Intrinsic vs. Extrinsic Value
Updated 2026-09-10
INTRODUCTION
English translation pending.
CORE DEFINITION
Intrinsic value has traditionally been seen as central to ethics: the value a thing has in itself, for its own sake, in itself, or on its own account. Extrinsic value is whatever value is not intrinsic. Many philosophers hold that intrinsic value matters crucially to a wide range of moral judgments, and consequentialism takes intrinsic value as the final measure of outcomes, while the distinction turns on whether value depends on the object's relations to other things.
SCAFFOLDING EFFECT
Reduce cognitive load
- Value location: judge whether a thing is valued for its own sake or useful only as a means. - Means test: strip away its benefits as a means, and see whether any value remains. - Outcome anchoring: fix what counts as the final benefit in a consequentialist calculation, to avoid circularity.
Anchor fast decisions
The distinction turns on whether value depends on relations to other things. Intrinsic value is fixed solely by the object's intrinsic properties, while extrinsic value arises from relations such as scarcity, others' preferences, or causal consequences. So two things with the same intrinsic properties can differ in extrinsic value when their situations differ; consequentialism takes intrinsic value as the final measure.
MINIMUM ACTION
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Source support: Explicit
- plato.stanford.eduhttps://plato.stanford.edu/entries/value-intrinsic-extrinsic/verified
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