I’ve though about this some more and I think what you mean (leaving aside physical and homeostatic values and focusing on organism-wide values) is that, even if we define our “terminal value” as I have above, whence the basket of goods that mean “happiness/flourishing” to me?
After thinking yet more about this, I realize that the rock bottom terminal value I am trying to identify isn’t the basket of goods itself, but my valuing of it. This seems to be a meta-value. “Valuing” itself.
If I were seconds away from dying of thirst, I might sell many terminally valuable goods for water. But if to get water I had to give up terminally valuing...I’m not sure I’d want to bother with the water or staying alive.
Maybe this meta-value comes from evolution too...except that, would that mean that it’s possible we could have not evolved it, and still been sentient beings? Because that is hard to imagine.
I guess what I’m saying is that the terminal value is not the basket...it is for the basket. Meaning that the rock-bottom is dynamic desiring. No particular value is static.
After thinking yet more about this, I realize that the rock bottom terminal value I am trying to identify isn’t the basket of goods itself, but my valuing of it. This seems to be a meta-value. “Valuing” itself.
If I were seconds away from dying of thirst, I might sell many terminally valuable goods for water. But if to get water I had to give up terminally valuing...I’m not sure I’d want to bother with the water or staying alive.
Maybe this meta-value comes from evolution too...except that, would that mean that it’s possible we could have not evolved it, and still been sentient beings? Because that is hard to imagine.
I guess what I’m saying is that the terminal value is not the basket...it is for the basket. Meaning that the rock-bottom is dynamic desiring. No particular value is static.