Abstract

This chapter examines what happens when certain pathologies of desire are systematically refined. The results suggest that there is a desire-independent value residue, one to which the pure idealist cannot appeal, but one which it seems necessary to invoke if desire-refinement is to converge on the good. That there is a value residue at the level of higher-order desires is pretty well undeniable. At the end of the chapter, the question is raised as to whether there is a value residue at the first-order level as well.