Values, their hierarchy and understanding of among Polish, Russian, and German students

The article reports on an extensive research project on the systems of values professed by Poles, Russians, and Germans. On the basis of the Free Word Association Test, the author compares and proposes hierarchies of values that constitute the linguistic awareness of the members of these nationalities. The axiological cores of these systems are also identified, together with the attitudes and axiological preferences involved. A claim is also made that the content of axiological units extends far beyond the definitions of the relevant concepts. The research also touches upon the ethical condition of European societies and the problem of axiological erosion, or even abstinence, recently identified by sociologists.