Peter Demarest on Axiology, Valuegenic Self-Leadership, and Aligning AI with Human Value
Date: 2026-03-02
CJ Hammond and Jordan White host Peter Demarest, co-founder and president of Axiogenics® and author of Answering the Central Question, to discuss his journey from Navy submarine cook and restaurant work to a 24-year IT career and ultimately applied axiology. Peter explains axiology as the study and science of value, grounded in Dr. Robert S. Hartman’s formal axiology and the Hartman Value Profile, emphasizing the hierarchy of intrinsic, extrinsic, and systemic value and its link to quality of life. He contrasts short-lived motivational approaches and quick fixes with purpose and aspiration, introducing a game-changing tool called The Central Question for creating the greatest net value in the moments that matter, and describing how the VQ Profile identifies biased (B-Game) habits of mind and also reveals a person’s thinking assets (A Game). The conversation also covers embedding axiology into AI to address the AI alignment problem and uphold human dignity, as well as ways to connect with Peter and the Hartman Institute.
Purchase Peter's book, endorsed by Stephen Covey, here.
Connect with Peter on LinkedIn here.
Learn more about the work of Axiogenics® here.