THE QUESTION OF

MAN S FREEDOM
On Max Scheler’s Hierarchy of Values

SOURCE:
Co, M. (2018). The Question of Man’s Freedom. On Max Scheler’s Hierarchy of Values. [Powerpoint slides].
 OBJECTIVES

At the end of the lesson, the students should be

able to:
Articulate on his own idea of freedom.
Sort out according to priorities the different
values in life.
Evaluate the hierarchy of values according to
Scheler’s categorization.
COMMON NOTIONS ON FREEDOM

What are your common

ideas about Freedom?
Freedom cannot be defined on
the level of everyday experience.

Freedom is best understood in a

deeper level of reflection.
Freedom is often associated with
VALUE.
Every choice is based on a value.
Value is never taken in isolation.
It must integrate itself within an
ideal towards what the total self
aspires to become.
 Arrange the following concepts
according to your priorities or sense
of valuing…
 Money Marriage Studies

Health Love Career

Family Food Faith

Prosperity Friendship Serenity

Respect Time Intelligence

How do we assess values?
What are the usual “standards”
in the hierarchy of values?
What is the most important
value for you?
 SCHELER’S HIERARCHY OF
VALUES

q Sensory Value: (Pleasant/Unpleasant)

q Vital Values: (Noble/Vulgar)
q Spiritual Values: (Beauty/Ugly;
Truth/Lies; Justice/Injustice)
q Holy and Unholy:
(Sacraments/Biblical Truths/Faith,
Traditions)
 THE SENSORY VALUE

Values that are objects of sensory feelings, and

their corresponding subjective states are pleasure
and pain.
Under this realm are also technical values, values of
civilisation and luxury value.
Essentially, the pleasant is always preferred over
the unpleasant.
(But) are there instances where unpleasant are
preferred for another value?
 THE VITAL VALUES

These values are connected with general well

being.
The corresponding states of vital values are
feelings of health and sickness, aging,
exhausting, energy, vigorousness.
These values are completely independent and
irreducible to the pleasant or unpleasant
values.
THE SPIRITUAL VALUES

They are independent of the body and the

environment.

They correspond to spiritual feelings, more

appropriately to the spiritual acts of love an
hatred.

The corresponding feeling states are

spiritual joy and sorrow.
 THE HOLY AND THE
UNHOLY
These are values that appear only on objects
given intentionally as “absolute objects”.
Values that are independent of things and
powers.
Derivative values of this kind are value of the
sacrament, cults, and other forms of worship.
The subjective feeling states are bliss and
despair, and their responses are faith, lack of
faith, adoration.
A value is higher than another if it is
not divisible,
If it contains in its essence the ability
to be endured through time,
qualitatively and not quantitatively,
If it generates other values
If it accompanies depth of
contentment.
An act has a matter and form.

Matter means substance or material

while Form structure or common
characteristics.

At the back of every act entails a

value… which implies a hierarchy.
 THE TWO KINDS OF
CHOICE

Horizontal choices refer to freedom of

choice.
Vertical choices refer to choices in
relation to values order).
Both choices shape our
FUNDAMENTAL option.