What is the difference between normative and prescriptive?

I felt I had to share this AI explanation of a very important concept, namely ‘normative’. It is also another example of how amazing ChatGPT is at explaining things. If i want to understand almost anything, especially something I am a bit confused by or I want to relate two things together that no one else has posted on, AI will help me, often quite brilliantly.

A side point, but possibly of huge importance if it turns out to be correct: AI can potentially turn anyone into a good teacher and help anyone understand almost anything, in part, because it doesn’t care what level you are at or how many times you ask; it can also explain things in language a five-year old can understand or any other level you choose. It probably presupposes certain cultural understandings, but I imagine that anthropologists will soon ask people not encultured into Western or industrial conditions to try learning with AI and that will yield interesting knowledge.

As someone deeply concerned by the poor state of democracy in so much of the world, but particularly in Britain and the US, and the even poorer state of voter knowledge (which is partly what is destroying any chance of a decent, working democracy), AI could be part of the last hope.

jd: what is normative?

AI: The term “normative” generally refers to things that relate to norms, or standards of behavior or thought that are considered acceptable within a particular society or culture. In philosophy and social sciences, “normative” is often used to describe ideas, values, or beliefs that prescribe or suggest how things ought to be, as opposed to how they are.

For example, a normative statement might be “one should always tell the truth,” while a descriptive statement would be “people often lie.” The former is a normative statement because it prescriptively asserts what is right or wrong, while the latter is a descriptive statement because it simply describes what is the case.

Normative statements are often contrasted with positive statements, which describe what is the case, and with prescriptive statements, which recommend or prescribe what ought to be.

jd: i don’t quite understand what the difference is between normative and prescriptive – they sound like the same thing.

AI: You’re not alone! The distinction between normative and prescriptive can be somewhat subtle, and these terms are sometimes used interchangeably. However, in some contexts, there is a distinction made between the two.

In general, normative statements are concerned with how things ought to be, while prescriptive statements are specifically concerned with prescribing or recommending how things ought to be. So, a normative statement might say that honesty is good, while a prescriptive statement might say that you should always be honest.

In this sense, prescriptive statements are a type of normative statement, as they are concerned with what is considered to be right or wrong, good or bad, etc. However, not all normative statements are prescriptive – for example, a normative statement that says “lying is bad” does not prescribe what someone ought to do, it simply makes a judgment about what is considered bad.

In any case, the distinction between normative and prescriptive can be somewhat fluid and context-dependent, and the terms are sometimes used interchangeably.

Wonderful! Given that much of the future is going to be about actually doing what we ought to do, it is doesn’t get much more momentous than this.