The Fact/Opinion Distinction

Summary

John Corvino explores the blurred lines between facts and opinions, challenging the conventional wisdom that facts are objective realities while opinions are subjective beliefs. He critiques the misuse of the fact/opinion distinction as a conversational barrier, advocating for a more productive dialogue by focusing on evidence and reasons behind controversial views rather than categorizing statements.

Takeaways

• 📚 Opinions and facts are often confused, and their distinction is not always clear-cut.
• 🌐 Facts are objective realities of the world, while opinions are subjective beliefs about the world.
• 🍺 The script uses the example of beer in a refrigerator to illustrate the difference between a fact and an opinion.
• 🍻 Taste preferences, like preferring Corona over Budweiser, are clearly categorized as opinions.
• 🤔 The term 'opinion' is used more broadly than just matters of taste, extending to beliefs and philosophical debates.
• 🙏 The existence of God is presented as an example where people incorrectly label beliefs as opinions, despite the objective nature of the question.
• 🔄 The script points out that the fact/opinion distinction is often muddled, even by experts in critical thinking.
• 💬 Using 'opinion' as a conversational tool can be dismissive and can halt productive dialogue.
• 🚫 Saying 'That's just your opinion' or 'I'm entitled to my opinion' can be used to avoid engaging with evidence and criticism.
• 🤝 Instead of focusing on whether a statement is a fact or opinion, it's more productive to ask for evidence and reasoning behind controversial views.
• 🗣️ Engaging in dialogue by asking for evidence promotes a more constructive conversation rather than shutting down debate.

Q & A

What is the main issue discussed in the script regarding the distinction between facts and opinions?

The script discusses the confusion and the mess in distinguishing between facts and opinions, and how this distinction is often misused to stop conversations rather than to foster critical thinking.

What is the initial simple distinction made between facts and opinions in the script?

The initial distinction is that facts constitute the world, while opinions are our beliefs about the world, with some beliefs being true and others false.

Why does the script suggest that the simple distinction between facts and opinions is not helpful?

The script suggests that the simple distinction is not helpful because people often categorize beliefs into facts and opinions incorrectly, leading to confusion.

What is an example of a belief that is considered a matter of fact in the script?

The example given is the belief that there is beer in the refrigerator, which is a matter of fact because it can be objectively verified.

What is an example of a belief that is considered an opinion in the script?

The example given is the belief that Corona tastes better than Budweiser, which is an opinion because it is based on personal preference.

Why does the script argue that the term 'opinion' is used more broadly than just matters of taste?

The script argues that 'opinion' is used more broadly because people often apply it to beliefs that are not based on personal preference, such as beliefs about the existence of God.

What does the script identify as the problem with using the term 'opinion' in debates about the existence of God?

The script identifies the problem as mislabeling the belief about God's existence as a matter of opinion, when in fact, if God exists or not is a matter that can be objectively true or false, not a matter of taste.

What does the script suggest is the result of mixing up different distinctions related to facts and opinions?

The script suggests that mixing up different distinctions leads to a lack of clarity and precision in discussions, which is described as sloppy and not critical thinking.

How does the script describe the misuse of the fact/opinion distinction in conversations?

The script describes the misuse as a conversation-stopper, where saying 'That's just your opinion!' dismisses the other person's argument, and saying 'I'm entitled to my opinion' insulates oneself from criticism.

What alternative approach does the script recommend for engaging with controversial views?

The script recommends asking for evidence and reasons behind a controversial view instead of focusing on whether it is a fact or an opinion, which can lead to a more productive conversation.

Who is the speaker in the script and what is the title of the series?

The speaker is John Corvino, and the title of the series is 'Better Argument'.

Outlines

00:00

😕 The Blurry Line Between Facts and Opinions

The script delves into the complex nature of distinguishing between facts and opinions. It challenges the simplistic view that facts are the world's reality, while opinions are our beliefs about it. The author uses the example of beer in a refrigerator to illustrate a fact, and personal taste in beer to represent an opinion. The script also addresses the broader use of the term 'opinion' in discussions, such as the existence of God, which is often incorrectly categorized as a matter of opinion rather than a factual claim. The author criticizes the common but imprecise use of the fact/opinion distinction, which often leads to a halt in meaningful conversation. Instead of focusing on the categorization, the author suggests asking for evidence and reasons behind a controversial view to foster more productive dialogue.

Keywords

💡Opinions

Opinions are personal beliefs or judgments that may vary from person to person. In the script, opinions are contrasted with facts, with the example given that believing Corona tastes better than Budweiser is an opinion because it's subjective and based on personal preference. The video discusses how opinions are often used to dismiss others' viewpoints or to protect one's own beliefs from scrutiny.

💡Facts

Facts refer to statements that can be proven true or false and are not influenced by personal feelings or biases. The script uses the presence of beer in a refrigerator as an example of a fact, which is something that can be objectively verified. The video emphasizes the importance of distinguishing facts from opinions to foster more meaningful conversations.

💡Beliefs

Beliefs are the convictions or acceptances that individuals hold about something, which may or may not be based on evidence. The script mentions that there are true and false beliefs about the world, and these beliefs can be categorized as either facts or opinions, depending on their verifiability.

💡Evidence

Evidence is the available body of facts or information indicating whether a belief or proposition is true or valid. In the context of the video, evidence is what supports beliefs and statements about the world. The speaker encourages asking for evidence when someone presents a controversial view, rather than focusing on whether it's a fact or an opinion.

💡Critical Thinking

Critical thinking is the objective analysis and evaluation of an issue in order to form a judgment. The script criticizes the misuse of the fact/opinion distinction by even critical thinking experts, who sometimes conflate beliefs, statements, and evidence, which the speaker deems as sloppy and detrimental to productive discourse.

💡Conversation-Stopper

A conversation-stopper is a phrase or statement that ends or halts a discussion. The script points out that labeling something as 'just your opinion' can be used to dismiss someone's argument and avoid engaging with their evidence, effectively stopping the conversation.

💡Insulating

Insulating, in the context of the script, refers to protecting one's own viewpoint from criticism by claiming it as a personal opinion. The speaker argues that saying 'I'm entitled to my opinion' can be a way to avoid engaging with counterarguments or evidence that challenges one's beliefs.

💡Distinguish

To distinguish means to recognize or treat someone or something as different. The video script discusses the difficulty in distinguishing between facts and opinions, as the lines between them are often blurred, leading to confusion and unproductive discussions.

💡Taste

In the script, 'taste' is initially used to describe personal preferences, such as preferring the taste of one beer over another. However, the term is then expanded to discuss how 'opinion' is often misused to describe beliefs that are not merely matters of personal preference, such as beliefs about the existence of God.

💡God

The concept of God is used in the script as an example of a belief that some people might classify as a matter of opinion. The speaker challenges this notion, arguing that the existence of God is not a matter of taste or opinion but a factual claim that can be investigated and discussed.

💡Productive Conversation

A productive conversation is a discussion that leads to understanding, agreement, or resolution. The video script advocates for focusing on evidence and reasons behind a controversial view to foster more productive conversations, rather than getting stuck on the labels of fact or opinion.

Highlights

The distinction between facts and opinions can be confusing and is often misunderstood.

Facts are part of the objective world, while opinions are subjective beliefs about that world.

The speaker challenges the simple fact/opinion dichotomy, suggesting it's not always clear-cut.

The existence of beer in a refrigerator is presented as an example of a factual belief.

Taste preferences, such as preferring Corona over Budweiser, are categorized as opinions.

The term 'opinion' is used more broadly than just matters of taste, as illustrated by debates on God's existence.

The existence of God is not a matter of taste but a factual claim that can be true or false.

The speaker identifies that the fact/opinion distinction is often jumbled with other concepts.

Critical Thinking experts are criticized for mixing up concepts related to facts and beliefs.

The fact/opinion distinction is used as a conversation-stopper, dismissing the need for evidence.

Claiming an opinion as one's own can insulate a person from criticism and halt dialogue.

The speaker advocates for more dialogue rather than using the fact/opinion distinction to end conversations.

Instead of categorizing statements as facts or opinions, the speaker recommends asking for evidence and reasons.

The transcript encourages a more productive conversation by focusing on evidence rather than labels.

John Corvino introduces himself and the purpose of the conversation as Better Argument.

Transcripts

They say you can have your own opinions, but not your own facts.

But that assumes we understand what the difference is between facts and opinions.

And most of the explanations of that are kind of a mess.

Let’s start with a simple distinction: There’s a world out there, and then there are our

beliefs about the world—some of them true, some of them false.

You might want to say that facts constitute the world and opinions are our beliefs about

the world.

But that’s not going to help, because some of those beliefs we tend to put in the fact

column and some we tend to put in the opinion column.

For example, I believe that there’s beer in my refrigerator.

Whether there is or not is a matter of fact.

I believe that Corona tastes better than Budweiser.

That’s an opinion.

So, are opinions just matters of taste?

Well, maybe—but people tend to use the term “opinion” much more broadly than that.

So, for instance, when people debate about whether God exists, people will often say,

“Well, it’s a matter of opinion.”

But it’s not a matter of taste.

If God exists, God exists whether I like it or not.

Same if God doesn’t exist.

What I suspect is going on here is that there are a bunch of different distinctions in the

vicinity, and they get jumbled together into this amorphous fact/opinion distinction.

Even so-called “Critical Thinking” experts do this: They’ll mix up the world, beliefs

about the world, statements about the world, and the evidence for those beliefs and statements.

That’s not critical thinking; it’s sloppy.

But it’s worse than just sloppy.

Because while the fact/opinion distinction doesn’t have a clear universal meaning,

it does have a clear use: It’s a conversation-stopper.

If I say, “That’s just your opinion!”, I’m dismissing you.

I’m indicating that I don’t need to take your evidence seriously.

Alternatively, if I say, “Well, I’m entitled to my opinion,” I’m insulating myself

from criticism.

Either way, I’m opting out of the conversation.

And that’s unfortunate because usually we need more dialogue, not less.

So, here’s what I recommend.

If someone puts forth a controversial view, instead of worrying about whether it counts

as a fact or an opinion, instead ask: Okay, what’s your evidence for the view?

What are your reasons?

Why should I adopt it?

That’s not going to explain what the difference between facts and opinions is, but it might

get us toward a more productive conversation.

I’m John Corvino, and this is Better Argument.