Abstract: Perhaps certain objective accounts of well-being are superior to any desire account. This chapter considers primarily need-accounts, of which the central claim is well-being, at least that conception of it to be used as the interpersonal measure for moral judgement, is the level to which basic needs are met. The chapter argues against need accounts, but acknowledges the obvious strengths of objective accounts—not, however, what has been called an objective-list account, because the common distinction in ethics between ‘objective’ and ‘subjective’ is too sharp.

Keywords: basic needs, objective, objective list, subjective, well-being,