What is...

One rainy afternoon, many years ago, before children, I discovered the brilliant mind of Dr. Gordon Clark. It was the cover that caught my eye - a painting from the past. As I picked up the book, I discovered it was entitled, Essays of Politics and Ethics by Dr. Gordon H. Clark. I opened the cover and have been a fan ever since.


Dr. Clark still has some profound things to say to us today about proper behavior. I believe, currently taking place, is a population being slowly convinced that "what is" can lead to "what ought to be"... I will let Dr. Clark explain.

"Empirical premises contain nothing but statements of empirical facts. They give observational data - they state what is. Hence, nothing but observational data can be put into the conclusion. If the premises state only what is, the conclusion can not state what ought to be; there is no way of deriving a normative principle from an empirical observation."


A normative principle is a theory that establishes a single principle against which all other actions are judged. The key assumption in normative ethics is not complex: there is only one ultimate criterion of moral conduct, whether it is a single rule or a set of principles. Using Dr. Clark's point, we can not use empirical date - data that states what is - to declare what ought to be. His point is that the premise can not support the conclusion.


For example, if you wake up and find a cloudy day and no sun, you would be illogical to surmise from this observation that the sun no longer exists. You are just as illogical to deduce that God does not exist because you can not see Him. If you do not see the sun because of cloud cover in your part of the world it does not mean that there is no sun. Announce that to some of your friends and observe their reaction. Yet, we allow so many to use the same fallacious argument for the existence of God... I do not see Him, therefore, He must not exist. I am confident in my assertion that God's existence is not dependent upon whether you or anyone else see Him.

Normative ethics involve arriving at high moral standards that regulate right and wrong conduct. As Christians are there any higher standards than those of our Lord? Do we allow those standards to govern all that we do? Do we understand that every time we declare "what is" as "what ought to be" we are committing a fallacy and playing God? What are your answers? Blessings!