--- title: "Facts, Values and the Gap Between Them" description: "Descriptive claims report how things are; value claims judge what matters or what ought to happen. This topic examines the is-ought gap by finding value premises and checking how they connect facts to" canonical: https://lightmysky.com/learn/personal-and-social-development/facts-values-and-the-gap-between-them-mt_cvgg2UNDzv source: https://lightmysky.com/learn/personal-and-social-development/facts-values-and-the-gap-between-them-mt_cvgg2UNDzv.md retrieved: 2026-11-12 --- > **Agent view.** This is the Markdown twin of the page, for tools and assistants. > When to use this site, and the call that answers each job: https://lightmysky.com/agent-instructions.md > API description (OpenAPI 3.1): https://lightmysky.com/openapi.json · Authentication: https://lightmysky.com/auth.md > Pricing: https://lightmysky.com/pricing.md · Catalog: https://lightmysky.com/llms.txt · Full catalog: https://lightmysky.com/llms-full.txt > Every machine-readable file on this domain: https://lightmysky.com/.well-known/ai-catalog.json > Ask for Markdown with `Accept: text/markdown`, a `.md` address, or `?mode=agent`. # Facts, Values and the Gap Between Them Descriptive claims report how things are; value claims judge what matters or what ought to happen. This topic examines the is-ought gap by finding value premises and checking how they connect facts to a moral conclusion. Subject: Personal & Social Development · Area: Ethics & Philosophy · Ages 16 to 18 Page: https://lightmysky.com/learn/personal-and-social-development/facts-values-and-the-gap-between-them-mt_cvgg2UNDzv ## Ready when they can - Separate descriptive claims from value claims in a short argument - Explain why descriptive premises alone do not justify a moral should in the arguments studied - Identify a value premise needed to complete a practical argument and check its connection to the facts ## Lesson: Finding the value premise A descriptive claim reports how things are, such as a pupil count or a price. It can be checked and may be true or false. A value claim judges what is good, fair or worth doing, or says what ought to happen. It need not contain should: calling a rule unfair is a value judgement. This distinction does not decide whether moral claims can be true. You have learned to separate premises from conclusions and test their connection. David Hume drew attention to moves from is to ought. In the arguments here, descriptive premises alone do not justify a moral conclusion. Look for a value premise connecting the facts to what ought to happen. Finding one is not enough: the conclusion must follow from the premises together. **Example.** Two bus plans have the same effects except cost. Plan A costs less. The value premise is: when all other effects are equal, we ought to choose the cheaper plan. Together these premises support choosing A. Lower cost alone does not supply that value. Other values or disputed facts could change the argument. *(drawing: The first two cells are premises. Together they support the conclusion in the last cell.)* A poll describes what respondents approve of. Its result can inform a decision, but approval alone does not settle what is right. Using majority support as a reason requires a value premise about why that support should guide the choice. A moral conclusion can still be disputed even when the poll is accurate. Sort the premises, then check the link to the conclusion. Ask whether people dispute the descriptive claims, the value premise or the reasoning. Both kinds of premise can be needed. A value about preventing harm does not show that a particular policy will work; that needs evidence too. A conditional value premise supports action only when its stated condition holds. Metaethics asks what moral claims mean, whether they can be true and what could justify them. Reporting a belief differs from endorsing it: saying people call a rule unfair describes their view; calling it unfair makes the judgement. Agreement or disagreement alone does not settle whether a moral claim is true. **Recap.** Identify descriptive and value premises, then test how they work together. A value need not say should, and its presence alone does not prove the conclusion. *Lesson, questions and flashcards written for this dataset. OpenStax value-theory records were consulted for concepts, not reproduced.* ## Practice 8 questions on this page, each with its working shown. ## Needs first - [What makes an argument valid](https://lightmysky.com/learn/personal-and-social-development/what-makes-an-argument-valid-mt_W72nTJmeOI) ## Opens up - [Consequences: The Greatest Good and Its Problems](https://lightmysky.com/learn/personal-and-social-development/consequences-the-greatest-good-and-its-problems-mt_XD8-rBho01)