced with power.

This more or less collapsed in the western world on the emergence of analytical reason with the discoveries and writings of Galileo and Copernicus. Rene Descartes (the 16^th century philosopher/mathematician who created analytic geometry) brought this bi-polar model to near universal acceptance with the mind / body dualism. These dualistic models are widespread today with all kinds of opposites such as: light-dark; hot-cold; rich-poor; good-bad; friendly-hostile; industrious-lazy; men are from Mars – women are from Venus, etc.

OK, so you say you want to grow your branches higher, become more successful, more fulfilled. Are you really serious? Are you willing to work hard to grow these branches? If so, you will also have to grow your roots deeper to support the new height and weight of the expanded growth – otherwise it will topple over. Axiology has a formal, logical foundation that allows your roots to grow very deep. Axiology is easy to understand if you allow the determination to well up in you to grasp it. You have to be determined to send your roots deeper, against all obstacles - the rocks and debris that may be in your way.

Why would you do this? You will be different – you will lose many familiar parts of your former self. Many people are afraid of letting go of the familiar, most of us don’t like change – even positive change causes stress. There is no reason for this fear – the only person you are going to meet on this new journey is your own self. There is every reason to be enthusiastic and joyous about it – embrace it for it is the real you, your deeper authentic Self.

Axiology makes a paradigm shift from two to three dimensions of value. Think about this - reflect on it. What does this mean?

What this means is that an additional dimension has been added to the common two dimensions that we are all familiar with. This dimension is the continuum and it is finally recognized and accepted as a third source of truth and knowledge. Of course, it is not just the continuum per se, as a factual phenomenon, but the continuum with the definite structure of axiology. The object is no longer merely out in front of you, absolutely separated from you as an external “thing” - not a part of you in any sense. With Axiology, you can and will merge with the object in the continuum – and this merger can be done in stages (also defined within the axiological framework).

This brings us to the core of this paradigm shift: a formal structure of the continuum. This discussion is unprecedented in history. There has never been a science of value with the authority and legitimation of logic and mathematics that allows us to calculate preferences and choices. The logic structure of the continuum begins with a very rich infinity – not just linear, as in an open-ended pattern of successive numbers, but in every direction. In contemporary mathematics, we have a discipline that deals with the size of infinities and has rules for calculating choice functions within various size infinities. It is called transfinite mathematics. It is a special sector within “axiomatic set theory.”

This large infinity, labeled ALEPH 1 (À₁) captures the systemic nature of the continuum, and it contains everything from loving your spouse, children and friends to your devotion to God. The large infinity has two main subsets. The first subset walled off from the universal, eternal continuum is tangible, material things. We can focus on and isolate a thing that we can see, feel and touch. That isolated or compartmentalized focus also has a structure within the À₁. It is designated as a lesser infinity, designated ALEPH 0 (À₀), a finite, definite cognitive identifier at the front end of an open-ended set that has an indefinite “non-ending.” This formal structure contains all stationary things and moving things such as projects, processes, actions, appearances, improvements, etc. The movement itself belongs to the larger, universal continuum, but the things in motion belong to the smaller infinity.

There is another subset of the smaller, material infinity: the least number of properties for precision and identification. This systemic set is not infinite in any sense, but a definite concept closed on both ends. This is for efficiency of meaning-identify for systematizing and definite ordering of the world we live in – so that we can successfully cope with our world. This is the area of thinking, planning, accumulated past knowledge, social order through the law, rules, regulations, policies, etc.

Axiology takes advantage of these deep structures or dimensions of reality. We have À₁ as the structure of intrinsic value with singularity and uniqueness. Within the broad scope of intrinsic value, we also have À₀, the structure of extrinsic value with all the comparisons and differences among various things, processes and actions. Finally we have the knowledge and thinking area, designated by “n,” a definite number of properties called systemic value, the minimum number possible for speed and efficiency of language and communications.

A common way to understand these three dimensions of reality is:

* Spiritual (intrinsic value)

* Material (extrinsic value),

* Rational (systemic value).

What is Axiology and what is it used for?

gwoods@thevaluesourcegroup.com — Mon, 20 Oct 2008 01:22:50 GMT

Let us begin with common questions and answers about Axiology.

1. Q: What is axiology?

A: Short answer: It is the name for “value theory.”

2. Q: What is the domain of axiology that sets it apart from other subject matters?

A.a: The world is full of facts, and some of these given facts are already values (it is a fact that “x” is a widely held value). Axiology is the ordering system of how we make these facts meaningful. The actual values we deal with are all factually finite, but often one or more of the dimensions can be emphasized (valued) as infinite, as in a love relationship, although it is factually finite, eventually coming to an end in time. This illustrates the difference between value and fact. I can value my beloved infinitely, but factually, not. Fact is the foundation of value. Without a real, tangible, factual world, there would be no value.

A.b: The domain of axiology was historically one of the five main branches of philosophy. The five branches are listed below with the subjects they address.

1. ontology (what is),

2. metaphysics (what is the ultimate reality),

3. Logic (the structure of order)

4. epistemology (how do we know), and

5. axiology (what is good) – axiology is important since it includes ethics (how to best treat others) and also aesthetics (what is beauty).

3. Q: What is the main focus of axiology?

A: Axiology is a discipline that focuses on meaning – on significance. Value = meaning in axiology. Identifying meaning requires judgment of what is - versus what ought to be or could be.

4. Q: What is the difference between general axiology and “formal” axiology?

A: “Formal” axiology is the logic framework that takes the subject out of philosophy and into science. All genuine sciences have a formalism (symbolic means of calculation) of some kind. For axiology to emerge out of philosophy and into the realm of science, it had to develop a formal structure for its knowledge claims. In the pre-scientific stage, axiology had epistemological (knowledge) claims, but only anecdotal or statistical evidence to justify these claims. A formal structure allows for verification of knowledge claims – from the “term” concepts alone, without empirical evidence. The formalism actually illuminates the empirical evidence and provides system and order to it. The formalism for axiology was developed by Robert S. Hartman in his main work, The Structure of Value.

5. Q: What are the three basic forms of value (meaning) in axiology?

A: It all unfolds from an axiom of value is based on concept fulfillment. Robert S. Hartman’s axiom of value is: a thing has value to the degree it fulfills its concept. There are three basic kinds of concepts. The kinds of concepts are synthetic, analytic, and singular. In formal axiology, the three kinds of concepts (when fulfilled) correspond to three value dimensions: systemic, extrinsic, and intrinsic.

6. Q: Do concepts have to be fulfilled by objects to obtain value?

A: Yes, axiology measures fulfillment. The fulfillment of a synthetic concept is systemic value. The fulfillment of an analytic concept is extrinsic value. The fulfillment of a singular concept is intrinsic value.

7. Q: What is the Hartman Value Profile & other axiological profiles such as the Pro-Sports Profile™?

A: In the axiological assessments, we get a schematic of how a person judges world values and how they judge the value of their own selves. The HVP & HVP parallel forms for special interest groups are 36 item forced ranking value judgment assessments – 18 items representing key values in the contextual world and 18 items representing key values of self-appreciation. The best scores indicate fulfillment and poor or weak scores indicate the lack of fulfillment.

8. Q: How do the assessments measure fulfillment?

A: The HVP and its parallel forms such as the Pro-Sports Profile™ provide a scientific determination of what a person’s judgment habits are like now. In the HVP program the essence of the assessment is captured in the “Values Scan” page depicting six basic dimensions.

the systemic dimension (S) is characterized as a “structural” or “system & order judgment.” When applied to self appreciation, it is termed “self-identity.”

The extrinsic dimension (E) is characterized as “external” or “economic and social understanding.” When applied to self-appreciation, this is characterized as personal “role engagement” or involvement. The intrinsic dimension (I) is characterized as “inter-personal,” or “understanding others.” When applied to self-appreciation, it is termed “intra-subjective” or “intuitive sense of self-worth.” These six categories (among many other combinations) can be used to measure employability when mapped into the specifications of a given job.

9. Q: How does the Profile information help a person improve?

A: The three dimensions live together in our common life world. People relate to the three dimensions in terms of emphasis which can ebb and flow throughout the day. The system of axiology then provides the tools for determining what ought to be and the direction to take to get closer to the best or the ideal state of affairs through changing the person’s focus or changing what they emphasize. There is a hierarchy of richness among the dimensions that we can follow for self-development and self-improvement. The systemic dimension is finite and always precedes the others. The systemic provides the foundation: it is the constructed definition or language label for anything and everything. The extrinsic dimension compares the object to its class or to other objects. The Extrinsic is a countable infinite structure like the natural numbers, open-ended on one end and follows the systemic in its status as the next richest successor. The intrinsic dimension fits a unique object and it holistic in its range. The intrinsic dimension is open-ended at both ends and has the richest potential for growth and development including the spiritual. The intrinsic is the final step toward complete fulfillment for persons.

10. Q: What is the logical relationship among the three axiological dimensions?

A: Intrinsic value contains the other two dimensions as subsets. Extrinsic value is a subset of intrinsic value, and systemic value is a subset of extrinsic value. This may be clearer in an analogy to buckets. The intrinsic bucket contains all smaller buckets because intrinsic value is equivalent to the continuum. The continuum of existence contains everything. The buckets that segment the continuum are very large.

The intrinsic is the largest container, the extrinsic is the next largest including material objects that define a certain space, and the systemic is the smallest such as words that are created by humans to order and systematize the world. The logical relationship of size is: I > E > S. This is from the systemic or definitional point of view.

However, from the point of view of the intrinsic eternal, everything can be understood as equal, and the logical relationship among the dimensional segments changes to I = E = S.

From the extrinsic point of view, emphasizing class membership, we introduce the concept of subsets, indicated by the symbol “Î.” Then, the qualitative dimensions have the logical relationship, S Î E Î I.

11. Q: If axiology is a science, can you give me an example of an axiological law?

A: An axiological law to write down and repeat often: Anything that is not good ought to be good; anything that is good ought to be better.