"Ethics as a Science: Going from "Is" to "Ought"" by Warren Shibles

Home > Iowa Academy of Science > Journals & Newsletters > Iowa Science Teachers Journal > Volume 17 > Number 3 (1980)

Article Title

Ethics as a Science: Going from "Is" to "Ought"

Authors

Warren Shibles, University of Wisconsin - Whitewater

Document Type

Article

Abstract

Two beliefs which serve to prevent teaching, defining, or progress in ethics and morality are: 1. That we cannot derive an "ought" from an "is." We supposedly cannot derive value statements from factual statements. 2. That we cannot define ethical terms in terms of non-ethical terms (naturalistic fallacy). But can we derive an "ought" from an "is?" Does it ever make sense to do so? Let's take a case as it may arise. It is cold outside. I know that a chill may bring on a cold and I wish to avoid catching cold. I then conclude "I ought to wear my coat." When I put on my coat, I derive an ought from an is.

Publication Date

December 1980

Journal Title

Iowa Science Teachers Journal

Volume

Issue

First Page

Last Page

Copyright

Language

File Format

application/pdf

Recommended Citation

Shibles, Warren (1980) "Ethics as a Science: Going from "Is" to "Ought"," Iowa Science Teachers Journal: Vol. 17: No. 3, Article 18.
Available at: https://scholarworks.uni.edu/istj/vol17/iss3/18