Charles William Morris
Published: 1956
Total Pages: 246
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The present study, begun in 1945, Is in part the outgrowth of my earlier book Paths of Life, published in 1942. In that book's interpretation of religious attitudes and ethical systems past and present, three basic dimensions of value were postulated, and seven possible value patterns were analyzed in terms of those dimensions. The seventh of the patterns, or life-orientations, had never been manifested by a major social group, but it was felt that the pattern held promise for man's future. Such an analysis of patterned, dimensional human values seemed worthy of sustained and critical investigation. The belief that a scientific study of values might also advance the enterprise of the humanities was in part related to the philosophical tradition of American pragmatism. Peirce, James, Dewey, Mead, and Lewis were major influences on my thinking, and they had all believed that evaluations were much like scientific judgments and (with some variations) that a scientific study of values and evaluations not only was possible but would be of service to man in his characteristic activity as valuer. It seemed desirable to put this philosophic position to a serious empirical test. -- Preface (p.vii).
