Fact-Value Distinction

Most individuals claim some sort of fact-value distinction in a general, nontechnical sense in that a distinction is made between the scientific disciplines and the value disciplines such as ethics and aesthetics. This, however, does not imply holding to a fact-value distinction in the “technical” philosophical sense. The fact-value distinction is generally summarized as the distinction between what is, or descriptive claims (the realm of facts), and what ought to be, or normative/prescriptive claims (the realm of values). Even though the issue of the fact-value distinction is closely intertwined with the is-ought distinction—and often the two are conflated in discussions, arguments, or [Page 1330]positions—they are not identical. It can be held, for example, that values are natural facts, that normative propositions are factual, or that ...