more on this theme     |     more from this text

Single Idea 20589

[filed under theme 16. Persons / B. Nature of the Self / 6. Self as Higher Awareness ]

Full Idea

A second-order desire is a desire about what kind of desires you want to have. ....Some philosophers have argued that we should associate a person's second-order desires with her 'true self'.

Gist of Idea

Maybe a person's true self is their second-order desires

Source

Tuckness,A/Wolf,C (This is Political Philosophy [2017], 2 'What is')

Book Ref

Tuckness,A / Wolf,C: 'This is Political Philosophy' [Wiley Blackwell 2017], p.35

A Reaction

Presumably the buck stops at these second-order desires, though we might request an account of their origin. 'What sort of person do I want to be?' looks like a third-order question. I don't even want to be a saint. Self is nothing to do with desires?

The 31 ideas from Tuckness,A/Wolf,C

20586 Free speech does not include the right to shout 'Fire!' in a crowded theatre [Tuckness/Wolf]
20587 Most people want equality because they want a flourishing life [Tuckness/Wolf]
20583 If maximising pleasure needs measurement, so does fulfilling desires [Tuckness/Wolf]
20584 Desire satisfaction as the ideal is confused, because we desire what we judge to be good [Tuckness/Wolf]
20589 Maybe a person's true self is their second-order desires [Tuckness/Wolf]
20591 If there is no suffering, wealth inequalities don't matter much [Tuckness/Wolf]
20596 For global justice, adopt rules without knowing which country you will inhabit [Tuckness/Wolf]
20593 The veil of ignorance ensures both fairness and unanimity [Tuckness/Wolf]
20602 Some rights are 'claims' that other people should act in a certain way [Tuckness/Wolf]
20606 Epistemic theories defend democracy as more likely to produce the right answer [Tuckness/Wolf]
20609 If several losing groups would win if they combine, a runoff seems called for [Tuckness/Wolf]
20605 Rights as interests (unlike rights as autonomy) supports mandatory voting [Tuckness/Wolf]
20604 Choice theory says protecting individual autonomy is basic (but needs to cover infants and animals) [Tuckness/Wolf]
20603 One theory (fairly utilitarian) says rights protect interests (but it needs to cover trivial interests) [Tuckness/Wolf]
20597 If winning elections depends on wealth, we have plutocracy instead of democracy [Tuckness/Wolf]
20607 Having a right does not entail further rights needed to implement it [Tuckness/Wolf]
20610 Instead of against natural law, we might assess unjust laws against the values of the culture [Tuckness/Wolf]
20608 Unjust institutions may be seen as just; are they legitimate if just but seen as unjust? [Tuckness/Wolf]
20599 How should democratic votes be aggregated? Can some person's votes count for more? [Tuckness/Wolf]
20598 In a democracy, which 'people' are included in the decision process? [Tuckness/Wolf]
20600 Which areas of public concern should be decided democratically, and which not? [Tuckness/Wolf]
20601 Discussion before voting should be an essential part of democracy [Tuckness/Wolf]
20612 If being subject to the law resembles a promise, we are morally obliged to obey it [Tuckness/Wolf]
20613 We have obligations to our family, even though we didn't choose its members [Tuckness/Wolf]
20614 People often have greater attachment to ethnic or tribal groups than to the state [Tuckness/Wolf]
20611 If others must obey laws that we like, we must obey laws that they like? [Tuckness/Wolf]
20617 How should the punishment fit the crime (for stealing chickens?) [Tuckness/Wolf]
20619 Is abortion the ending of a life, or a decision not to start one? [Tuckness/Wolf]
20620 If minority views are accepted in debate, then religious views must be accepted [Tuckness/Wolf]
20616 During wars: proportional force, fair targets, fair weapons, safe prisoners, no reprisals [Tuckness/Wolf]
20615 Just wars: resist aggression, done on just cause, proportionate, last resort, not futile, legal [Tuckness/Wolf]