# Intrinsic vs. Extrinsic Value

> 【EN】Intrinsic value has traditionally been thought to lie at the heart of ethics. Philosophers use a number of terms to refer to such value. The intrinsic value of something is said to be the value that that thing has “in itself,” or “for its own sake,” or “as such,” or “in its own right.” Extrinsic value is value that is not intrinsic. Many philosophers take intrinsic value to be crucial to a variety of moral judgments. For example, according to a fundamental form of consequentialism, whether an action is morally right or wrong has exclusively to do with whether its consequences are intrinsically better than those of any other action one can perform under the circumstances. Many other theories also hold that what it is right or wrong to do has at least in part to do with the intrinsic value of the consequences of the actions one can perform. … 【中】词条围绕内在价值展开：什么东西具有内在价值、内在价值究竟是什么、究竟有没有这种价值、什么样的东西才能具有它、内在价值如何计算，以及外在价值是什么。它指出，一种基本形式的后果主义认为，行为的对错完全取决于其后果在内在价值上是否优于其他可选项。

- ID: m13336
- Category: culture
- Domain: 伦理学

## Definition

内在价值传统上被视为伦理学的核心，指一物在其自身中、为其自身缘故、就其本身或凭其自身资格所具有的价值；外在价值则是不属于内在的价值。许多哲学家认为内在价值对多种道德判断至关重要。 脚手架作用：- 价值定位：判断某物是因其自身被珍视，还是只作为手段有用。 - 手段检验：把作为手段的好处剥离，看该物是否还剩下价值。 - 终局锚定：在后果计算中确定何者算最终收益，避免循环。

## How it works

区分的关键在于价值是否依赖外物关系：内在价值只由对象的内在性质决定，外在价值则来自稀缺性、他人偏好、因果后果等关系。因此内在性质相同的东西若处境不同，外在价值可以不同；后果主义正是以内在价值为最终尺度。

## Practice

1) 就某个对象问：它的价值是否只取决于自身性质；2) 设想两个世界中该物内在性质相同而关系不同，看价值是否变化，若是则为外在价值；3) 在道德评价中明确以哪一类价值为最终依据。

## Use

- 价值定位：判断某物是因其自身被珍视，还是只作为手段有用。 - 手段检验：把作为手段的好处剥离，看该物是否还剩下价值。 - 终局锚定：在后果计算中确定何者算最终收益，避免循环。

[Read the web page](https://thinkingmodels.site/en/entries/detail/m13336)
