Intrinsically good like god, extrinsically good by god

• Main Author: Chee, Yong Qing
• Other Authors: Melvin Chen
• Format: Final Year Project
• Language: English
• Published: Nanyang Technological University 2023
• Subjects: Humanities::Philosophy
• Online Access: https://hdl.handle.net/10356/165452
• Institution: Nanyang Technological University

There has been a recent worry for theists: if God is the source of all goodness, does this mean created beings (“creatures”) are not valuable in themselves? Such a challenge has garnered responses to prove the intrinsic value of creatures. However, these responses remain largely silent on the possibility that creatures can be extrinsically valuable at the same time. In this paper, I will discuss Kemp’s account of intrinsic final value in creatures and posit my account of the existence of extrinsic final value in creatures through a classical theistic doctrine of Divine Love. Referencing various nontheistic accounts in Value Theory, I hope this hybrid account provides a more thorough account of goodness in the Philosophy of Religion and give theists two-fold reasons to appropriately regard fellow creatures.