NORMATIVE AND DESCRIPTIVE

STATEMENTS
NORMATIVE STATEMENT

V. Grassion (1981): attempt to give coherent or logical,

systematic and justifiable answer to moral questions are
called normative ethics
= focus on normative statements- implications on human
behavior
= Normative statement- value judgement that is good or
bad, wrong or correct, acceptable or unacceptable
 example: Abortion is an immoral act
(But, Argentina Legalizes Abortion, 30/12/2020), What is your opinion??
Extra: type of morals definition

i. Amoral: no sense of right and wrong, no foundation that

comes with a sound set of values
example: a young child
ii. Nonmoral: out of the realm of morality altogether
example: what to wear?
iii. Immoral: know the right from wrong, just choose to do
the wrong thing
example: cheating in exam
NORMATIVE STATEMENT

W.K. Frankena (1973): various type of moral judgements

or ethics-- Special or general
i. Normative statements on actions/deeds= judgement
of moral obligation/ deontic judgement
ii. Normative statements on persons, motives, aims,
behavioural traits, nature= judgement of moral value/
aretaic judgement
NORMATIVE STATEMENT:
DEONTIC AND ARETAIC JUDGEMENT

Good /bad Judgement of moral

Normative statements Right/wrong obligation
about deeds/actions Obligatory/non-obligatory (Deontic judgement)
Necessary/unnecessary

Normative statements about Good/bad Judgement of moral

people, their motives, aims, Noble/wicked
personal traits/personality,
value
Responsible/blameworthy
nature Saintly/despicable (Aretaic judgement)

5
NORMATIVE STATEMENT

Example of deontic judgement:

The public should not buy and
sell shares with the intention of
gambling
NORMATIVE STATEMENT

Example of Aretaic judgement:

A smart investor will not
gamble in the buying and
selling of shares
 NORMATIVE STATEMENTS WITH MORAL
JUDGEMENT
Special
Judgements of moral obligation a) I do not like to despise
(Deontic judgement of anyone.
obligations) b) You need to be a dedicated
teacher.
c) What Ahmad has done is
wrong.
d) It is not proper to force your
maid to work until late at
night.
Moral value judgements (Aretaic a) My father is a kind-hearted
judgements) man.
b) He is always responsible in
his work.
c) His motive is good.
General
a) We need to keep our
promise.
b) All dictators deceive their
people.
c) All human beings need the
right to freedom.
d) Bribery is wrong in the eyes
of the law.
a) A good person does not
cheat or steal.
b) Benevolence is a noble
quality.
c) The person who can forgive
such a negligence or mistake
is a saintly person.
 NORMATIVE STATEMENTS WITH NON-MORAL
JUDGEMENT
Judgements of non-moral
obligation (Deontic judgement of
obligations)
Judgements of non-moral value
(Aretaic judgements)
Special General
a) You need to buy a new pair of a) We need to keep our
shoes. promise.
b) You only need to buy tickets b) All dictators deceive their
for this concert. people.
c) You really should sleep
earlier.
d) Lisa has to eat at the school
canteen every day.
a) The car is good. a) To make a table, you use
b) His life is not happy. nails, not scotch tape.
c) I did not brush my teeth in the b) A good strategy is to send
correct way. troops into the battlefield.
d) Kamarul attempted to defend c) To answer correctly,
his argument in the debate. candidates must read the
questions carefully.
DESCRIPTIVE STATEMENT

-also known as non-normative statements

Not concerned with judgement of moral values
Example: In Malaysia, reshuffling the cabinet is the
prerogative of the prime minister
= value neutral
DESCRIPTIVE VS NORMATIVE

No. Matter Descriptive Normative

General Fewer people are Good citizens must
1. election registering themselves as register themselves as
voters. voters.
2. Genetics We still do not know very Generic manipulation
much about genetic should be used to
engineering. check the deformity of
babies at birth.
3. Students Students will register Students must
before the semester start. complete the
coursework before the
final examination.
BASIC CONCEPT OF VALUE
VALUE

• something or some matter from the point of view of price

which can be measured
• Intrinsic quality
• It is found in morality, even though not all values are moral

example: money value vs stealing

Stealing RM10 vs Stealing RM100
Rich vs poor vs quality of life
Happiness
VALUE
Rokeach, M (1973) The Nature of Human Values: a value
changes from time to time and is different from one
place to another.
The essence or core of that value still exists and
remain stable in life of that individual or society

Ashmore, R.B. (1987): customary values of a society do

not merely encompass the ways of habitual action, but
also the ways approved by human groups
THE FUNCTIONS OF VALUE

a) A criterion or standard- good correct and acceptable-

to be moral agent and moral critic
Example: bribery
b) An indicator, reference and guide to solving moral
conflict
Example: high reward task/work
c) A restriction on the behaviour or action of an individual
or the society
Example: respect parents and others
TYPES OF VALUES
Instrumental or extrinsic values
- Quality received or rejected as
instrument to achieve certain
objective
- Dependent on other values to achieve
a certain objective
- Second order values: courage
diligence, respect for others
- Example: imposing the death penalty
for drug traffickers to stamp out drug
trafficking activities
Intrinsic values
- Quality received or rejected solely
because it is good or bad without
considering its effect
- Not dependent on other values to
achieve certain objectives. The value
mentioned is itself the final objective
- First order values: kindness, love,
justice
- Example: a judge passes a “death by
hanging sentence” on a person found
guilty of trafficking drugs
TYPES OF VALUES
Subjective values
- Quality received or rejected by
someone who gives his views
- Accepted or rejected on the basis of
an individual’s opinion
- Example: the desire of the U.S. to
attack Iraq.
- Britain: OK-for the sake of long-term
peace
- France: Not Ok-sacrifice the lives of
many innocent people
Objective values
- Quality that may be valuable or not
valuable but free from personal choice
- Accepted or rejected on the basis of a
set of criteria agreed upon by all or a
majority of people.
- Example: War is a horrible tragedy
- Slavery does not reflect humanitarian
values
- Child labour is a cruel practice which
must be abolished.
TYPES OF VALUES
Relative values
- Value accepted or rejected by
regulations in a society in order to
achieve certain societal objective
- It is arbitrary, not perfect, and differs
in other societies
- Can change with time
- Example:
- KL: official marriage of a couple: a
family
- California: without: a family
Absolute values
- Value the worth of which is not related
to the custome of a certain society
- Generally accepted and tested or
proved to be good or bad.
- Constant at all times and in all places
and in almost all norms of society
- Example:
- Living as a legally married couple is a
good practice