Full Idea
What is it to value something? That is, equivalently, what is it to accept that we have a normative reason to do something? In Hume's terms, is it a matter of believing? Or is it a matter of desiring? We seem to face a dilemma.
Gist of Idea
Is valuing something a matter of believing or a matter of desiring?
Source
Michael Smith (The Moral Problem [1994], 5.4)
Book Reference
Smith,Michael: 'The Moral Problem' [Blackwell 1994], p.136
A Reaction
Smith is discussing moral motivation, and there is obviously more to valuing something than acting on it. Nice question, though. Personally I value St Paul's Cathedral, but I don't desire it. I value heart surgeons, but don't want to emulate them.