ValueMorality, Rationality and Value

Ray Critch - Lecture 2 - The Types of Values

In this lecture:• What kind of values are important?• What is the relationship between types of value?

Types of Value Intrinsic Value

What counts for intrinsic value?• All accounts draw a contrast with what doesn’t count as

intrinsic value• Teleological Account - Valuable as an end

• things valued for their own sake rather things valued for the sake of something else - Korsgaard’s Formulation

• things valued as an end in their own sake rather than valued for the sake of some other end - A slightly clearer version of Korsgaard’s formulation

• Contrasts Intrinsic Value with Instrumental Value• For Korsgaard, this is not intrinsic, but final value

Types of Value

Intrinsic Value What counts for intrinsic value?

• Ontological account - valuable ‘in itself?’• Things which have their value in themselves rather than

things which get their value from some other source.• No relational properties - properties that arise from a

relationship between the thing in question and other things - contribute to the value of the thing in question.

• Contrasts intrinsic value with extrinsic value• G.E. Moore on the ‘method of isolation.’

Types of Value

Summary Intrinisic Value: valuable in itself Extrinsic Value: valuable because of its place

in a network of valuable things Final Value: Valuable as an end Instrumental Value: Valuable as a means to

an end from which it derives its value

The Importance of Value The value of a work

of art - Duchamp’s ‘Fountain.’

Intrinsic Value? Moore’s Approach

Difficulties with this approach and modern art

Extrinsic Value: The value of boundary

pushing.

The Importance of Value The value of a work

of art - American Psycho

Intrinsic Value? Beauty and literature

Extrinsic Value? As a parable? Can a book be morally

reprehensible?

The Importance of Value In Moral Theories

Hedonist Moral Theories - Pleasure or Happiness as Intrinsically Valuable

• Bentham and Mill’s Utilitarianism(s)• ‘the principle of utility … approves or disapproves of every

action whatsoever, according to the tendency which it appears to have to augment or diminish the happiness of the party whose interest is in question.’ Bentham, Principles of Morals and Legislation, C. 1, Para. 2.

• ‘From the dawn of philosophy, the question concerning the summum bonnum, or, what is the same thing, concerning the foundation of morality, has been accounted the main problem in speculative thought.’ Mill, Utilitarianism, C. 1, Para 1.

The Importance of Value In Moral Theories

Deontological Moral Theories - The Value of a Good Will

• Kant• ‘A good will is not good because of what it effects or

accomplishes, because of its fitness to attain some proposed end, but only because of its volition, that is it is good in itself and, regarded for itself.’, Ibid., 4:394.

• And other Kantians• ‘The question is then: what is involved in treating your own

and every other human being’s capacity for rational choice of ends - that is to say, for conferring value - as an end in itself?’ Korsgaard, ‘Kant’s Formula of Humanity,’ in Creating the Kingdom of ends, pp. 124.

The Importance of Value In Political Philosophy

Egalitarianism - The Value of Equality• Is equality something good in itself, or something

which is good because it leads to justice which is good in itself.

• Rawls’ View - Justice is the ‘first virtue of social institutions.’ Analogy with Truth

• Cohen’s View - Rawls’ approach to justice fails to recognize that equality is central. Insofar as it allows inequality, it allows injustice.