STEUBENVILLE, OH—In the realm of ethics, people often speak of values, whether traditional, progressive, or otherwise. What do we mean? Is value nothing more than subjective taste, opinion, or preference? Or does value display, as the famous philosopher Dietrich von Hildebrand said, an “objective vigor”?

Von Hildebrand, whom Pope St. John Paul II called “one of the great ethicists of the 20th century,” wrote extensively on the nature of value and its importance in philosophy. His understanding of value is the core insight that sets the direction for his many achievements in ethics, aesthetics, and his philosophy of the human person.

As part of its continuing partnership with Franciscan University of Steubenville, the Dietrich von Hildebrand Legacy Project will host its Fourth Annual Summer Seminar from Monday, June 30, through Thursday, July 3, at Franciscan University. The topic will be Dietrich von Hildebrand and the Philosophy of Value. Participants will gather for four days to engage in intensive reading and discussion of von Hildebrand’s writings on value. His unique and timely approach to value will also be set in relation to the broader Christian and secular philosophical traditions, both classical and contemporary.

Dr. John F. Crosby, professor of philosophy at Franciscan University and a student of von Hildebrand himself, will present on the original Hildebrandian notion of value. He will be joined by Dr. Jonathan Sanford, Franciscan University professor of philosophy, who will represent the Aristotelian-Thomistic tradition.

“Through our annual summer seminars, we engage students and professionals alike with an intellectually rigorous study of von Hildebrand’s philosophy,” says John Henry Crosby, founder and director of the Hildebrand Project. “This year we will provide 15 graduate students with an opportunity to discover new avenues of engaging the modern world in meaningful dialogue. In a culture that is increasingly confused about good and bad, right and wrong, indeed even true and false, value offers a fresh approach to fundamental philosophical questions.”

Current graduate students in philosophy or any field of graduate study from any university inside or outside the United States are welcome to apply for grants to receive free room and board and free admittance to the seminar. A limited number of travel scholarships are available for applicants who demonstrate both high academic merit and financial need.

The application deadline is May 19, 2014. Go to Hildebrand Legacy for more information, or address questions to [email protected].

Here are highlights from last summer’s seminar.