Must We Be Absolutely Valuable?
There is an argument according to which something must be absolutely valuable for anything to be of value. The chains of dependence between values must come to an end, and humanity meets the specifications. Theunissen explores alternatives to terminating a regress in absolute value and gives reason to reject the “borrowing” conception of relational value that drives the argument. Theunissen doubts that the non-relational value of humanity can be secured by an argument from the structure of value, but she is optimistic about the prospects for explaining our value relationally, and gives reason to favor a reflexive relational model.