5/ Hypothesis on the Origin of Post-Modern Anxiety
The absence of a foundation for values has led us to consider the state of mind the axiologist must adopt upon acknowledging this fact. This phenomenon also appears to shed light on an earlier question: why does the post-modern era seem so characterised by anxiety about values?
I believe this anxiety arises from an unconscious awareness that the values we believe in and defend—sometimes even through force—may, in fact, lack any true foundation.
It would be misguided to think that this lack of foundation affects only axiological objectivism, which asserts that values are grounded. This absence of foundation seems to impact all axiological doctrines: relativism, subjectivism, and nihilism appear to be as unfounded as objectivism or value intuitionism.
Relativism might interpret objectivism’s failure to establish values as confirmation of its own stance. However, the depth of post-modern uncertainty is such that the judgement 'There are only relative values' is as unfounded as the opposing claim 'There are absolute values'.
Similarly, nihilism cannot substantiate the claim that 'nothing has value'; the absence of proof for life’s value does not affirm its negative value.
Nihilism, relativism, and similar positions likely remain unfounded because they share the same errors as objectivism. First, they attempt to validate themselves through one of the five ineffective methods we identified (such as the qualitative method or hedonism). Second, they do not anchor their reflections within the discipline of axiology but instead lean on moral concepts or, in the case of relativism, sociological ideas.
Post-modern anxiety appears to arise from this situation, as the anguish stems from the unsatisfactory nature of every axiological doctrine, while humans continue to assess their world axiologically.
More fundamentally, the very concept of value is growing increasingly obscure to the post-modern individual. We no longer fully understand what value means, even as we sometimes fight for it. Perhaps this very lack of understanding fuels our anxiety: what is value, after all?
Is the post-modern world one that not only ignores the foundation of value but also its very meaning?