“What we call science has the sole purpose of determining what is. The determining of what ought to be is unrelated to it.”
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Source: Letter to Maurice Solovine, 1 January 1951
About this quote
Empirical inquiry can describe facts and consequences, but it cannot by itself choose the values that ought to guide action. Ethical judgment therefore requires reasoning beyond measurement while remaining informed by evidence.
When to use it
- Climate models estimate outcomes, while citizens and lawmakers decide which risks and duties matter most.
- A medical trial measures effectiveness, but an ethics board determines acceptable consent and harm.
- An algorithm predicts behavior, while a community decides whether using that prediction is fair.