determineshould

Determineshould is a coined term used in discussions of normative reasoning and decision theory to describe a procedural step that yields the normative instruction that should be followed, given a set of facts and value commitments. It articulates the transition from descriptive information to prescriptive guidance, highlighting the moment at which evaluation of duties, preferences, and consequences yields a recommended action.

Origin and concept. The term blends determine and should, and is often invoked in thought experiments, ethical analysis, and artificial intelligence debates to isolate the moment of normative conclusion within a larger decision process. It is not a formal standard in established philosophy or law, but rather a descriptive label for a common kind of reasoning: starting from information about the world and the agent’s values, then producing an ought statement about what to do.

Usage in philosophy and AI. In normative ethics and practical philosophy, determineshould is used to discuss how conclusions about right action are reached, separating factual assessment from normative judgment. In AI and decision-support systems, the concept describes the component that maps inputs—facts, constraints, and value weights—to a recommended action, thereby making explicit the hinge from data to duty.

Example. In a resource-limited medical triage scenario, determineshould considers patient outcomes, fairness, and policy constraints to suggest prioritizing patients with the highest expected benefit, while accounting for equity concerns.

Criticism and reception. Critics argue that the term can obscure the pluralism of moral frameworks and mask underlying assumptions about which values take precedence. Others see it as a useful shorthand for analyzing where normative conclusions originate within a complex decision process.