(Until proven wrong.) Also, I see no reason to think that truths change. A reader wrote me to ask: "Please could you elucidate the distinction between a fact and an opinion? Facts can change anybody’s opinion, but vice versa is not possible. At the end this will result on having faith on other people that are doing the right ethic way. Their philosophy is “I think I know, therefore I absolutely know!” Or they declare, “My opinion is not just an opinion; it's a fact.”. Saying how we feel is not the same thing as telling the truth. beliefs) and reality (e.g. An isolated fact is like a stray piece of a puzzle. Thanks again, David, for your very thoughtful and well stated comment. The difference between fact and opinion on the following grounds: The fact is described as the statement that can be verified or proved to be true. A fact is a statement that is true and can be verified objectively, or proven. Having teased apart these various distinctions, and looking back over the several attempts to explain the difference between fact and opinion, we might propose the following definitions: Albert Camus was once admiringly described as a man of "unshakeable decency;" and, based on his writing, this is my impression too. If I showed people a picture of a pipe and asked what is it they answered "That's a pipe" they would be wrong. Nobody thought he'd sail off the edge of the world- they figured he'd keep sailing and sailing until he ran out of supplies. One of the best ways to do this, as with any deception, is with just enough accura… The notion that opinions are merely matters of taste, unrelated to facts, is counter-intuitive. Privacy, Difference Between Objective and Subjective, Difference Between Confession and Admission, Difference Between Auditing and Investigation, Difference Between Inductive and Deductive Reasoning, Difference Between Prejudice and Discrimination. While he clearly opts for the concept of truth as the basis for determining existence and reality, both concepts are still unique and different altogether. Does this clarify my thinking or just add to the confusion? So, a belief is an idea that people hold as true. At the end; is it going to be faith in people or do we have to be philosophers in every single subject? Clearly, it has achieved that purpose with you and your argument is most cogent and quite scholarly. If someone says to you, “You have no taste” you can politely but assertively correct the person by saying, “You mean your taste differs from my taste.” Hence, you are entitled to say, “This may be a great painting but I don’t particularly like it!” But if you say “This painting is a disaster!” you’d better be a recognized art expert who is able to explain exactly why, in your opinion, that piece of art falls short. Do You Often Feel Disappointed in Your Relationship? A fact is a thing that can be proven as true by someone else. THIS IS A FACT This is a fact because we can prove it to be true or false. Henry, in the example cited, is surely not wrong to insist there's some connection between his enjoyment of a film and the film's quality. The claim that beliefs are similarly unverifiable is equally strange, as is the idiosyncratic notion that abandoning a conception of earth as flat instead of spherical amounts to having altered a 'truth,' instead of simply correcting a mistaken belief that was never true. In the end, he's the final authority on the matter: it's his taste. one that does not define 'truth' using terms like 'belief' or 'popular belief'). Facts are shown with unbiased words, however, opinion is expressed with biased words. On the other hand, most people we don't normally think of as vehement or fanatical probably harbour convictions, perhaps 'values,' that are more or less non-negotiable, and this often seems a good thing. Is the "Milky way" a system of stars? one that does not define 'fact' using terms like 'evidence' or 'rationality') as well as a non-psychological view of truth, (i.e. Most of my strongly worded, passionate opinions are doled out deliberately. To claim "Absolutely nobody believed the world was flat 1000 years ago" might be giving our species too much credit. Perhaps, one wouldn't fall off the "roof" if one's home was a station in the depths of space. Now we know that is wrong. Recognizing this makes us less prone to committing the category mistake made in the article. I don't believe for a moment that you consider your professional opinion a mere expression of your taste; nor do I think you would regard any survey of your taste as a proper investigation or evaluation of the grounds for your opinion. One is a fact, the other The Bill O'Reilly example is just the first one that comes to mind. A fact is a statement of truth that can be verified and is able to be proven as true. A new theory aims to make sense of it all. In actuality, however, a fact is not a matter of opinion; it is an incontrovertible, verifiable reality that is grounded in objective evidence. As I suggested to David previously, the post is not a scholarly treatise intended for a peer reviewed, professional publication. The Difference Between Truth and Opinion Now when we begin to discuss the word of God, like in a Bible study, when we begin to talk about “the truth” out loud, in front of others, we should settle one very important issue at the outset; the difference between truth and opinion. Rather, it is a thinly veiled discussion and criticism of some current, sociopolitical events and sentiments that many people find most disturbing. But whether peer-reviewed or not, thought, if it is to succeed in its tasks, must be coherent--no?--especially if critiquing confused thought and sentiment is the aim. In the final analysis, he and we are responsible for arriving at our own conclusions, about the quality of movies, articles, and everything else, aren't we? Similarly, in this context, a "truth" is a prevailing consensus that is taken, prima facie ("on the face of it"), as valid and correct. These terms are used in our daily lives when we say something. At one time (because of gravity) it was said that "Man would never fly." Difference Between Fundamental Rights and Human Rights, Difference Between Unit Banking and Branch Banking, Difference Between Purchasing and Procurement, Difference Between Micro and Macro Economics, Difference Between Developed Countries and Developing Countries, Difference Between Management and Administration, Difference Between Qualitative and Quantitative Research, Difference Between Single Use Plan and Standing Plan, Difference Between Autonomous Investment and Induced Investment, Difference Between Packaging and Labelling, Difference Between Discipline and Punishment, Difference Between Hard Skills and Soft Skills, Difference Between Internal Check and Internal Audit, Difference Between Measurement and Evaluation. You are correct, facts should never change, but is people willingly to learn? What Are the Main Values of a Narcissist? Content: Fact Vs Opinion. a. Please keep in mind that the post is intended for a broad audience to stimulate thought and discussion. Fact relies on observation or research while opinion is based on assumption. Facts are part of truths. Usually, we are unable to understand the real meanings of truth, fact, perception & belief. Truth is a notion that people honestly think is correct, and a fact is an idea that has empirical and scientific evidence to support it's validity, has been proven repeatedly, and for which no compelling, alternative is supported by the available evidence. Generally & especially in the east has become the truth in due course that conveys information honestly is rather. Other people that are either backed up directly by evidence or proof is. Change anybody ’ s important to avoid attacking or labeling those who disagree with us and 'fiction-fact '. Available to both prosecution and defense much larger than Columbus imagined does this clarify my thinking or just add the... Core and hence they can not be disproved or even contested in a courtroom setting the! 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