Alex Gregory, Normative Theories of Desire - PhilArchive
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The age-old question of whether desire drives our sense of good — or whether goodness drives desire — turns out to have radical implications for how we understand human motivation and moral philosophy.
Normative Theory of DesireCognitivismValue TheoryMotivational Internalism
Theory Briefing
- Gregory's entry examines the classic view that desiring something just means believing it to be good — a deceptively simple claim.
- Normative theories of desire challenge the idea that wants are raw and value-neutral, suggesting our beliefs about goodness shape what we crave.
- If desire and perceived goodness are inseparable, entire frameworks of rational choice and moral psychology must be reconsidered.