1/ Understanding the lack of a foundation for values: the failure of usual methods

The central idea I aim to defend here is a radical one: at present, there is no foundation for values.

If values are currently unfounded, this implies that we lack the means to prove that what we perceive as valuable genuinely holds value, or conversely, that what we see as lacking value is indeed valueless.
In other words, it would be impossible for us to demonstrate that what we love is genuinely worthy of love, or that what we deeply despise is inherently despicable.

This failure, if indeed real, seems to stem from the convergence of three fundamental phenomena.

Firstly, as we previously suggested, the problem of values has been poorly framed, since the concept of value has been confused with that of the good, the end, and so on. As a result, we are often answering an entirely different question: we search for our supreme purpose, determine what is most beneficial for humanity, but never truly define what constitutes the greatest value. A poorly posed problem cannot be answered.

Next, we must consider where, within the realm of knowledge, we might expect to find an understanding of the foundation of values. The discipline responsible for addressing this issue—axiology—appears not to fully exist yet. How could we hope to resolve the problem of values if axiology itself remains undeveloped?

Generally, it seems difficult, if not impossible, to solve a problem before a discipline dedicated to studying it has even emerged. To claim otherwise would be like expecting someone to answer the question, 'What is the sum of the angles of a right triangle?' before mathematics was invented, or to determine the melting point of gold before the fields of metallurgy, thermometry, or even chemistry had come into being.
As it stands, axiology seems to be little more than a phantom discipline—rarely encountered and lacking substantial content. As a result, the problem of values remains largely unresolved.

Finally, it may be that values cannot be established because the methods employed so far have proven inadequate for the task. It is this issue that I intend to examine in more detail.