Phil 490: Senior Seminar
"Value in Nature and the Nature of Value"
by Holmes Rolston III
Study Guide:
1. What
does this phrase mean? : “Descarte’s cogito
is as well an indubitable valeo”
2. “Taking an interest in an object gives humans a value-ability. Additionally to valuing nature instrumentally, humans can sometimes value nature intrinsically.” Throughout the paper Rolston frequently cites that there is a difference between instrumental value and intrinsic value but never goes into detail what that difference is. What does Rolston mean when he says instrumental value? Intrinsic value?
3. Rolston clarifies a difference between value and value-able, what is this difference?
4. Rolston talks about three kinds of value: instrumental, instrinsic, and systemic. What does he mean when he talks about systemic value?
5. In each section (valuable humans, animals, plants, ecosystems, earth, and nature) Rolston offers an argument in each that builds on the previous to come to the conclusion that nature is value-able, or able to produce values independent of the existence of entities that are able to evaluate value (i.e. us). Identify this chain of arguments.
6. Does his definition of value stay consistent through each section of his argument? Is it the same at the beginning as it is at the end?