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argument_from_values
The argument from values asserts that a particular action, policy, or position should be adopted because it aligns with or promotes a specified value (justice, freedom, equality, prosperity, safety, etc.). The scheme links factual claims about consequences to normative claims about what matters. It is the most fundamental form of normative argumentation: we should do X because X serves value V, and V is important. Its strength depends on whether the audience shares the invoked value and whether the action truly promotes it.
We should provide free school lunches to all students regardless of family income because every child deserves equal access to nutrition and education. The value of equality and child welfare outweighs the additional cost to taxpayers.
We should implement a four-day work week because personal time, family life, and mental health are values that a humane society must protect. Productivity gains documented in pilot programs show we don't have to sacrifice economic output to honor these values.
This social media platform should remove all anonymous accounts because transparency and accountability are foundational to honest public discourse. When people speak under their real names, they are more likely to engage responsibly and less likely to spread harmful content.
Binary (yes/no) questions an LLM must answer to identify this aspect:
Is a specific value being invoked to support a conclusion?
Type: binaryIs the value actually relevant to the situation at hand?
Type: binaryAre competing values being acknowledged and weighed?
Type: binaryIs the claimed connection between the value and the action genuine?
Type: binaryThe argument from values asserts that a particular action, policy, or position should be adopted because it aligns with or promotes a specified value (justice, freedom, equality, prosperity, safety, etc.). The scheme links factual claims about consequences to normative claims about what matters. It is the most fundamental form of normative argumentation: we should do X because X serves value V, and V is important. Its strength depends on whether the audience shares the invoked value and whether the action truly promotes it.
Values are deeply held convictions that feel non-negotiable. When an action is linked to a cherished value, opposing the action feels like opposing the value itself, which is psychologically difficult.
Ask whether the action truly promotes the stated value or merely invokes it rhetorically. Consider whether competing values (liberty vs. safety, equality vs. efficiency) are being ignored. Examine whether the value linkage is genuine or superficial.
Value arguments are the foundation of political platforms, constitutional interpretation, ethical debates in medicine and technology, and corporate mission statements.
Use these tools to detect, analyze, or train this aspect.