extrinsic value without intrinsic worth?

Question

Can it be possible for some thing or some action to have extrinsic value if the goal to which it leads has no intrinsic worth? Why?

Answer 1

Nice question.

Anyone who collects celebrity autographs or memorabillia knows the difference. 'ebay' is full of things with no intrinsic worth, but considerable extrinsic value.

Of course, both value and worth are extremely subjective words and so are subject to a very personal perspective.

An absolute sort of example - a baby has no intrinsic worth (a baby is all unrealised potential) but most people would agree a baby is also extrinsically valuable (our futures depend on them).

Answer 2

Without a God, I'd have to say no. If you take a look at Darwinism, we only differ from other animals in a way of degree, but not in fundamental difference. If we evolved, as Darwin said we did, that implies we will involve into something else, which essentially makes us a sort of "stepping stone" to the next species, meaning that we weren't put here ON purpose (not meaning we can't HAVE a purpose). It depends on what you support; if you're a creationist then you obviously don't support evolution. That being said, if you believe in God, you obviously believe we were put here on purpose, giving us intrinsic value. However, there are different types of looking at the situation. Some people (Christian Darwinists, as they say) believe we did evolve, but humans are the end of the line so to speak, and that all evolution was supposed to lead to us, and God did have us in mind. Others believe, again, that we are just a link from the last species to the next, which means as humans we really don't have intrinsic value. It's all a matter of perception.

Answer 3

Yes things can. Since extrinsic value is only worth something if people give it value, then yeah you can say that many extrinsic things have no true intrinsic worth (i.e.material wealth).

Example....Money....people give it value and the more one has the more you are extrinsicly worth by societal standards, but in actuality money cannot by you true happiness, true worth, or true love, and you definitely cannot take it with you when you die, so it holds no true intrinsic worth.