Rae Langton and others argue that intrinsic properties must be those a thing retains in isolation, yet many candidates for non-instrumental good (friendship, knowledge) are irreducibly relational.

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

1 reason for

1 reason against

Reasons For

1 perspective

Reason for

1 perspective

Reason against

Based on where you are in your exploration

Irreducibly relational(as the key problem with friendship and knowledge being intrinsic): Something that cannot exist or be understood on its own—it only makes sense in relationship to other things; for instance, 'parent' only exists in relation to a child.
Non-instrumental good(as the counterexample to intrinsic properties): Something valuable for its own sake, not because it helps you get something else; for example, friendship is good because it's worth having, not just because it makes you happier or gives you a job.
Rae Langton(as the philosopher being cited): A contemporary philosopher who studies metaphysics and the nature of properties; she's known for her work on what makes something have a quality that belongs to it intrinsically.
intrinsic properties(Contrasted with structural properties revealed by physics): Properties which supposedly underlie and account for the structural properties of things.
knowledge(Distinguished from mere true belief, which may be the product of indoctrination and need not exercise deliberative capacities.): Justified true belief — true belief that has been arrived at through the exercise of deliberative capacities, including comparison of and deliberation among alternatives.

2 topics