Opinions, Facts, & Fallacies
Critical thinking skills are mastered through understanding various types of
writing and the different purposes that authors have for writing the way they do.
Every author writes for a purpose. Understanding that purpose, and how they
accomplish their goal, will allow you to critique the writing and determine whether
or not you agree with their conclusions.
Readers must always be conscious of the distinction between fact and
opinion. A
fact
can be subjected to analysis and can be either proved or disproved.
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An
opinion
, on the other hand, is the author’s personal feeling, which may not be
alterable by research, evidence, or argument. If the author writes that the distance
from New York to Boston is about two hundred miles, he is stating a fact. But if he
writes that New York is too crowded, then he is giving an opinion, because there is
no objective standard for overpopulation. An opinion may be indicated by words
like
believe
,
think
, or
feel
. Also, an opinion may be supported by facts: for instance,
the author might give the population density of New York as a reason for why it is
overcrowded. An opinion supported by fact tends to be more convincing. When
authors support their opinions with other opinions, the reader is unlikely to be
moved.
Facts should be presented to the reader from reliable sources. An opinion is
what the author thinks about a given topic. An opinion is not common knowledge or
proven by expert sources, but it is information that the author believes and wants
the reader to consider. To distinguish between fact and opinion, a reader needs to
look at the type of source that is presenting information, what information backs-up
a claim, and whether or not the author may be motivated to have a certain point of
view on a given topic. For example, if a panel of scientists has conducted multiple
studies on the effectiveness of taking a certain vitamin, the results are more likely to
be factual than if a company selling a vitamin claims that taking the vitamin can
produce positive effects. The company is motivated to sell its product, while the
scientists are using the scientific method to prove a theory. If the author uses words
such as “I think…”, the statement is an opinion.
In their attempt to persuade, writers often make mistakes in their thinking
patterns and writing choices. It’s important to understand these so you can make an
informed decision. Every author has a point of view, but when an author ignores
reasonable counterarguments or distorts opposing viewpoints, she is demonstrating
a
bias
. A bias is evident whenever the author is unfair or inaccurate in his or her
presentation. Bias may be intentional or unintentional, but it should always alert the
reader to be skeptical of the argument being made. It should be noted that a biased
author may still be correct. However, the author will be correct in spite of her bias,
Superingenious.com
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Any other reproduction or redistribution is strictly prohibited. All rights reserved.
not because of it. A
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