PHIL 2720 Lecture Notes - Lecture 1: Existentialism, Methamphetamine, Affective Forecasting

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brownbat183

28 Jan 2016

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That which is intrinsically good is nonderivatively good; it is good for its own sake. The more that one gets or achieves the listed goods over the course of one"s life, the better for oneself is the life that one has lived. Life is absurd because we are mere specks in the infinite vastness of the universe; what happens today will not matter a million years from now so whatever happens a million years from now does not effect today. Absurdity of our lives, threatens the meaning of our life because there does not seem to be any conceivable world (containing us) about which unsettable doubts could not arise. Consequently the absurdity of our situation derives not from a collision between our expectations and the world but a collision within ourselves. **in this selection, nagel attempts to analyze a sentiment that is often expressed by those contemplating the meaning of life namely, that life is absurd.

Related Questions

Intrinsic value vs. Instrumental Value

Philosophy Question: Is wisdom (philosophy) something you value most, which you consider most vital to living a good life?

Is wisdom something mostly intrinsically valuable and so desired solely for its own sake? Or is wisdom also instrumentally valuable and so desired also for the sake of something else you desire/want? If so, what?

Instrumental Value

You value most things instrumentally, that is, as a means to some end. Usually, this is obvious and trivial. For instance, you value a washing machine that works—purely for its useful function, or instrumental value.

Intrinsic Value

There are two notions of intrinsic value. It can be:

Valuable in itself
Valued by someone for its own sake

If something has intrinsic value in the first sense, this means that the universe is somehow a better place for that thing to exist or occur.

coralmarten56

Intrinsic value vs. Instrumental Value

Philosophy Question: Is wisdom (philosophy) something you value most, which you consider most vital to living a good life?

Instrumental Value

Intrinsic Value

There are two notions of intrinsic value. It can be:

Valuable in itself
Valued by someone for its own sake

If something has intrinsic value in the first sense, this means that the universe is somehow a better place for that thing existing or occurring.

Reference

Intrinsic vs. Instrumental Value A Basic Distinction in Moral Philosophy

coralmarten56

PHIL 2720 Lecture Notes - Lecture 1: Existentialism, Methamphetamine, Affective Forecasting

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