Transcript Value-theory & the Good Life

Value-theory & the Good
Life
Section 4
The Good Life, Needs, Virtue &
Morality
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Needs
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Needs can be distinguished from wants.
Contingent needs can be distinguished from
needs that are constituents of well-being.
Basic needs can be distinguished from less basic
needs, as well as from wants.
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To Consider…

How might we plausibly argue against the
claim that strongly felt wants are needs?
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Universality of Certain Needs
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The universality of certain human needs can
be defended against objections that
relativize needs to different social contexts.
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Morality, Reasons & Needs
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Are there reasons for being moral, & how is
morality related to a worthwhile life, & to
human needs?
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Morality, Reasons & Needs
Hobbes:
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Whatever we ought to do advances our own interests &
thus satisfies our needs.
But there were (as we saw in the Chapter on the History
of Ethics) good grounds to reject that view; for morality
seemed not always to tally with the pursuit of personal
advantage, & is oriented to satisfying the various needs
of other people & creatures, & not only those of the
moral agent.
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Morality
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Morality does not always benefit the individual
agent.
For example, self-sacrifice may be both moral &
harmful to the agent.
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But…
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In the absence of moral behaviour being
displayed, many needs would not be satisfied,
& everyone benefits from morality at some
time or other.
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Virtue
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Being virtuous contributes to living a
worthwhile life in several ways, through
rewards including self-respect.
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Virtue
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Much depends on what kind of person an
individual wants to be; if we want to be reliable,
generous & honest, we need to make
corresponding choices over a long period, & not
prioritize self-interest as we do so.
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Virtue
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Just as happiness is seldom to be attained
by aiming to be happy, so aiming to be
virtuous on a basis of self-interest is not
likely to generate sincere forms of virtue
such as kindness & generosity.
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Consider…

Is it possible to attain such forms of virtue as
kindness & generosity on a basis of selfinterest?
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