Evaluate the Claim That “Moral Values Cannot Be Derived...

Evaluate the claim that â€Å"moral values cannot be derived from facts† The claim that moral values cannot be derived from facts concerns the distinction between facts and values and the difference between what is and what ought to be. There are those who argue that the claim is false, such as naturalists, who argue that there are indeed natural facts thus suggesting that moral values can be indentified as possessing empirical properties. Naturalists suggest that moral truths can be derived from facts about human behaviour for example, â€Å"it is a fact that suffering evokes human sympathy† thus making it a form of moral realism which states that there exists an ethical reality and just as there is an atomic structure to the world, there is†¦show more content†¦Whereas tautologies cannot be denied without contradiction, it is not a contradiction to say â€Å"pleasure is good† so because good cannot be identifies with please, it cannot be defined as pleasure. Moore argues that because the definition of good is an open question, it is a fallacy to define it in terms of natural properties, thus disputing the naturalist claim that moral values can be derived from natural facts. However, Moore’s open question argument leads to the fallacy of the fact-value gap. This is because Mill is a utilitarian and uses as his proof that happiness is desirable and is desired by all people. Yet desirable means â€Å"ought to be desired† not that it is desired and the fact that people want happiness want happiness does not entail that they ought to want it or that possessing is a good thing, which is a value. So ought, which is a value, does not automatically follow from is, which is a fact. Hume similarly argues that the claim that â€Å"moral values cannot be derived from facts† is true as he suggests facts describe the world and their claims can be proven true or false while value claims are emotive and expressions of approval or disapprobation. They may evince attitudes yet they are not characteristics of events themselves thus values are not in the world but are projected onto it. Hume’s argument createsShow MoreRelatedThe Philosophy Of Moral Philosophy1505 Words   |  7 PagesMoral Philosophy is rooted in four areas of standards, one of which is the central focus of Hedonist thinking. The standard of moral philosophy that corresponds directly to Hedonism is known as the Value Theory. The Value Theory establishes what is â€Å"valuable in and of itself, what is worth pursuing for its own sake†1. Goods that are valuable in their own right are intrinsic values, as referred to in the previous sentence. Contrary to intrinsic values, instrumental g oods have the ability to lead toRead MoreThe Origins Of Moral Judgment1433 Words   |  6 PagesSummer Moser Ndidi Nwaneri PHIL 130-006 November 29, 2014 The Origins of Moral Judgment From the moment a person is born, they are flooded with impressions about the world surrounding them. 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