Lecture I

Value as a Scientific Object

Abstract

In this lecture, Hartman argued that beginning with the Renaissance era, "natural philosophy" was separated from philosophy by creating and applying mathematics to their empirical subject matter, thereby evolving into real natural sciences like physics and chemistry. Unfortunately, there has been no parallel development in moral philosophy or in value theory, axiology, more generally. Because values are not empirical objects, ethics (and other value disciplines) must become formal sciences that address their subject matter their own logic, and discern and apply their own formal patterns. When completed, this will become the Science of Formal Axiology, which Hartman says he will begin to develop in subsequent lectures.