Intrinsic Value

Definition

Intrinsic value refers to the inherent worth or value of something, independent of its usefulness or any external factors. It is the value something possesses simply by virtue of what it is, rather than its utility or market price.

5 Must Know Facts For Your Next Test

1. Intrinsic value is a key concept in environmental ethics, where it is used to argue for the inherent worth of nature and the environment, beyond their usefulness to humans.
2. The idea of intrinsic value challenges anthropocentric views that see the natural world solely as a resource to be exploited for human benefit.
3. Ecocentric perspectives, which recognize the intrinsic value of nature, have been influential in the development of environmental ethics and the environmental movement.
4. Debates around intrinsic value often center on the moral status of non-human animals, plants, and ecosystems, and whether they deserve moral consideration beyond their instrumental value to humans.
5. The concept of intrinsic value has been used to argue for the preservation of biodiversity, the protection of endangered species, and the conservation of natural habitats, even when they may not have direct economic or utilitarian value.

Review Questions

• Explain how the concept of intrinsic value challenges anthropocentric views of the natural world.
  • The concept of intrinsic value challenges anthropocentric perspectives that view the natural world solely as a resource to be exploited for human benefit. Intrinsic value suggests that nature and its components have inherent worth and value, regardless of their usefulness or utility to humans. This challenges the idea that the environment exists primarily for human use and that its value is determined by its instrumental value in serving human interests. By recognizing the intrinsic value of nature, ecocentric perspectives argue that the natural world deserves moral consideration and protection, even when it may not have direct economic or utilitarian value to humans.
• Describe how the concept of intrinsic value has influenced the development of environmental ethics and the environmental movement.
  • The concept of intrinsic value has been central to the development of environmental ethics and the environmental movement. Recognizing the inherent worth of nature and its components, beyond their usefulness to humans, has been a key argument for the preservation of biodiversity, the protection of endangered species, and the conservation of natural habitats. Ecocentric perspectives, which acknowledge the intrinsic value of the natural world, have been influential in shaping environmental policies, activism, and the broader societal shift towards a more sustainable and eco-centric worldview. The idea of intrinsic value has challenged the dominant anthropocentric paradigm and has been instrumental in driving the environmental movement's efforts to protect the natural world for its own sake, rather than solely for human benefit.
• Analyze how the concept of intrinsic value relates to debates around the moral status of non-human entities, such as animals, plants, and ecosystems.
  • The concept of intrinsic value is closely tied to debates around the moral status of non-human entities, such as animals, plants, and ecosystems. By recognizing the inherent worth of these entities, beyond their usefulness to humans, the idea of intrinsic value challenges the traditional anthropocentric view that only humans possess moral status and deserve moral consideration. Ecocentric perspectives argue that non-human entities, including individual animals, species, and entire ecosystems, have intrinsic value and should be granted moral consideration and protection, even when they may not have direct instrumental value to humans. This has led to discussions around the ethical treatment of animals, the preservation of biodiversity, and the protection of natural habitats, as these entities are seen to possess inherent worth that transcends their utility to humans. The concept of intrinsic value has been a driving force in the expansion of moral consideration beyond the human realm, shaping the development of environmental ethics and influencing policies and practices aimed at safeguarding the natural world.

Related terms

Instrumental Value: The value of something as a means to an end, or as a tool to achieve a desired outcome, rather than its inherent worth.

Anthropocentrism:

The belief that human beings are the central or most significant entities in the world, and that all other things (including the environment) exist primarily for human use and benefit.

Ecocentrism:

The belief that the natural environment and all its components have inherent worth and should be respected and protected, regardless of their usefulness to humans.