The Eternal Values

by Hugo Münsterberg

This historic book may have numerous typos and missing text. Purchasers can usually download a free scanned copy of the original book (without typos) from the publisher. Not indexed. Not illustrated. 1909 edition. ... CHAPTER XI THE VALUES OF DEVELOPMENT Everything which we have considered so far was lying before us finished and completed when we evaluated it. It was something entirely given, which was valuable in its existence, in its connection, in its unity, in its beauty. But that which is to be valuable for its development's sake gains the value just in its transition from the given to the not-given. It is not being, but becoming. Experience alone is not sufficient there; the deed is needed. As soon as the deed is performed, the development completed, we have again only something which is finished, and as such it can again claim only the value of connection, no longer the special value of development. Such becoming may go on in the outer world, in the fellow-world, and in the inner world, and the inner forming may be absolutely valuable even where the deed is done without any conscious evaluation. On the other hand, the valuable deed may subordinate itself to a conscious purpose; it then becomes an achievement. Such purposive intentional realization of values meant to us civilization. Hence the values of achievement are values of civilization; the values of development are immediate values of life. Both belong intimately together. Civilization carries on in the values of achievement what is enclosed in the values of development in naive experience. Thus they are related to each other like the values of existence and of connection, or the values of unity and of beauty. The values of achievement Which civilization upbuilds are those of industry, of law, and of morality. We must study them carefully later, but our next step must be to inquire into those when is the becoming which does not aim to be a real achievement yet absolutely...

134 pages, Paperback

First published September 12, 2013

About the author

Hugo Münsterberg was a German-American psychologist. He was one of the pioneers in applied psychology, extending his research and theories to industrial/organizational (I/O), legal, medical, clinical, educational and business settings.

Not to be confused with Hugo Munsterberg, an expert on Far Eastern art.