Fact–value distinction
Philosophical distinction between 'is' and 'should' / From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
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The fact–value distinction is a fundamental epistemological distinction described between:[1]
- Statements of fact (positive or descriptive statements), which are based upon reason and observation, and examined via the empirical method.
- Statements of value (normative or prescriptive statements), which encompass ethics and aesthetics, and are studied via axiology.
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This barrier between fact and value, as construed in epistemology, implies it is impossible to derive ethical claims from factual arguments, or to defend the former using the latter.[2]
The fact–value distinction is closely related to, and derived from, the is–ought problem in moral philosophy, characterized by David Hume.[3] The terms are often used interchangeably, though philosophical discourse concerning the is–ought problem does not usually encompass aesthetics.[4]