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    If happiness expands to include every intrinsically desir... — Carmelics
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    Challenges→Apparent counterexamples such as desiring virtue for its own sake do not refute the claim that happiness is the only thing desirable in itself

    If happiness expands to include every intrinsically desired end, the claim that happiness alone is desirable becomes vacuously true rather than substantive.

    ?Rate how convincing each reason is below to see the overall strength.
    1 reason for
    1 reason against

    Reasons For

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    Reason for
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    • 1.A theory becomes vacuous when it redefines key terms to make itself unfalsifiable by absorbing all counterexamples.
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    • 2.If 'happiness' simply means 'whatever is intrinsically desired,' the theory makes no substantive claim about what we should pursue.
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    • 3.A meaningful ethical theory must exclude some intrinsically desired ends as not truly valuable or not ultimate goods.
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    Reasons Against

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    Reason against
    ?
    • 1.Identifying happiness with all intrinsically desired ends is not definitional inflation but rather philosophical clarification of happiness's scope.
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    • 2.A theory can be substantive even if its key term is broad, provided it makes meaningful claims about human nature and rational desire.
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    • 3.The claim 'only intrinsic desire grounds value' remains informative and excludes instrumental desires, even if happiness encompasses all intrinsic ones.
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    Connections

    2 topics

    Consequentialism1 linkedVirtue Ethics1 linked

    Related

    A meaningful ethical theory must exclude some intrinsically desired ends as not ...A theory becomes vacuous when it redefines key terms to make itself unfalsifiabl...A theory can be substantive even if its key term is broad, provided it makes mea...Apparent counterexamples such as desiring virtue for its own sake do not refute ...
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    Identifying happiness with all intrinsically desired ends is not definitional in...If 'happiness' simply means 'whatever is intrinsically desired,' the theory make...The claim 'only intrinsic desire grounds value' remains informative and excludes...

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    claim
    Perspectives
    2 (1 for, 1 against)
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