Philosophy / Unit 7 Philosophy 0265 short lesson, about 20 seconds
Normative and Descriptive Claims
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The idea
Descriptive claims report how things are; normative claims say how things ought to be. Ethics is the systematic study of the normative.
In practice
"Most people break small promises" is descriptive—a survey could check it. "Promise-breaking is wrong" is normative—no survey touches it.
Where people slip
Mixing the two smuggles conclusions: popularity is not permission.
Your place on the trail
Every lesson rests on earlier ones and opens later ones. Tap any to jump.
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