Which term describes a statement about what is, based on facts?

Which term describes a statement about what is, based on facts?

• A. Nonnormative statement
• B. Normative statement
• C. Empirical verification
• D. Falsifiable

Answer: (A)

Descriptive statements describe how the world is, relying on facts and evidence rather than value judgments. A statement about what is, based on facts, is describing reality without prescribing what should be done, so it is nonnormative. Normative statements express judgments about what ought to be or what should be valued. Empirical verification refers to the process of testing claims against evidence, not to the label of the statement itself. Falsifiable describes whether a claim can be tested and possibly shown false, which is a property of a claim's testability, not the descriptive quality of the statement. So the term that best fits a factual, reality-describing statement is nonnormative.

Descriptive statements describe how the world is, relying on facts and evidence rather than value judgments. A statement about what is, based on facts, is describing reality without prescribing what should be done, so it is nonnormative. Normative statements express judgments about what ought to be or what should be valued. Empirical verification refers to the process of testing claims against evidence, not to the label of the statement itself. Falsifiable describes whether a claim can be tested and possibly shown false, which is a property of a claim's testability, not the descriptive quality of the statement. So the term that best fits a factual, reality-describing statement is nonnormative.