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The is–ought problem

Hume observed that arguments slide from 'is' to 'ought' without justifying the step. Naturalists try to ground ethics in facts about well-being; others hold that values are a separate category. Aligning AI systems has made the question practical, because it requires writing down what systems ought to do.

Posed 1739, David Hume.

Sources

Value and reason · Philosophy

Relations

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