Value and Interest (Research on Perry's Theory of the Essence of Values)

Author: Li Jiangling
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2004-06-01
Features: R.B. Perry, an American philosopher and one of the founders of American neorealism. In the field of value philosophy, Perry is renowned for proposing the general theory of value based on modern empiricism and modern naturalism—the "Value Interest Theory." To deepen the research on value philosophy theory in China, it is necessary to study and draw lessons from Perry's value philosophy theory. This paper is based on the English original version of Perry's representative work in value philosophy, focusing on the fundamental and core aspects of his theory—the theory of the essence of value. The article analyzes the "problem" background of Perry's proposal of the "Value Interest Theory," outlines the reasoning behind Perry's construction of the essence of value interest, attempts to summarize the strengths and weaknesses of Perry's theory of the essence of value, reveals the fundamental flaws of Perry's theory of the essence of value, and, based on the methodological principles contained in Marxist philosophical values, proposes a preliminary hypothesis of one's own regarding the essence of value.