PRAGMATISM IN ENVIRONMENTAL ETHICS Instrumental value can not be a base for environmental ethics. One can not justify his environmental acts according to the instrumental values exist. As Eric Katz state: Although an environmental ethic must be based on a plurality of instrumental natural values and on specific analysis of concrete ecological systems, it can [...]
“Preserving an endangered species or ecosystems poses no special conceptual problem when the instrumental value of that species or ecosystem is known.” This idea is very problematic. If it is so, there is no need to discuss the justification of environmentalist movements. We have to decide which individual, species, ecosystem in what degree possesses the [...]
Defining “Value” According to Harman “A normative theory of value might include an account of when something’s being the case would or would not be a ‘good thing’, a ‘worthwhile thing’, or a ‘desirable thing’”. Although this is one of the definitions of value theory− a normative one− it is sufficient for us to understand [...]
Defining “Intrinsic” Intrinsic as cited in princeton.edu webpage, It is “belonging to a thing by its very nature; ‘form was treated as something intrinsic, as the very essence of the thing’ according to John Dewey” . This definition is not so different from our definitions, what we can consider at first glance. However, the term [...]
Then, what is good? Good is good. However there must be relative estimation that we can say this is intrinsically good and has some greater value than something else in question. As Moore states: It was necessary for Ethics to enumerate all true universal judgments, asserting that such and such a thing was good, whenever [...]