Can we perceive objective values directly, or do we invent meaning ourselves?
In short: Dietrich von Hildebrand, a twentieth-century philosopher, argued that we do not bestow meaning upon the world. Instead, he claimed that real beings possess intrinsic value that calls for a specific response. By moving beyond mere utility, we can achieve a contemplative union with reality that transforms our moral lives.
Dietrich von Hildebrand was a leading figure in the realist phenomenological movement, a school of thought that rejected the idea that conscious subjects construct the meaning of objects. Instead, Hildebrand proposed that we can attain direct, intuitive contact with reality. In his view, phenomena like human persons, artworks, and communities are intrinsically meaningful. When we engage with these beings, we are not projecting our own desires onto them; rather, we are perceiving their essential nature, which exists independently of our subjective acts.
Central to Hildebrand's ethics is the distinction between three types of motivation. We may act based on what is subjectively satisfying, what is objectively good for our human nature, or what is important in itself—which he calls values. Values, such as justice or beauty, possess an objective, necessary structure that demands a specific response from us. He argued that a person is not fully virtuous until they align their affective responses—such as love, reverence, or gratitude—with these objective values. Because these feelings are intentional, object-directed acts, they are essential components of our moral and spiritual life.
Hildebrand’s work was deeply influenced by his conversion to Catholicism in 1914 and his lifelong commitment to realist philosophy. His career was marked by significant personal hardship, including his vocal, early opposition to Nazism, which forced him to flee Germany in 1933 and later Austria in 1938. Despite these displacements, he remained a prolific author, producing over 30 books. His influence was recognized by figures such as Pope Pius XII, who dubbed him the 'twentieth-century Doctor of the Church,' and Pope John Paul II, who praised him as one of the great ethicists of his era.
Ultimately, Hildebrand’s philosophy emphasizes that human fulfillment comes from transcending our own subjectivity. By contemplating and responding appropriately to the values inherent in the world, we move beyond self-interest. This process of internal transformation, which he explored in works like Transformation in Christ, suggests that the goal of life is not merely to follow rules, but to develop a deep, responsive relationship with the objective goods that define our existence.
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- Summary by Intellect · source: Dietrich von Hildebrand
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