Values by Finngeir Hiorth. Lima: Ediciones de la RPFA, Survey´s Series, 2000. (Spanish version of the original one in English by Human-Etisk Forbund  St. Olavsgt. 27, N-0166 Oslo, Norway, 1999. Web page: www.human.no. E-mail: [email protected]).

This book gives an introduction to and survey of the theory of value, or rather of theories of values, as there are quite a number of theories of value.  A value is a quality of anything which renders it desirable or useful.  Accounts of values can be found in many cultures.  The present book particularly concentrates on western traditions in Greek antiquity and during the last two hundred years or so, but it also contains accounts of Asian values, particularly Chinese values.

The beginnings of attempts to develop a modern and general in theory of value can be traced back to the theories of value in economic theory, particularly from the 1770s on.  At the end of the 19th and the beginning of the 20th century philosophers tried to develop a general theory of value.  A general theory of value would cover areas, such as ethics, the arts, science, religion, economics, politics, law, and custom or etiquette.  However, apart from very abstract and general observations, no satisfactory general theory of value has been forthcoming so far.  In various disciplines various values or aspects of values are studied, but these are not integrated into any general theory of value or related to philosophical theories of value.

The present book is mainly devoted to ethical values, such as good and evil, virtue, wisdom, self-control, and values such as pleasure and happiness.  The book gives a survey of values which are common in major ethical traditions.  A separate chapter is devoted to secularism and religion and to humanistic and Christian values.  Another chapter is devoted to views of philosophers like John Dewey, C.I. Lewis, Nicholas Rescher, D.H. Parker, Arne Naess, and Risieri Frondizi.  The last chapter is devoted to views of scholars and scientists on human values, including values in education.

Contents

Preface 4

1. Preliminaries  9
A General Theory of Value? 9, Meanings of “Value” 13,
 Some Distinctions 14, Facts and Values 15,
 Intrinsic Value, Instrumental Value, Highest Value,
 Technical Value, Contributory Value, Final Value,
 Basic Value 16, Positive and Negative Values 18,
  List of Values 18, Realms of Value 19.

2. Antiquity 21
 Some Main Values in Greek Antiquity 21, Morality 22,
 Some Other Important Values 22, The Good Life 23,
 Moral Rules and Duties, Cicero 23, Values in Plato’s
 Philosophy 25, Values among the Cynics 26, Stoicism 27,
 Cyrenaicism and Epicureanism 28,
 Values among the Ancients 31.

3. Chinese Values 33
 Confucianism 33, Mo Tzu 40, Mencius 43, Hsün Tzu 47,
 Summary: Chinese Values 49.

4. Major Western Ethical Traditions  52
 Deontology 52, Kant 53, The Categorical Imperative 54,
 The Good Will 55, Duty 56, Kant: Summary 57, What is
 Utilitarianism? 58, Jeremy Bentham 59,
 John Stuart Mill 62, Utility, Happiness, Pleasure,
 and Pain 62, The Golden Rule and Duties 63,
 Summary of Mill’s Views 64, Henry Sidgwick 65,
 After Sidgwick 65, Utilitarianism: Summary 67,
 Virtue Ethics 67, David Hume 68,  Virtue Ethics:
 Summary 70, Some Major Western Values 72.

5. Secularism and Religion  74
 Humanistic Values 74, Humanism as a Religion 77,
 Christian Humanism 79, Christian Values? 86, Faith 88,
 An Atheist’s Values 89.

6. Some Philosophers on Value 95
 John Dewey 95, Clarence Irving Lewis 96,
 Nicholas Rescher 99, Dewitt Henry Parker 101,
 Arne Naess 104, Subjectivism, Relativism,
 Objectivism, and Risieri Frondizi 108.

7. Some Non-Philosophical Approaches to Value  112
 Asian Values 112, Scholars and Scientists on
 Human Values 115, Values in America 123,
 The Social Scientist Radhakamal Mukerjee 125,
 Values in Education 126.

Literature 130.

Other books by Finngeir Hiorth published by EDICIONES DE FILOSOFIA APLICADA (All translations from English into Spanish):

-Introduction to Atheism
-Introduction to Humanism
-Ethics for atheists
-Studying Religion
-Big Bang or no Bang? Science, Religion & Philosophy