Question

What is an instrumental good?

Something that is valuable in and of itself, regardless of the consequences.

Something that is good only for what you can get out of it, only for what it can be used for

Something that generates happiness and pleasure in life

Something that generates profit and financial security

It is a kind of pleasurable sensation obtained by certain stimuli

Philosophy Category!

Answer 1

Ans: B) Something that is good only for what you can get out of it, only for what it can be used for.

Explanation: Good is something or someone with value. It is irrelevant as to what the task is, even a reprehensible act can be considered to be a good for someone.

Good can be divided into two categories:

• Intinsic
• Instrumental Good

Intrinsic goods are somethingworthwhile not because it leads to something else, but for its own sake alone; i.e., Good-in-itself.

For example: happiness, Truth, Love

But Instrumental good is something which is a means to some other good. It acts as a path which leads to another instrumental good or to an intrinsic good.

For example: Education --> wealth --> success --> happiness

Here the option B) explains the instrumental good correctly as option A) is a definition for intrinsic good. And option C) and D) are incorrect because instrumental good don't generate happiness, pleasure, profit and security directly. It may lead to another instrumental food before achieving these goods. And it's not a pleasurable sensation obtained by certain stimulus as explained below:

Exams tension ---> work hard ----> pass exam ---> Happy or satisfied

Here the exam tension is not pleasurable sensation.