Page "Ethical naturalism" Paragraph 25

Sam Harris argues that there are societally optimal " moral peaks " to discover. In modern times, many thinkers discussing the fact-value distinction and the Is-ought problem have settled on the idea that one cannot derive ought from is.

Conversely, Harris maintains that the fact-value distinction is a confusion, proposing that values are really a certain kind of fact.

Specifically, Harris suggests that values amount to empirical statements about " the flourishing of conscious creatures in a society ".

He argues that there are objective answers to moral questions, even if some are difficult or impossible to possess in practice.

In this way, he says, science can tell us what to value.

Harris adds that we do not demand absolute certainty from predictions in physics so we should not demand that of a science studying morality.