Vocabulary Builder — Essay & Answer Writing
Normative
Relating to or establishing a standard, model, or norm; prescribing what ought to be (as opposed to descriptive, which describes what is); in ethics and law, referring to value-laden standards that guide behaviour or judgement
Latin norma (carpenter's square, rule, pattern) + -ive (relating to)
"India's multi-alignment doctrine occupies a contested normative space — proponents argue it is a principled commitment to strategic autonomy, while critics contend it is merely expedient neutrality dressed in normative language."
Core analytical term for GS4 (Ethics — normative vs descriptive ethics), GS2 (IR — normative frameworks, international law), and Essay. Key distinctions: Normative ethics (what ought to be — utilitarianism, deontology, virtue ethics) vs Descriptive ethics (what moral beliefs people actually hold). In IR: normative power (EU's approach — spreading values/norms vs realist power). Constitutional provisions have normative force — Directive Principles guide policy-makers normatively. Normative frameworks: UN Charter, UDHR, Paris Agreement — set standards states 'ought' to follow.
