normative

Normative has specialized meanings in several academic disciplines. Generically, it means relating to a typical standard or model.

Philosophy

In philosophy, normative is usually contrasted with positive (i.e. descriptive) or explanatory when describing types of theories, beliefs, or propositions. Descriptive (or constative) statements are falsifiable statements that attempt to describe reality. Normative statements, on the other hand, affirm how things should or ought to be, how to value them, which things are good or bad, which actions are right or wrong.

It is only with David Hume in the 18th century that philosophers began to take cognizance of the logical difference between normative and descriptive statements and thinking, although Socrates had emphatically established it more than two thousand years before.^{[citation needed]} There are several schools of thought regarding the status of normative statements and whether they can be rationally discussed or defended. Among these schools are the tradition of practical reason extending from Aristotle through Kant to Habermas, which asserts that they can, and the tradition of emotivism, which maintains that they are merely expressions of emotions and have no rational content.

Normative statements and norms, as well as their meanings, are an integral part of human life. They are fundamental for prioritizing goals and organizing and planning thought, belief, emotion and action and are the basis of much ethical and political discourse.

Standards

In standards terminology, "normative" means "considered to be a prescriptive part of the standard". For example, many standards have an introduction, preface, or summary that is considered non-normative, as well as a main body that is considered normative. "Compliance" is defined as "complies with the normative sections of the standard"; an object that complies with the normative sections but not the non-normative sections of a standard is still considered to be in compliance.

Social sciences and economics

See economics aspect in normative economics.

In social sciences the term "normative" is used to describe the effects of those structures of culture which regulate the function of social activity. While there are always anomalies in social activity (typically described as "crime") the normative effects of popularly-endorsed beliefs (such as "family values" or "common sense") push most social activity towards a generally homogenous set, resulting in varying degrees of social stability.

Normative behavior is a term used in sociology to describe actions intended to normalize something, or make it acceptable.

Law

In law, as an academic discipline, the term "normative" is used to describe the way something ought to be done according to a value position. For example, from one normative value position the purpose of the criminal process may be to repress crime whilst from another position, it could be to protect individuals from the moral harm of wrongful conviction. It simply refers to different value positions.

See also

• Economics
• Hypothesis
• Norm (philosophy)
• Normative economics
• Normative ethics
• Philosophy of law
• Political science
• Scientific method
• Value
• Georges Canguilhem
• Michel Foucault

Further reading

• Canguilhem, Georges, The Normal and the Pathological, ISBN 0-942299-59-0.

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