Monday, March 16, 2009

Intrinsic values

VALUES
  • Instrumental: things which may be used as instruments to achieve something good/bad
  • Intrinsic: things that are good/bad even when taken in themselves (and not simply because they lead to something good or bad)

THEORIES OF INTRINSIC VALUES

  • Hedonism: Pleasure and only pleasure is intrinsically good. Pain and only pain is intrinsically bad.
    • Quantitative hedonism (Bentham): Only the amount of pleasure matters.
    • Qualitative hedonism (Mill): The quality of pleasure also matters.
  • Eudaimonism: Happiness is intrinsically good.
  • Desire satisfaction theories: What matters is the satisfaction of one's desires and wants.
  • Pluralistic theories: There are several basic evils and goods; e.g.:
    • suffering, and pleasure
    • ignorance and knowledge
    • ugliness and beauty
    • premature death and conscious life
    • the loss of one's abilities and gain of abilities
    • the loss of freedom and gain of freedom

DUTIES

  • Things (actions) one must do or must avoid doing

PERMISSIONS

  • Normal permissions: things (actions) one can do (is allowed to do)
  • Supererogations (ideals): Things (actions) that go beyond the call of duty; heroic or very difficult actions that cannot be required from everyone.

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