ABSTRACT
Wants The idea of 'wants' appears simple, but appearance deceives. Kenny, for example, has argued that wanting X is always wanting to get X, and that getting X describes a state of affairs and not a particular thing. He lists three conditions for saying 'A wants something': A must be able to say what counts as getting what he wants and what he wants to do with it; and what is wanted must not already be in his power. It is important to grasp that a want is not a stirring in a private breast; a want is intelligible in so far as it relates to public standards. 'Want' has assumed some importance in recent welfare discussion partly because of emphasis on giving consumers what they want (and the accompanying assumption that this can be directly observed); and partly because in the discussion of need attempts have been made to give primacy to market-satisfiable wants, leaving needs as wants for which no one is prepared to pay. See also Interests.
