About the Author

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.

Reviews

"Hartman's writings are difficult to read. His Five Lectures on Formal Axiology are perhaps his easiest to understand explanation of the basics of his value theory."--Rem B. Edwards, PhD. Lindsay Young Professor of Philosophy, Emeritus, University of Tennessee"Almost fifty years beyond his death, the legacy of Robert Hartman and his axiology is uncertain. In an age of rampant social media and international policy being conducted by unreflective tweets, almost any "philosopher" seems archaic. The excellent work of scholarship and insight exhibited by Hartman's lectures on axiology is vital. It allows an important piece of Hartman's work to find new light and--with any good fortune--claim yet a further breath of sustainability and relevance."--C. Stephen Byrum, PhD, Professor of Philosophy and Religion, Dean of Humanities, retired: Chattanooga State College"This is Hartman's clearest and most definitive work in one volume. It should be mandatory reading for anyone who cares about the value crises plaguing our leaders, organizations, and governments. Hartman's value theory is as pivotal and relevant for a world fractured by competing value orientations as his own Zeitgeist."--Malcolm North, PhD, Assistant Professor, University of Central Arkansas"Hartman has managed to succinctly detail his life's mission and vision in this work with brilliant clarity. Understanding the five fallacies in his third lecture would be invaluable for any practitioner or student of the sciences, humanities, or arts."--Vera Mefford, President, AXCES-Solution, LLC"These lectures resonate with those who appreciate goodness, and also with those who appreciate the value of philosophy and wish it could become more "down to earth." Hartman clearly and understandably shows how early thinkers struggled to capture the meaning of good, and how he saw science's power actually making it real and earth changing. The world of today needs this as a source of deep deliberation."--K.T. Connor, PhD, Managing Director, Center for Applied Axiometrics, Senior Adjunct Professor, Ethics in Public Policy and Administration, Graduate School of Business, Cal Lutheran University