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Single Idea 9228

[filed under theme 22. Metaethics / A. Ethics Foundations / 1. Nature of Ethics / d. Ethical theory ]

Full Idea

Ranking desires in order of preference is no help, because a person who wants one thing more than another may not regard the former as any more important to him than the latter.

Gist of Idea

Ranking order of desires reveals nothing, because none of them may be considered important

Source

Harry G. Frankfurt (The Reasons of Love [2005], 1.5)

Book Ref

Frankfurt,Harry G.: 'The Reasons of Love' [Princeton 2006], p.12

A Reaction

A salutary warning. Someone may pursue something with incredible intensity, but only to stave off a boring and empty existence. The only way I can think of to assess what really matters to people is - to ask them!

The 23 ideas from Harry G. Frankfurt

20015 Freedom of action needs the agent to identify with their reason for acting [Frankfurt, by Wilson/Schpall]
9264 Persons are distinguished by a capacity for second-order desires [Frankfurt]
9265 The will is the effective desire which actually leads to an action [Frankfurt]
9266 A person essentially has second-order volitions, and not just second-order desires [Frankfurt]
9270 A 'wanton' is not a person, because they lack second-order volitions [Frankfurt]
9267 Free will is the capacity to choose what sort of will you have [Frankfurt]
9269 A person may be morally responsible without free will [Frankfurt]
9233 Our criteria for evaluating how to live offer an answer to the problem [Frankfurt]
9232 It is by caring about things that we infuse the world with importance [Frankfurt]
9234 If you don't care about at least one thing, you can't find reasons to care about anything [Frankfurt]
9227 We might not choose a very moral life, if the character or constitution was deficient [Frankfurt]
9228 Ranking order of desires reveals nothing, because none of them may be considered important [Frankfurt]
9229 What is worthwhile for its own sake alone may be worth very little [Frankfurt]
9230 People want to fulfill their desires, but also for their desires to be sustained [Frankfurt]
9231 Freedom needs autonomy (rather than causal independence) - embracing our own desires and choices [Frankfurt]
9240 Love creates a necessity concerning what to care about [Frankfurt]
9241 Loving oneself is not a failing, but is essential to a successful life [Frankfurt]
9235 Rather than loving things because we value them, I think we value things because we love them [Frankfurt]
9236 Love can be cool, and it may not involve liking its object [Frankfurt]
9237 The paradigm case of pure love is not romantic, but that between parents and infants [Frankfurt]
9238 Morality isn't based on reason; moral indignation is quite unlike disapproval of irrationality [Frankfurt]
9239 I value my children for their sake, but I also value my love for them for its own sake [Frankfurt]
9300 Boredom is serious, not just uncomfortable; it threatens our psychic survival [Frankfurt]