Axiology

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Axiology (from Greek ἀξίᾱ, axiā, "value, worth"; and -λόγος, -logos) is the philosophical study
of value. It is either the collective term for ethics and aesthetics[1]—philosophical fields that depend
crucially on notions of worth—or the foundation for these fields, and thus similar to value
theory and meta-ethics. The term was first used by Paul Lapie, in 1902,[2] andEduard von Hartmann,
in 1908.[3][4]
Axiology studies mainly two kinds of values: ethics and aesthetics. Ethics investigates the concepts
of "right" and "good" in individual and social conduct. Aesthetics studies the concepts of "beauty"
and "harmony." Formal axiology, the attempt to lay out principles regarding value
with mathematical rigor, is exemplified by Robert S. Hartman's Science of Value. Studies of both
kinds are found in Cultura: International Journal of Philosophy of Culture and Axiology.

Contents
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 1History
 2Axiological issues in communication studies
 3See also
 4References
 5External links

History[edit]
Between the 5th and 6th century B.C., it was important in Greece to be knowledgeable if you were to
be successful. Philosophers began to recognize that differences existed between the laws and
morality of society. Socrates held the belief that knowledge had a vital connection to virtue, making
morality and democracy closely intertwined. Socrates' student, Plato furthered the belief by
establishing virtues which should be followed by all. With the fall of the government, values became
individual, causing skeptic schools of thought to flourish, ultimately shaping a pagan philosophy that
is thought to have influenced and shaped Christianity. During these medieval times, Aquinas argued
for a separation between natural and religious virtues. This concept led philosophers to distinguish
between judgments based on fact and judgments based on values, creating division between
science and philosophy.[5]

Axiological issues in communication studies[edit]

Communication theorists seek to contribute to mutual intelligence about the anatomy and operation
of human communication. The axiological issues that are significant for the evolution of
communication theory are whether research can be truly free of value and whether the end for the
administered research should be designed to expand knowledge or to change society. For
communication theorists, a primary interest is with the philosophical establishment of the research
approach. A continuing value debate occurs between scholars who comply with a conventional
scientific approach and those who take an interpretivist approach to communication development.[5]
Those who take a conventional scientific approach believe that research must be free of values in
order to be valid. Therefore, it is necessary for the scientist to approach their research in a neutral
and objective manner. In contrast, the interpretivists argue that it is impossible for research to be
completely free of personal values, as research is always biased towards the values of the
researcher. According to interpretivists, these biases are sometimes so entrenched in the
researcher's culture that they will most likely go unnoticed during research. Since no one can truly be
unbiased, some groups are more knowledgeable about certain things than other groups due to their
positions in society, and they can be considered more qualified to perform research on certain topics
as a result