Fact-Value Distinction

Sample Solution

    The Fact-Value Distinction is the philosophical concept that facts and values are two distinct categories of knowledge. Facts are objective, universal, and measurable while values are subjective, particular, and immeasurable. This distinction forms the basis for debates in many areas of philosophy including metaethics.

Basic Questions about Values ask whether or not certain behaviors or beliefs can be judged as right or wrong regardless of specific contexts or culture. These questions explore how we can decide which values should be adopted by society at large as well as how to evaluate individual behavior. Metaethics is a branch of moral philosophy that seeks to answer Basic Questions about Values by examining our concepts and language used when talking about morality itself rather than the implications such language has on actions taken in the world around us. Metaethicists analyze our concepts such as 'right' and 'wrong', 'good' and 'evil', attempting to find common ground between different ethical systems so that arguments may be made for their relative validity within a given context with respect for other perspectives. Ultimately, the Fact-Value Distinction helps inform discussions on ethics by providing a way to differentiate between objective facts that can be measured objectively from subjective opinions which vary from individual to individual depending on their own experiences and cultural backgrounds. It serves as an important tool for philosophers who attempt to bridge gaps between different ethical systems through Metaethical inquiry into basic questions concerning values in order to make rational decisions based upon reasonable criteria while respecting the differences between people’s points of view.