Normative reasons are facts or considerations that favor, guide, or justify a particular belief, attitude, or action, essentially pointing to what one should do or think, as opposed to what one did do. They serve as premises in good reasoning, offering a standard for evaluating choices and providing a basis for an agent’s actions or beliefs.
Key Characteristics
- Guidance and Support:Normative reasons are considerations that count in favor of a certain response, such as an action or a belief.Â
- Normative Status:They possess a normative or evaluative character, meaning they are connected to concepts like “ought” or “should,” indicating what is right or appropriate.Â
- Justification:They provide a justification for an action or belief, explaining why it is a good or appropriate choice.Â
- Divergence from Motivating Reasons:They differ from motivating reasons (also known as explanatory reasons or “reasons for which” someone acts), which are the actual facts that move an agent to act, even if those facts are not good reasons. For instance, someone might be motivated to act for a poor reason, but a normative reason would be a “good” reason for that action.Â
Examples
- For an Action:The fact that smoking is bad for your health is a normative reason to quit smoking, as it counts in favor of quitting.Â
- For a Belief:The fact that there is strong scientific evidence for a particular theory is a normative reason to believe that theory.Â
Role in Philosophy
- Normativity:The concept of normativity in philosophy is largely understood in terms of reasons, as these are considerations that recommend or speak for or against attitudes or responses.Â
- Deliberation:Normative reasons are central to deliberation, the process of reflecting on what one should think or do, and they are constitutively suited to figure in this process.Â
- Justification vs. Explanation:Philosophers distinguish between reasons that justify an action (normative reasons) and reasons that explain why an action was performed (motivating or explanatory reasons)