"Should" implies a goal according to some set of values.
Let me rephrase my question: Suppose I presented a series of well-crafted studies which show that people often use the word 'should' without intending to make reference to an assumed set of terminal values. I mean that people often use the word 'should' to ask questions like 'What should my ultimate, terminal values be?'
Would your reaction to these studies be:
1) I guess I was wrong when I said that '"Should" implies a goal according to some set of values'. Apparently people use the word 'should' to talk about the values themselves and without necessarily implying a higher up set of values.
or
2) Many people appear to be confused about what 'should' means. Though it appears to be a well formed English sentence, the question 'what should my ultimate, terminal values be?' is in fact nonsense.
In other words, when you say that 'should' implies a goal according to some set of values, are you making a claim about language, such as might be found in a dictionary, or are you making a claim about meta-ethical facts, such as might be found in a philosophy paper?
Or do you mean something else entirely?
I endorse the answers that TylerJay gave to this question, he's saying basically the same thing as I was trying to get at.
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