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Hedonism, DST, And Objectivism: A Comparative Analysis

Decent Essays

There are many different viewpoints when it comes to what an intrinsic good is for us in philosophical terms. Some of the more common viewpoints include hedonism, self-regarding DST (desire satisfaction theory), and Objectivism. This essay will evaluate if having a true friend is an intrinsic good, according to each of the three viewpoints. Each viewpoint has a unique take on whether or not a true friend would be an intrinsic good and this essay will explain how the different viewpoints, hedonism, DST, and objectivism, would treat it as an intrinsic good or not. The first viewpoint we will look at is hedonism. Hedonism can be defined by the thought that all pleasure, and only pleasure, is intrinsically good for us. The idea of having a friend, …show more content…

For the use of this essay, self-regarding desires of DST is going to be the main focus. Self-regarding desires of DST is the idea that something is intrinsically good for you if and only if you intrinsically desire it, all-the-while pertaining directly to your own life. Obviously having a true friend directly impacts your own life, but is it necessarily an intrinsic good for a person? Based on the definition of self-regarding DST, you have to intrinsically desire it. If somebody intrinsically desires the idea of having a true friend then it would be an intrinsic good for that person. This cannot be confused with the idea of somebody intrinsically desiring the after-actions of having that friend and not intrinsically desiring the idea of having a true friend. If somebody intrinsically desires to go on a life trip with a friend but does not have any true friends, then having a true friend would not be an intrinsic good for that person unless they intrinsically desired having a true friend as an idea. If somebody does not intrinsically desire the idea of having a true friend then that would not by an intrinsic good for him or her; it is only an intrinsic good only if one intrinsically desires the thought of having a true

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