descriptive and non descriptive

7/30/2019 Descriptive and Non Descriptive

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NORMATIVE AND DESCRIPTIVE

STATEMENTS

MORAL EDUCATION 1

MR 1351 D

PROGRAM PERSEDIAAN IJAZAHSARJANA MUDA PERGURUAN

PENGAJIAN CINA

AMBILAN JULAI 2010

Tengku Zahiri Tengku Abd Wahab


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Normative and Descriptive

V.Grassian (1981) says that attempts to givecoherent or logical, systematic and justifiableanswers to moral questions are callednormative ethics

Moral ethics focuses on normative statementswhich have implications on human behaviour

Hence normativestatements is a value

judgement that is good or bad, wrong orcorrect,acceptable or unacceptable.

Example : Abortion is a normative statement


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Normative ethics differ from philosophicalstudies about morals, which contain a

statement on the meaning and logic of morallanguage (V.Grassian 1981)

A normative statement is usually in the form

of value judgementThere are various types of moral judgements

or ethics (W.K Frankena 1973)

Moral judgements can be divided into eitherspecial or general


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In a moral judgements we can say that a

certain action or type of action is morallygood or bad, correct or wrong, obligatory ornon-obligatory, necessary or unnecessary tocarry out

Such a judgementis called a judgement ofmoral obligation or deontic judgement

We can discuss matters that are not actionsnor types of action concerning persons, their

motives,aims, behavioural traits or nature


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Similarly we can also say there are morallygood, bad, virtuous, vicious, responsible,blameworthy, saintly,despicable and so on

Evaluation of this sort is called moral valuejudgement or aretaic judgement


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Normative statements : Deontic and Aretaic judgements

Normativestatementsaboutdeeds/actions

Good/Bad

Correct/Wrong

Obligatory/NotObligatory

Necessary/Unnecessary

Judgements ofMoralobligation(Deontic

judgement)


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NormativeStatementsabout

people,theirmotives,aims,behaviour/nature

Good/BadNoble/WickedResponsible/Bl

ameworthySaintly/Despicable

Judgements ofMoral Values(Aretaic

judgements)


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Consider this example : The public should

not buy and sell shares with the intention ofgambling

This statement is an example of of deonticjudgementbecause gambling is a matter or

practice that is unacceptable in the eyes ofthe law or religion

As people with morals, the public is advisednot to buy and sell shares with a desire togamble but the way and the desire aremorally unacceptable


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Hence, it is obligatory that we dot not getourselves involved in gambling

An example of a normative statement witharetaic judgement is : A smart investor will

not gamble in the buying and selling of

sharesThis statement actually evaluates and

discusses the personality of a smart investor,connecting him to the way he invests in the

stock market ; that he does not gamble whenhe engages in share buying-selling activities


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We can make assumption that this investor

perhaps only deals in strong share countersand that he probably feels more secure andprofitable to do so

This practice is consideration smartand

doest not constitute gamblingThis statement ofaretaic judgementdoes not

touch on a persons obligation, it merely

evaluates moral attributes, i.e the nongambling smartness of an investor


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Normative statements do not also involvemoral value judgements

Value judgements of the non-moral domainevaluate matters other than those mentionedearlier

They maybe connected withcars,art,experience, forms of government, etc

We can say whether these are good or bad,necessary or unnecessary

We do not intend to say they are morallygood or bad. In other word they are free frommoral values


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1. Normative Statements with moral judgements

Special GeneralJudgement of MoralObligation (Deontic

judgements orobligations)

I do not like to despiseanyoneYou need to be adedicated teacherWhat Ahmad has done iswrong

We need to keep ourpromiseAll dictators deceivetheir peopleAll human beings needthe right to freedom

Moral Valuejudgements (Aretaicjudgements)

My father is a kind-hearted penghuluHe is always responsiblein his work

You ought to be fined

A good person doesnot cheatJealousy is an ignoblemotive

Benovelence is anoble quality


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2. Normative statements with non-moral Judgements

Special GeneralJudgement of MoralObligation (Deontic

judgements orobligations)

You need to be a newpair of shoesYou only need to buytickets for this concertYou really shouldsleep earlier

To make a table, youuse nail, not scoth tapeA good method is tosend troops into thebattlefieldTo answer correctly,candidates must readthe questions carefully

Moral Value judgements(Aretaic judgements)

That car is goodHis life is not happy

I did not brush myteeth in the correct way

Pleasure is good initself

Democracy is the bestform of governmentSweet food is nothealthy


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Apart from normative statements with moral

and non-moral judgement, we have justdiscussed we can identify normativestatements which directly affect humanbehaviour. For example : Wives cannot keep

secrets from their husbands; therefore a wifemust tell her husband all matters concerningherself

We also have normative statements in the

form of direction or orders, i.e to direct ororder an individual or the public to obey law,e..Parents must be respected


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Non Normative statements are known asdescriptive statements and they are not

concerned with judgement of moral valuesFor example : In Malaysia, reshuffling the

cabinet is the prerogative of the PrimeMinister

This is a descriptive statement which is value-neutral

It merely explains a fact pertaining to the

situation in Malaysia without any moraljudgement

It is factual and do not relate to any valuejudgement


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Sometimes we can change a non-normativestatement into a normative statement about

the same matter as below :

No. Matter Non-Normative Normative

1 General

Election

Fewer people registering

as voters

Good citizens must

register as voter

2 Suicide Suicide case hasincreased

Killing oneself as apersonal sacrife ispermitted

3 Pornography Pornography tarnishes lifein campus Pornography is banned incampus

4 Parents Parents have authority inthe family

Always obey the orders ofyour parents

descriptive and non descriptive

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