Five Lectures on Formal Axiology

Robert S. Hartman, PhD [1910-1973] was learned in a variety of fields. He was a philosopher, business consultant, writer, activist, economist, ethicist, and mathematician. His lifelong quest was to answer the question, "What is good?" When, at last, he found an answer, he articulated it in his theory of human values known as formal axiology. His goal was to organize goodness in such a way as to help preserve and enhance the value of human life. His varied career included representing Walt Disney Corp. in Europe, then Latin America, stints as a professor or visiting professor of philosophy at Ohio State, Yale, MIT, University of Tennessee, and National University of Mexico (UNAM). As a consultant, his notable clients included GE and Nationwide Insurance. In the late 1960s, he co-developed what became known as the Hartman Value Profile, which today is used by consultants, psychologists, and executive coaches worldwide as a tool for personal development. A prolific writer, only one of his books was published in English in his lifetime.

Clifford G. Hurst, PhD, is Editor of this volume in the Axiology Studies Series. Cliff holds a PhD in Human and Organizational Systems and serves as a Director of the Hartman Institute. He also is currently editor of the annual Journal of Formal Axiology: Theory and Practice, published under auspices of the Institute. Cliff is an associate professor of management in the Gore School of Business, Westminster College, Salt Lake City, Utah.