Comment by wokeupabug on 12/09/2019 at 07:01 UTC

7 upvotes, 1 direct replies (showing 1)

View submission: Problems with the is/ought fallacy?

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Can't you just use the is/ought to attack the premises of ethical systems like Utilitarianism?

Well, no: the is/ought distinction isn't about propositions (like premises), it's about arguments (or the inferences thereof).

For example, stating "maximizing utility is good" is an implicit "ought" premise...

It's not implicit: utilitarians are quite explicit about this.

Utilitarianism may assume this within its premises...

It's not assumed: utilitarians argue for this.

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Comment by DieFreien at 12/09/2019 at 07:16 UTC

1 upvotes, 1 direct replies

Oof. I believe I misread him. I suppose my real question lies in another place. Can we apply the "is/ought" to valuations of "good" and "bad"?