Modern conceptions of human well-being equate it with the satisfaction of rational desire. Some of the main objections to such theories are discussed. The underlying problem is that they do not provide adequate resources for the evaluation of our desires; they are excessively conservative in that they are too accepting of desires as we happen to find them. Older conceptions of the human good, found throughout the ancient and medieval periods, are in this respect on stronger ground–although they seem overly narrow. A successful theory of the good must possess a critical element that enables us to evaluate the worthiness of desires to be fulfilled.
