Instrumental Value - Conditionality

Conditionality

Conditionality of objects with instrumental value is their dependence on being present at the right time and in the right context. Such objects need some emergent property of a whole state-of-affairs in order to be good. For example, salt is food on its own, and good as such, but is far better as part of a prepared meal. Providing a good outside this context is not delivery of what is expected. In other words, such goods are only good when certain conditions are met. This is in contrast to other goods, which may be considered "good" in a wider variety of situations. However, practically all objects have instrumental conditionality, more or less.