Opinion

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

In general, an opinion is a judgment, viewpoint, or statement that is not conclusive. It may
deal with subjective matters in which there is no conclusive finding, or it may deal with facts
which are sought to be disputed by the logical fallacy that one is entitled to their opinions.
What distinguishes fact from opinion is that facts are more likely to be verifiable, i.e. can be
agreed to by the consensus of experts. An example is: "United States of America was
involved in the Vietnam War" versus "United States of America was right to get involved in
the Vietnam War". An opinion may be supported by facts and principles, in which case it
becomes an argument. Different people may draw opposing conclusions (opinions) even if
they agree on the same set of facts. Opinions rarely change without new arguments being
presented. It can be reasoned that one opinion is better supported by the facts than another
by analyzing the supporting arguments.[1] In casual use, the term opinion may be the result
of a person's perspective, understanding, particular feelings, beliefs, and desires. It may
refer to unsubstantiated information, in contrast to knowledge and fact.

Epistemology

In economics, other social sciences and philosophy, analysis of social phenomena based on
one's own opinion(s) is referred to as normative analysis (what ought to be), as opposed
to positive analysis, which is based on scientific observation (what materially is or is
empirically demonstrable).

Historically, the distinction of demonstrated knowledge and opinion was articulated

by Ancient Greek philosophers. Today, Plato's analogy of the divided line is a well-known
illustration of the distinction between knowledge and opinion, or knowledge and belief, in
customary terminology of contemporary philosophy. Opinions can be persuasive, but only
the assertions they are based on can be said to be true or false.
Public opinion

In contemporary usage, public opinion is the aggregate of individual attitudes or beliefs held
by a population (e.g., a city, state, or country), while consumer opinion is the similar
aggregate collected as part of marketing research (e.g., opinions of users of a particular
product or service). Typically, because the process of gathering opinions from all individuals
are difficult, expensive, or impossible to obtain, public opinion (or consumer opinion) is
estimated using survey sampling (e.g., with a representative sample of a population).
Group opinion

In some social sciences, especially political science and psychology, group opinion refers to
the aggregation of opinions collected from a group of subjects, such as members of
ajury, legislature, committee, or other collective decision-making body. In these situations,
researchers are often interested in questions related to social choice, conformity, andgroup
polarization.
Scientific opinion

"The scientific opinion" (or scientific consensus) can be compared to "the public opinion" and
generally refers to the collection of the opinions of many different scientific organizations and
entities and individual scientists in the relevant field. Science may often, however, be
"partial, temporally contingent, conflicting, and uncertain" so that there may be no accepted
consensus for a particular situation. In other circumstances, a particular scientific opinion
may be at odds with consensus. Scientific literacy, also called public understanding of
science, is an educational goal. Concerned with providing the public with the necessary
tools to benefit from scientific opinion.
Legal opinion

A "legal opinion" or "closing opinion" is a type of professional opinion, usually contained in a

formal legal-opinion letter, given by an attorney to a client or a third party. Most legal
opinions are given in connection with business transactions. The opinion expresses the
attorney's professional judgment regarding the legal matters addressed. The opinion can be
"clean" or "reasoned". A legal opinion is not a guarantee that a court will reach any particular
result. However, a mistaken or incomplete legal opinion may be grounds for a professional
malpractice claim against the attorney, pursuant to which the attorney may be required to
pay the claimant damages incurred as a result of relying on the faulty opinion.
Judicial opinion

A "judicial opinion" or "opinion of the court" is an opinion of a judge or group of judges that
accompanies and explains an order or ruling in a controversy before the court. A judicial
option generally lays out the facts that the court recognized as being established, the legal
principles the court is bound by, and the application of the relevant principles to the
recognized facts. The goal is to demonstrate the rationale the court used in reaching its
decision. Judges in the United States are usually required to provide a well-reasoned basis
for their decisions and the contents of their judicial opinions may contain the grounds for
appealing and reversing of their decision by a higher court. Judicial opinions are discussed
further in the articles on common law and precedent.
Editorial opinion

An "editorial opinion" is the evaluation of a topic by a newspaper as conveyed on its editorial

page.

opinionnoun
UK /əˈpɪn.jən/ US /əˈpɪn.jən/

B1 [ C ] a thought or belief about something or someone:

What's your opinion about/on the matter?

People tend to have strong opinions on capital punishment.

He didn't express/give an opinion on the matter.

Who, in your opinion, (= who do you think) is the best soccer player in the worldtoday?
He's very much of the opinion that alternative medicine is a waste of time.

B2 [ U ] the thoughts or beliefs that a group of people have:

Eventually, the government will have to take notice of public opinion.

There is a diverse range of opinion on the issue.

There was a difference of opinion as to the desirability of the project.

Opinion is divided as to whether the treatment actually works.

Both performances were excellent, it's simply a matter of opinion as to whose wasbetter.

B1 [ C ] a judgment about someone or something:

Her opinion of Adam changed after he was so helpful at the wedding.

She has a good/high opinion of his abilities (= thinks he is good).

I have a pretty bad/low/poor opinion of my sister's boyfriend (= I do not like orapprove of

him).

He has a very high opinion of himself (= thinks he is very skilled/clever in a way that
is annoying).

B1 [ C ] a judgment made by an expert:

My doctor has referred me to a specialist for a second opinion on the results of
myblood test.

More Examples :

 It is my considered opinion that he should be promoted.

 What amazes me is her complete disregard for anyone else's opinion.
 What's your expert opinion?
 She has strong opinions about religion.
 Her experience does give her opinions quite a bit of weight.

By : Cambridge Dictionary
Fact
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

A fact is a statement that is true or can be proved with evidence. The usual test for a
statement of fact is verifiability — that is, whether it can be demonstrated to correspond to
experience. Standard reference works are often used to check facts. Scientific facts are
verified by repeatable careful observation or measurement (by experiments or other means).

Etymology and usage

The word "fact" derives from the Latin factum, and was first used in English with the same
meaning: a thing done or performed, a meaning now obsolete. The common usage of
"something that has really occurred or is the case" dates from the middle of the sixteenth
century.
Fact is sometimes used synonymously with truth, as distinct from opinions, falsehoods, or
matters of taste. This use is found in such phrases as, "It is a fact that the cup is blue" or
"Matter of fact", and "... not history, nor fact, but imagination." Filmmaker Werner
Herzog distinguishes between the two, claiming that "Fact creates norms, and truth
illumination."
Fact also indicates a matter under discussion deemed to be true or correct, such as to
emphasize a point or prove a disputed issue; (e.g., "... the fact of the matter is ...").
Alternatively, fact may also indicate an allegation or stipulation of something that may or may
not be a true fact, (e.g., "the author's facts are not trustworthy"). This alternate usage,
although contested by some, has a long history in standard English.
Fact may also indicate findings derived through a process of evaluation, including review of
testimony, direct observation, or otherwise; as distinguishable from matters of inference or
speculation. This use is reflected in the terms "fact-find" and "fact-finder" (e.g., "set up a fact-
finding commission").
Facts may be checked by reason, experiment, personal experience, or may be argued from
authority. Roger Bacon wrote "If in other sciences we should arrive at certainty without doubt
and truth without error, it behooves us to place the foundations of knowledge in
mathematics."

In philosophy
In philosophy, the concept fact is considered in epistemology and ontology. Questions
of objectivity and truth are closely associated with questions of fact. A "fact" can be defined
as something that is the case—that is, a state of affairs.
Facts may be understood as information that makes a true sentence true. Facts may also be
understood as those things to which a true sentence refers. The statement "Jupiter is the
largest planet in the solar system" is about the fact Jupiter is the largest planet in the solar
system.
Correspondence and the slingshot argument
Engel's version of the correspondence theory of truth explains that what makes a sentence
true is that it corresponds to a fact. This theory presupposes the existence of an objective
world.
The Slingshot argument claims to show that all true statements stand for the same thing -
the truth value true. If this argument holds, and facts are taken to be what true statements
stand for, then we reach the counter-intuitive conclusion that there is only one fact - the truth.
Compound facts
Any non-trivial true statement about reality is necessarily an abstraction composed of a
complex of objects and properties or relations. For example, the fact described by the true
statement "Paris is the capital city of France" implies that there is such a place as Paris,
there is such a place as France, there are such things as capital cities, as well as that
France has a government, that the government of France has the power to define its capital
city, and that the French government has chosen Paris to be the capital, that there is such a
thing as a place or a government, and so on. The verifiable accuracy of all of these
assertions, if facts themselves, may coincide to create the fact that Paris is the capital of
France.
Difficulties arise, however, in attempting to identify the constituent parts of negative, modal,
disjunctive, or moral facts.
Fact–value distinction
Main article: Fact–value distinction

Moral philosophers since David Hume have debated whether values are objective, and thus
factual. In A Treatise of Human Nature Hume pointed out there is no obvious way for a
series of statements about what ought to be the case to be derived from a series of
statements of what is the case. Those who insist there is a logical gulf between facts and
values, such that it is fallacious to attempt to derive values from facts, include G. E. Moore,
who called attempting to do so the naturalistic fallacy.
Factual–counterfactual distinction
Main article: Counterfactual conditional

Factuality—what has occurred—can also be contrasted with counter factuality: what might
have occurred, but did not. A counterfactual conditional or subjunctive conditional is a
conditional (or "if-then") statement indicating what would be the case if events had been
other than they were. For example, "If Alexander had lived, his empire would have been
greater than Rome." This contrasts with an indicative conditional, which indicates what is (in
fact) the case if its antecedent is (in fact) true—for example, "If you drink this, it will make
you well."
Such sentences are important to modal logic, especially since the development of possible
world semantics.

In science
Further information: scientific method and philosophy of science

In science, a fact is a repeatable careful observation or measurement (by experimentation or

other means), also called empirical evidence. Facts are central to building scientific theories.
Various forms of observation and measurement lead to fundamental questions about
the scientific method, and the scope and validity of scientific reasoning.
In the most basic sense, a scientific fact is an objective and verifiable observation, in
contrast with a hypothesis or theory, which is intended to explain or interpret facts.
Various scholars have offered significant refinements to this basic formulation. Scientists are
careful to distinguish between: 1) states of affairs in the external world and 2) assertions of
fact that may be considered relevant in scientific analysis. The term is used in both senses in
the philosophy of science.
Scholars and clinical researchers in both the social and natural sciences have written about
numerous questions and theories that arise in the attempt to clarify the fundamental nature
of scientific fact. Pertinent issues raised by this inquiry include:
 the process by which "established fact" becomes recognized and accepted as such;
 whether and to what extent "fact" and "theoretic explanation" can be considered truly
independent and separable from one another;
 to what extent "facts" are influenced by the mere act of observation; and
 to what extent factual conclusions are influenced by history and consensus, rather than
a strictly systematic methodology.
Consistent with the idea of confirmation holism, some scholars assert "fact" to be necessarily
"theory-laden" to some degree. Thomas Kuhn points out that knowing what facts to
measure, and how to measure them, requires the use of other theories. For example, the
age of fossils is based on radiometric dating, which is justified by reasoning that radioactive
decay follows a Poisson process rather than a Bernoulli process. Similarly, Percy Williams
Bridgman is credited with the methodological position known as operationalism, which
asserts that all observations are not only influenced, but necessarily defined by the means
and assumptions used to measure them.
The scientific method
Apart from the fundamental inquiry into the nature of scientific fact, there remain the practical
and social considerations of how fact is investigated, established, and substantiated through
the proper application of the scientific method. Scientific facts are generally believed
independent of the observer: no matter who performs a scientific experiment, all observers
agree on the outcome. In addition to these considerations, there are the social and
institutional measures, such as peer review and accreditation, that are intended to
promote factual accuracy (among other interests) in scientific study.

In history
Further information: Historiography

A common rhetorical cliché states, "History is written by the winners." This phrase suggests
but does not examine the use of facts in the writing of history.
E. H. Carr in his 1961 volume What is History? argues that the inherent biases from the
gathering of facts makes the objective truth of any historical perspective idealistic and
impossible. Facts are, "like fish in the Ocean," of which we may only happen to catch a few,
only an indication of what is below the surface. Even a dragnet cannot tell us for certain what
it would be like to live below the Ocean's surface. Even if we do not discard any facts (or
fish) presented, we will always miss the majority; the site of our fishing, the methods
undertaken, the weather and even luck play a vital role in what we will catch. Additionally,
the composition of history is inevitably made up by the compilation of many different biases
of fact finding - all compounded over time. He concludes that for a historian to attempt a
more objective method, one must accept that history can only aspire to a conversation of the
present with the past - and that one's methods of fact gathering should be openly examined.
Historical truth and facts therefore change over time, and reflect only the present consensus
(if that).

In law
Further information: Evidence (law) and Trier of fact

In most common law jurisdictions, the general concept and analysis of fact reflects
fundamental principles of jurisprudence, and is supported by several well-established
standards. Matters of fact have various formal definitions under common law jurisdictions.
These include:

 an element required in legal pleadings to demonstrate a cause of action;

 the determinations of the finder of fact after evaluating admissible evidence produced in
a trial or hearing;
 a potential ground of reversible error forwarded on appeal in an appellate court; and
 any of various matters subject to investigation by official authority to establish whether
a crime has been perpetrated, and to establish culpability.
Legal pleadings
Main article: Pleading

A party to a civil suit generally must clearly state all relevant allegations of fact that form the
basis of a claim. The requisite level of precision and particularity of these allegations varies,
depending on the rules of civil procedure and jurisdiction. Parties who face uncertainties
regarding facts and circumstances attendant to their side in a dispute may sometimes invoke
alternative pleading. In this situation, a party may plead separate sets of facts that (when
considered together) may be contradictory or mutually exclusive. This (seemingly) logically-
inconsistent presentation of facts may be necessary as a safeguard against contingencies
(such as res judicata) that would otherwise preclude presenting a claim or defense that
depends on a particular interpretation of the underlying facts.
Submissions by Amicus Curiae
The United States Supreme Court receives and often cites 'facts' obtained from amicus
briefs in its decisions. That is not supposed to happen, according to Justice Scalia,:
"Supreme Court briefs are an inappropriate place to develop the key facts in a case.
We normally give parties more robust protection, leaving important factual questions
to district courts and juries aided by expert witnesses and the procedural protections
of discovery." [Inadequate scrutiny can result in] “untested judicial fact-finding
masquerading as statutory interpretation.”
Nonetheless, 'facts' introduced in amicus briefs are cited in some Supreme Court
decisions, bringing up the need to distinguish between real facts and internet facts:
“The Supreme Court has the same problem that the rest of us do: figuring out how to
distinguish between real facts and Internet facts...Amicus briefs from unreliable
sources can contribute to that problem.”

fact
noun \ ˈfakt \

Definition of FACT
1a : something that has actual existence

 space exploration is now a fact

b : an actual occurrence

 prove the fact of damage

2: a piece of information presented as having objective reality

 These are the hard of the case.

3: the quality of being actual : ACTUALITY

 a question of fact hinges on evidence

4: a thing done: such as

a : CRIME
 accessory after the fact
b archaic : ACTION

c obsolete : FEAT

5archaic : PERFORMANCE , DOING

— in fact

: in truth

 He looks younger, but in fact, he is 60 years old.

Examples of FACT in a Sentence
1. Rapid electronic communication is now a fact.
2. The book is filled with interesting facts and figures.
3. He did it, and that's a fact.
Recent Examples of FACT from the Web
 Charter also contends that Schneiderman has failed to allege facts plausibly
indicating that Charter's Spectrum service misled consumers.
—Eriq Gardner, The Hollywood Reporter, "Charter Points to FCC's Net Neutrality
Repeal in Lawsuit Alleging Netflix Throttling," 28 Nov. 2017

 The vast majority of comments consisted of form letters from both pro - and
anti-net neutrality groups and generally did not introduce new facts into the record
or make serious legal arguments, the official from Pai's office said.
—Jon Brodkin, Ars Technica, "FCC explains why public support for net neutrality
won’t stop repeal," 22 Nov. 2017

 In fact, antitrust regulators twice before prevented T -Mobile from being

acquired (by AT&T in 2011 and by Son in 2014).
—Aaron Pressman, Fortune, "Sprint Ends T-Mobile Merger Talks. Here's the
Winners and Losers," 4 Nov. 2017

Origin and Etymology of FACT

Latin factum, from neuter of factus, past participle of facere — see FACTITIOUS

FACT Synonyms

Synonyms
actuality, factuality, materiality, reality

Antonyms
irreality, unreality

Related Words
authenticity, genuineness, truth, verity

Near Antonyms
fancy, fantasy (also phantasy), fiction,fictitiousness; dreaminess, surreality

FACT Defined for English Language Learners

fact
noun
Definition of FACT for English Language Learners
 : something that truly exists or happens : something that has actual existence
 : a true piece of information

FACT Defined for Kids

fact
noun \ ˈfakt \

Definition of FACT for Students

1: something that really exists or has occurred

 Space travel is now a fact.

2: a true piece of information

 “I just know for a fact that she has a huge family to feed!”
 —Kenneth Grahame, The Wind in the Willows
— in fact

: in truth : ACTUALLY

 She got there early and in fact she was earliest.

Law Dictionary

fact
noun

Legal Definition of FACT

1: something that has actual existence : a matter of objective reality

2: any of the circumstances of a case that exist or are alleged to exist in reality : a
thing whose actual occurrence or existence is to be determined by the evidence
presented at trial — see also FINDING OF FACT at FINDING , JUDICIAL NOTICE , QUESTION
OF FACT at QUESTION , TRIER OF FACT — compare LAW , OPINION

— adjudicative fact

: a fact particularly related to the parties to an especially administrative proceeding

— compare LEGISLATIVE FACT in this entry

— collateral fact

: a fact that has no direct relation to or immediate bearing on the case or matter in
question — compare MATERIAL FACT in this entry

— constitutional fact

: a fact that relates to the determination of a constitutional issue (as violation of a

constitutional right) —used especially of administrative findings of fact

— evidentiary fact
: a fact that is part of the situation from which a case arises and that is est ablished
by testimony or other evidence — called also mediate fact, predicate fact;
compare ULTIMATE FACT in this entry

— legislative fact

: a fact of general social, economic, or scientific relevance that does not change
from case to case — compare ADJUDICATIVE FACT in this entry

— material fact

: a fact that affects decision making: as

a : a fact upon which the outcome of all or part of a lawsuit depends

b : a fact that would influence a reasonable person under the circumstances in

making an investment decision (as in purchasing a security or voting for a corporate
officer or action)

— mediate fact

: EVIDENTIARY FACT in this entry

— predicate fact

: EVIDENTIARY FACT in this entry

— ultimate fact \ˈəl-ti-mət-\

: a conclusion of law or especially mixed fact and law that is necessary to the
determination of issues in a case and that is established by evidentiary facts —
compare EVIDENTIARY FACT in this entry

— in fact

: as a factual matter : established by fact rather than as a matter of law

Origin and Etymology of FACT

Latin factum deed, real happening, something done, from neuter of factus, past
participle of facere to do, make
Indonesia condemns Trump’s Israel support
Indra Budiari
The Jakarta Post

Tangerang | Thu, December 7, 2017 | 10:28 am

The Foreign Ministry has condemned the decision by United States President Donald
Trump to recognize Jerusalem as Israel’s capital, saying that as a democratic country,
“the US should know what democracy means”.

Foreign Minister Retno Marsudi said in her opening speech at the Bali Democracy
Forum on Thursday that Democracy meant respecting international law, while the
recognition by Trump as well as his decision to relocate the US Embassy from Tel
Aviv to Jerusalem did not respect various United Nations Security Council (UNSC)
resolutions.

Wearing a traditional Palestinian scarf while delivering the speech, Retno emphasized
that Indonesia and its people would always be committed to the Palestinian people.

“Indonesia will always stand with Palestine,” she said to the delegations of 99
countries, including the US, in Serpong, Tangerang.

Support also came from Tunisian Foreign Affairs Minister Khemaies Jhianoul, who
presented at the forum. He said Trump’s decision would hamper the peace process in
the disputed area.

“Tunisia in this respect reiterated its strong position to support Palestine to have its
own independent state,” he said.

After more than two decades of waiver from the previous administration, Trump said
he made the decision as “we are no closer to a lasting peace agreement between Israel
and Palestinians”. He also emphasized that repeating the same approach would not
produce a better result. (dmr)
No MUI endorsement for 212 reunion rally
The Jakarta Post

Jakarta | Sat, December 2, 2017 | 02:27 pm

Thousands of people gather

at the National Monument (Monas) in Central Jakarta for the 212 rally last year. A reunion rally is being held
on Saturday. (Antara/Akbar Nugroho Gumay)

Despite being one of the main backers of the 212 rally last year, the Indonesian Ulema
Council (MUI) has not given its endorsement for this year’s reunion rally taking place
at the National Monument (Monas) in Central Jakarta on Saturday.

MUI chairman Ma’ruf Amin said the rally held on Dec. 2, 2016 had achieved its
goals and there was no need to hold a reunion event.

“The issues surrounding the rally last year have been concluded, so we don’t need to
revive the 212 rally. It is better for the people to gather and celebrate Maulid [the
birthday of Prophet Muhammad] that could strengthen our unity,” he said on Friday as
reported by tempo.co.

The 212 rally called for the imprisonment of former Jakarta Governor Basuki “Ahok”
Tjahaja Purnama for his comments that were deemed to have insulted Islam last year.
This year's reunion event saw a smaller number of participants compared to the
hundreds of thousands who gathered last year.

Ma’ruf added that the reunion would only provoke prejudice and insinuate criticism
toward the government.

“[The event] was not tausyiah [sermon] but rather provoked agitation,” he added.
(nmn/rin)