Six Ways Something Can Be Valuable

Resumo

In this article I elaborate upon four different categories of practical reasons and the possible combinations they admit. These are explained by appeal to the four different ways in which the obtainment of a state of affairs can be valuable. First, I explain the distinction between agent-neutral and agent-relative values. Second, I distinguish between person-affecting and impersonal values. The combination of these categories produces six possible ways in which the obtainment of a state of affairs can be valuable —four basic and two derived. It also shows that it is not possible for something to be at the same time both agent-neutrally and agent-relatively valuable.

DOI http://dx.doi.org/10.15304/t.19.1-2.2100