Introduction to Philosophy: 8.1 The Fact-Value Distinction

A named section of OpenStax’s introductory textbook. Mark where a factual statement becomes a claim about what someone ought to do.

How to study this source

• How do you reason through a difficult moral choice?

  backgroundFacts, values and examples

  Mark where a factual statement becomes a claim about what someone ought to do.

Ideas and questions

Read background definitions when a term blocks the argument. Then return to the source and reconstruct its claim in your own words.

Read alongside, read against

• Introduction to Philosophy: 10.3 Business Ethics and Emerging Technology

  Nathan Smith. Compare assumptions, evidence and scope with the source above. These are editorial companions, not necessarily direct responses.

• Introduction to Philosophy: 10.1 The Challenge of Bioethics

  Nathan Smith. Compare assumptions, evidence and scope with the source above. These are editorial companions, not necessarily direct responses.

• Introduction to Philosophy: 10.2 Environmental Ethics

  Nathan Smith. Compare assumptions, evidence and scope with the source above. These are editorial companions, not necessarily direct responses.

• Introduction to Philosophy: 8.3 Metaethics

  Nathan Smith. Compare assumptions, evidence and scope with the source above. These are editorial companions, not necessarily direct responses.

• Introduction to Philosophy: 9.5 Daoism

  Nathan Smith. Compare assumptions, evidence and scope with the source above. These are editorial companions, not necessarily direct responses.