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.