Abstracts
Abstract
Our goal is to analyze the distinction between factual statements and opinions from a philosophical—specifically an epistemological—perspective. Section 1 reviews the most common criteria for drawing the distinction, which while inadequate, as explained in Section 2, still plays an important cultural and political role. In Section 3, we argue that the difference between factual statements and opinions does not involve a single criterion. Instead, the conceptual structure of the terms ‘fact’ and ‘opinion’ is analogous to that of natural kinds—terms with multiple dimensions. We expect that improved theory will lead to improvements in pedagogy, decision-making, and public discourse. But these consequences are not our chief focus.
Keywords:
- fact,
- opinion,
- Pew Research Organization,
- natural kinds
Résumé
Notre objectif est d'analyser la distinction entre les énoncés factuels et les opinions d'un point de vue philosophique, et plus précisément épistémologique. La section 1 passe en revue les critères les plus courants pour établir la distinction qui, bien qu'insuffisante, comme expliqué dans la section 2, joue néanmoins un rôle culturel et politique important. Dans la section 3, nous soutenons que la différence entre les déclarations factuelles et les opinions n'implique pas un seul critère. Au lieu de cela, la structure conceptuelle des termes « fait » et « opinion » est analogue à celle des genres naturels, termes à dimensions multiples. Nous nous attendons à ce que l'amélioration de la théorie conduise à des améliorations dans la pédagogie, la prise de décision et le discours public. Mais ces conséquences ne sont pas notre principal objectif.
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Appendices
Bibliography
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