Facts are objective and supported by evidence, while opinions are subjective and based on personal beliefs. Scientific facts are based on observation and experimentation, while legal facts are determined by a judge or jury. The difference between truth and belief is a matter of philosophical debate.
In general, a fact is something that actually happened or is empirically true and can be supported by evidence. An opinion is a belief; it is normally subjective, meaning that it can vary based on a person’s perspective, emotions, or individual understanding of something. For example, biological differences between males and females are a given, while preference for one gender over the other is opinion.
subjective and objective
According to most definitions, something is a fact if it corresponds to objective reality. For something to be objective, it must be outside the mind and not be based on feelings or prejudices. This is the opposite of an opinion, which is what an individual thinks or feels about a topic.
While the differences between fact and opinion are usually based on whether they are objective or subjective, a true statement can in some cases be subjective. If a person says they feel sad, for example, this is a subjective fact about their emotional state – it is subjective because it is only that person’s individual experience. On the other hand, if the first person tells the second person that the second person feels sad, this statement is an opinion or a hypothesis, whether or not it is true.
Facts versus Theory
In scientific reasoning, something can only be called a fact when it can be observed as happening or as a state of being, or when it can be demonstrated through experimentation. Experiments must be repeatable and return the same result, regardless of who is the observer. Things that were once considered fact, however, have been proven wrong. For example, many people once thought the world was flat. This is now known to be incorrect, as objective evidence has been introduced showing that it is in fact a flattened sphere.
Many things that people consider scientific facts are, technically, theories. Gravity, for example, is a fact; the explanation of how gravity works, on the other hand, is a theory – and there are several theories about how it actually works. This does not mean that a theory is just speculation. Scientific theories are thoroughly tested and applied to known facts, observations, and hypotheses, and for a theory to survive, it must explain a wide range of otherwise unrelated observations.
Opinion and persuasion
Sometimes, statements are used to mislead a person, whether deliberately or not. A person might use opinionated language to persuade others to her point of view; for example, an advertisement might proclaim that a brand is “the best in the world,” despite a lack of concrete evidence to support this claim. When considering whether or not a claim may be true, a person should consider the source of the information as well as the supporting evidence.
Legal terminology
In law, a fact is an actual thing or event that has taken place. During a trial, each side presents evidence to either support or refute their interpretation of the facts of the case. The judge or jury – also called a “fact processor” or “fact finder” – then decides what really happened and whether or not the facts of the case have been proven.
A legal opinion is an explanation by a judge of why a particular decision has been rendered, or an explanation of why a judge disagrees with a decision, in the case of a dissenting opinion. This type of opinion includes the facts of a case, its history and relevant legal principles to put the legal decision into context. When multiple judges decide a case together, they can produce concurring and dissenting opinions as to why they voted for or against a particular ruling.
Philosophy
Determining what is truth and what is belief can be difficult, and the boundaries between them are a matter of philosophical debate. This branch of philosophy is called epistemology, which is the study of the nature of knowledge, as well as the limits of what human beings can know. If it is accepted that there are objective facts – which not all philosophers agree on – then it can be argued that knowledge is an attempt to match beliefs with reality to develop ‘true beliefs’. If there is no truth, there can be no knowledge.
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