"Dennis is engaging in Behavior X. A majority of philosophers argue that Behavior X is unethical. Therefore, Dennis is acting unethically and should cease Behavior X." This statement reflects the pitfall in moral reasoning known as the:
A) theory/situation gap.
B) is/ought gap.
C) descriptive/normative gap.
D) are/were gap.

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

The statement reflects the is/ought gap, which is the logical fallacy of deriving an "ought" (a prescriptive statement) from an "is" (a descriptive statement). Just because a majority of philosophers argue that Behavior X is unethical (a descriptive fact), it does not necessarily follow that Dennis ought to cease Behavior X (a prescriptive conclusion).

"Dennis Is Engaging in Behavior X