valuism

Valuism is a philosophical position in axiology and metaethics that treats values as central to both the world and our understanding of it. Proponents argue that evaluative properties such as goodness, worth, and importance have a status that is not reducible to mere beliefs, attitudes, or social conventions, and that these values can guide inquiry, belief formation, and action. In its strongest expression, valuism posits value as a primitive or organizing principle of reality, shaping both how we think and what we ought to do.

Core ideas include value primacy and value-realization as the standard for evaluation. Valuists distinguish between intrinsic value (value in itself) and instrumental value (value as a means to further valuable properties). They often argue that reasons for belief and action derive from alignment with value properties, not only from empirical warrants or rules. There is room for both objective and intersubjective accounts of value, depending on the stronger or weaker formulations.

Variants range from strong value realism—where values exist independently of minds—to more deflationary accounts where value is a useful framework for organizing experience. Methodologically, valuism may employ ethical appraisal, practical reasoning, and value-satisfaction criteria to assess actions, policies, and states of affairs. Some theorists connect valuism to debates about the nature of truth, justification, and rationality.

Valuism emerged as a cross-cutting idea within 20th- and 21st-century debates in axiology, metaethics, and value theory. It has faced criticisms, including charges of subjectivity, vagueness about what counts as valuable, and difficulties in aligning with naturalistic science. Proponents respond by offering criteria for intersubjective agreement and by distinguishing levels of value (intrinsic, instrumental, final).

In contemporary philosophy, valuism influences discussions on moral realism, value-aligned artificial intelligence, and policy evaluation, where assessing outcomes in terms of value fulfillment provides an evaluative framework beyond rules or consequences alone.