Today’s post is a reflection on the Hildebrand Project’s annual summer seminar on “The Philosophy of Value.” Value was discussed in various forms: its relation to being, the significance of value, and value in relation to morality.
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When one is struck by the majesty of a snow-capped mountain or the reflection of light glistening on the water of a trickling stream, there seems to be a moment of reverence and awe. The moment between you and that object transcends reason and mutes words; you are dumb-founded. There is something unique, there is something individual, there is something particular to that object. Its value is unexplainable.
The objects that are most valuable to us cannot be understood as valuable by another in the same way. “Values in the world are not universal. Everything as it is, is incommunicable” as Dr. Sanford says explaining the individuality of value. (1) It is not a ‘thing,’ but part of a thing “values are in the world as part and parcel in their beings.” (2) We see that the roses are beautiful, but what makes us respond to these roses and not to any others is the value that we behold in them. We see the rose and recognize that it is a rose, but how do we know how to respond to its beauty if we do not understand its importance? How can we describe or categorize the beauty of a rose or of a glistening stream? Without perceiving its value, its intrinsic importance, how are we to respond to beauty, truth, and goodness as we find it in the world? We need to open ourselves to the full brilliance of values, rising to the occasion of responding to the sublimity value in the objects we encounter.

In the same way that we discover the importance of the beauty of the red roses through the call of its aesthetic value, so do we uncover whole constellations of value in the world around us when we open our eyes to their shimmering splendor. We need to have “...an inner-readiness to respond to the world of values.”(5) Many of us will not be aware of the value of an object until we are interiorly prepared to encounter it.Therefore, let us walk freely in the rich garden of the world. Let us behold and glory in the beauty of the manifold flowers before us. When we approach the world with wonder, the hierarchy of value will begin to disclose itself to us. We will see that value, that inner radiance of the good, which shines forth throughout the world. We will see the world as it was created to be.*
Image 1. Elegant Lady Smelling Rose link
Image 2. Stopping to Smell the Roses link
[1] Dr. Jonathan Sanford
[2] Ibid.,
[3] Dr. John Crosby
[4] Ibid.,
[5] Ibid.
*Thank you to Chase for his constructive edits
1 comments
Part of a class I am taking involves this particular subject and I am researching for information to use in an upcoming report. Your post is really helpful to complete my project.
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