There was no homework this past weekend, which might have given you a chance to reflect a little more on the results of the survey we did in class on Friday. As you have probably already guessed, the results did not surprise me: I was expecting the sort of disagreement and variation in the answers that the results, for both groups 1 and 2, clearly show.The disagreement among the members of the class is already apparent when we consider, for example, the very first survey statement, as seen in the tables below.
The sun circles the Earth, which is at the centre of the universe.
Fact
|
Opinion
|
Both F and O
|
Neither F nor O
| |
33.3%
|
33.3%
|
11.1%
|
22.2%
| |
36.4%
|
18.2%
|
27.3%
|
18.2%
|
The sun circles the Earth, which is at the centre of the universe.
True
|
False
|
Both T and F
|
Neither T nor F
| |
group 1
|
0.0%
|
100.0%
|
0.0%
|
0.0%
|
group 2
|
0.0%
|
90.9%
|
0.0%
|
9.1%
|
Although there is substantial agreement that the claim in the sincerely believed statement that "The sun circles the Earth, which is at the centre of the universe," is false, there is much less agreement, in fact no agreement, as to whether this sentence states a fact or an opinion, or both or neither. The disagreement, I suspect, comes from what we have already seen in our discussions in class to be a powerful source of misunderstanding and confusion: uncertainty or disagreement over what a term, whether a word or a phrase, means. Whilst the adjectives true and false seem OK at the moment, this first statement from the survey suggests that some discussion of the meaning of the terms fact and opinion is called for. So, what do you think? - What is a fact? What does the noun fact mean?
- What is an opinion? What does opinion mean?
- What connection, if any, exists between these two terms?
As we also saw on Friday, in our discussion of expository versus pervasive writing, Zemach, Broudy and Valvona attach some importance to the concepts behind the words fact and opinion (2011, p. 11). And in fact, when we come to Unit 4 later this week, we will see that these authors emphasize the terms by putting them in bold formatting (p. 25). Their discussion on these pages of our text book suggests a couple of other questions worth some discussion:
- What do Zemach, Broudy and Valvona think that the words fact and opinion mean? What do they think a fact is? An opinion?
- Do we, or should we, agree with them?
- Why or why not?
Our agreement on the truth or falsity of the statements largely holds until we come to the moral questions, where it, too, begins to break down, as shown in the responses to the statement about slavery.
Slavery is normally morally acceptable.
Fact
|
Opinion
|
Both F and O
|
Neither F nor O
| |
group 1
|
0.0%
|
88.9%
|
11.1%
|
0.0%
|
group 2
|
9.1%
|
63.6%
|
18.2%
|
9.1%
|
Slavery is normally morally acceptable.
True
|
False
|
Both T and F
|
Neither T nor F
| |
group 1
|
0.0%
|
33.3%
|
22.2%
|
44.4%
|
group 2
|
0.0%
|
45.5%
|
27.3%
|
27.3%
|
Which brings us to the next set of questions on which some discussion seems needed:
- What does it mean to say that a statement is true?
- What does it mean to say that a statement is false?
- And the related question for the noun: what is truth?
- Another related question that might usefully be considered here is: what makes a statement true or false?
- And how do we decide whether a particular statement is true or false, or something else?
- Since these terms do not come up with the same explicit emphasis in Zemach, Broudy and Valvona, we probably need not worry about whether we think they are right or not.
Finally, in our discussion on Friday, such terms as proof, evidence and knowledge also came up.
- How do the concepts behind the nouns proof, evidence and knowledge fit in to the discussion here?
All of the terms I've suggested we spend some time discussing here are basic to academic work, regardless of the field, so some clarity would be useful. In fact, I think that such notions as fact and opinion, true and false, proof and knowledge are important in pretty much every area of life where we think that reason and evidence matter, They deserve some clarification.
So, what do you think? Please feel welcome to share your ideas in a comment, or two, or a reply, or two, below.
When you first comment or reply, remember to check the "Notify me" box
so you get an advice when a classmate contributes to the discussion.
__________
Reference
Zemach, D. E., Broudy, D. & Valvona, C. (2011). Writing Research Papers: From Essay to Research Paper. Oxford: Macmillan.
11 responses. (2015, June 12). Retrieved from https://docs.google.com/a/auathailand.org/forms/d/1NQp-uZ0YrOw4YpSADyC1zTLKW3uQKz0S9FhrwlbW-AY/viewanalytics
9 responses. (2015, June 12). Retrieved from https://docs.google.com/a/auathailand.org/forms/d/1ZEexqD8bFFJTHVHDPLEuqBEAsZf9T8DBlMYqpGom1sw/viewanalytics
As you may have noticed, I've turned the forms off.
ReplyDeleteIn a couple of weeks, when we've had some time to reflect, review and perhaps revise our initial ideas, I'll run the survey again.
I think facts can be objectively proven or disproven to all parties whereas opinions cannot.
ReplyDeleteTo be precise, 'empirically proven or disproven'
DeleteProofing means showing beyond reasonably doubt that something is true or false. Evidence is an indication of proof.
For example, before Einstein has found relativity, light is a wave. It's a fact, and most of the scientists assumed it's true. But after the theory of relativity, light becomes a particle and a wave at the same time.
The example shows that the fact can be proven or disproven to all parties.
Thank you Mew for kicking the discussion off with some very helpful ideas to work with.
DeleteI also like Mew's idea to just discuss one part of the issues here - that's likely a more practical strategy than trying to answer all the issues in one post.
DeleteIn my opinion, I think “fact” is an idea or a statement which has evidence to support it and that can be true or false based on information at that time. However, “opinion” is an idea or a statement which is only based on your thought or experience and has no supporting evidence.
ReplyDeletePersonally, there is no need to think that it is true or false on “opinion” because it will be the opinion of opinion.
In my opinion, a fact is a statememt that can be checked, backed up, and proved with evidence.For example, if ice is heated, it melts.
ReplyDeleteAn opinion is just a thought of a person towards things. It cannot be judged as right or wrong and it could not be checked.
I think that when we say something is true, it means that this information is real. It can be proved or supported that this information come from something that really happen.
ReplyDeleteHowever, when we say something is false, it means it is lack of support to prove that it really happens.
From my point of view, a fact is a statement that can be proved. It is considered to be true because it has an evidence to support and prove that it's real.
ReplyDeleteOn the contrary, an opinion is a statement that reflects what people think. It might be either true or false.
Does the sun circle the Earth?
ReplyDeleteNo, it does not. This means that it is not now a fact.
Did the sun ever circle the Earth?
No, it did not. This means that it was never a fact. The near universal belief of the Western world from the time of Aristotle to Copernicus was wrong. Everyone held a false belief about the Earth and the sun. The belief we have held since Galileo, that the sun is at the centre of a our solar system, is true; that is, it is a fact. And it was always a fact, even when we did not and could not have known it. Indeed, when our wrong ancestors had good reasons for their false beliefs about the Earth and the sun.
I think the same apply to our beliefs about slavery, with the truths of mathematics, for which there is zero evidence, being a useful link between opinions about the physical world and the moral world.