What is the is-ought problem?

Philosophy Metaethics Questions



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What is the is-ought problem?

The is-ought problem, also known as Hume's Guillotine, refers to the difficulty in deriving normative or prescriptive statements (ought) from descriptive or factual statements (is). It highlights the gap between what is the case and what ought to be the case. In other words, the is-ought problem questions the logical leap from making observations about the world to making moral judgments or claims about how things should be. It challenges the idea that objective moral principles can be derived solely from empirical observations or facts.