On the Intrinsic Value of Everything

Description

On the Intrinsic Value of Everything is an illuminating introduction to fundamental questions in ethics. How-and to what-we assign value, whether it is to events or experiences or objects or people, is central to ethics. Something is intrinsically valuable only if it would be valued for its own sake by all fully informed, properly functioning persons. Davison defends the controversial view that everything that exists is intrinsically valuable to some degree. If only some things are intrinsically valuable, what about other things? Where and how do we draw the cutoff point? If only living creatures are intrinsically valuable, what does this imply for how we value the environment? If everything has intrinsic value, what practical implications does this have for how we live our lives? How does this view fit with the traditional theistic idea that God is the source of goodness and truth? Both critics and proponents of the concept of intrinsic value will find something of interest in this careful investigation of the basic value structure of the world.

Scott A. Davison (Ph.D. University of Notre Dame) is Professor of Philosophy at Morehead State University, Kentucky, USA. He has lectured on intrinsic value in both the United States and in China, and is past Visiting Professor of Philosophy at Minzu University of China.

"In this lovely little book Scott Davison defends the novel thesis that everything has intrinsic value to some degree. What fascinates me is that Davison presents his case in a highly accessible manner without compromising its depth and rigor. This book is an important contribution to discussions of intrinsic value within and beyond academic philosophy." -- Yujin Nagasawa, Reader in Philosophy of Religion, University of Birmingham, UK "Clear and straightforward, this book challenges widely held views about what sorts of things are intrinsically good or valuable." -- Noah Lemos, Leslie and Naomi Legum Professor of Philosophy, The College of William & Mary, USA Through carefully orchestrated argument, Davison (Morehead State Univ.) leads readers to the controversial conclusion that everything is intrinsically valuable to some degree. He reviews some standard positions on intrinsic values, arguing that his conclusion is more plausible than these alternative proposals....Even if Davison's arguments do not convince everyone, readers may well begin to notice and appreciate intrinsic value in unexpected places. Summing up: Recommended. Lower-division undergraduates through researchers/faculty. -- J.A. Kegley, California State University, Bakersfield. * CHOICE * Davison's mode of argumentation is cautious, clear, and epistemologically modest. [...] Davison's efforts at fending off possible attacks on his position also offer a helpful entree into the literature on intrinsic value. [...] Davison is certainly to be credited for his clarity of exposition and moral seriousness. One can only hope that this short book will inspire more thoroughgoing explorations of the ethical consequences of his doctrine. -- Berel Dov Lerner, Western Galilee College, Israel * Philosophy in Review *