You can't derive an 'ought' from an 'is', articulated by Scottish philosopher and historian,David Hume (1711–1776), Hume found that there seems to be a significant difference between descriptive statements (about what is) and prescriptive or normative
statements (about what ought to be),
and it is not obvious how we can get from making descriptive statements to prescriptive. means that
moral theories (ought) can not be deduced from
factual knowledge (is).
Yet, as David Deutsch points out, the growth of knowledge does not consist of
finding ways to justify one's beliefs.
In the case of 9/11
The conspiracy theory (the US Government did it) is a factual
misconception but it bears the imprint
of a moral wrongness as clearly as a fossil
bears the imprint of ancient life.
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