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PHILOS 2YY3 Lecture Notes - Jeremy Bentham, Robert Nozick, Monism

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School
McMaster University
Department
Philosophy
Course
PHILOS 2YY3
Professor
V Igneski

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Document Summary

September 25: the good vs the right. Give important discussion of hedonism claims that pleasure is the intrinsic value to be held above all others. Applied to all manners of social structures; law, government etc: bentham"s hedonism: An action is right insofar as it promotes pleasure and wrong if it incites pain. Linking of the good and the right. Sensation, psychological state, satisfaction the way we experience our pleasure and include the interests of others not only physical pleasure, but emotional, mental pleasures, psychological achievement are included also. Focuses on motivation and value our theories must account for what we seek and why we seek it. Intensity: the more intense the pleasure, the more positive, the more intense the pain, the more negative. Duration: the longer the pleasure, the better, the longer the pain, the more negative. Certainty or uncertainty whether or not the result is entirely predictable.

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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:

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  • 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

 

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.

Philosophy 

Reflection Question: What do you value?

I value vacations and playing video games. I put forward the idea these are valuable things to me. However, playing video games is only an instrumental value. In other words, young students play video games because they receive joy and satisfaction from playing video games. Do you agree?

Question 1: Is traveling the world (vacations abroad) desirable because it is instrumentally valuable, i.e., only valuable because it will help you achieve or acquire other things you desire? Is this because you think it is bad (unpleasant) in itself or just neutral (neither desirable nor undesirable)? Or is traveling the world also intrinsically valuable, i.e. valuable for its own sake? If so, why?

Question 2: Is playing video games (Xbox, Playstation, Nintendo Switch) desirable because it is instrumentally valuable, i.e., only valuable because it will help you achieve or acquire other things you desire? Is this because you think it is bad (unpleasant) in itself or just neutral (neither desirable nor undesirable)? Or is playing video games also intrinsically valuable, i.e. valuable for its own sake? If so, why?