During the final decade or so of his life, Hartman frequently delivered a series of lectures in which he outlined the need for a scientific theory of human values, the theoretical requirements demanded of an effective value theory, and his rationale behind the development of the particular value theory he developed, which he named formal axiology. He named these lectures, collectively, Five Lectures in Formal Axiology.
By bringing these lectures together in one volume, we are able to offer to readers the clearest, most cogent, and most concise description of his theory that Hartman ever wrote.
If you have ever been put off by the sheer mass and intellectual density of either The Structure of Value or The Knowledge of Good, then you will find these Five Lectures to be a breath of fresh air. Written as they were for oral delivery, they have a cadence and clarity to them that make them a pleasure to read.
Hartman concludes these lectures with a description of how his theory might be applied in various real-world situations. Specifically, he discusses how formal axiology can be applied to studies of economics and political economies, including profit sharing; to international affairs, including matters of war and peace; and to personal ethics. To Hartman, nothing less than the survival of human existence depends on this.
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.
