Nonsense.

"False fact" is an oxymoron.

It can't be a false fact since in order for something to be a fact, it must be known or proven to be true.

quote:
Do you know the difference between a fact and an opinion?

Do you know that an opinion can also be a fact?

An untrue opinion cannot be a fact.

That's a fact.

This post was edited on 9/27/17 at 7:36 pm

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Posted by Korkstand

Member since Nov 2003

28746 posts

Posted on 9/27/17 at 10:23 pm to DawgfaninCa

quote:
I am talking about a literally insane position which means the person with the literally insane position is literally insane.

Well that's just a stupid thing to bring up in this conversation.

quote:
Nonsense.

"False fact" is an oxymoron.

It can't be a false fact since in order for something to be a fact, it must be known or proven to be true.

I love that it's you talking about this, because I get to talk about sea serpents.

You, sir, would claim that it is a fact, the truth, that giant sea serpents exist, correct? Well, the rest of the world is not so sure. So would your statement be a fact or not? It is definitely not known or proven to be true, as required by the definition you linked. But it's also not an opinion, because it's not just a view that you hold, based on your feelings or whatnot. You earnestly believe it to be true, so it's not a lie, either.

So what is it? Is it a "claim"? That seems most appropriate, I guess, but a claim could be a statement of fact or of opinion, couldn't it?

How do we differentiate? Do you even care to? There is a clear difference between an opinion and a non-opinion, though. I called these non-opinions "facts", even though they may not be "facts" as defined by your link. Maybe I should have called them "statements of fact" rather than simply "facts", to be more clear? Regardless, the word "fact" can and has been used to refer to a claim that is verifiable, not necessarily verified. I remember in school learning the difference between facts and opinions, don't you? We can verify if a fact is true, whereas an opinion we cannot, because opinions are based on views, feelings, or some other subjective quality.

quote:
Do you know that an opinion can also be a fact?

No, I do not know that because it is not true. At least not in my understanding/interpretation of the word.

quote:
An untrue opinion cannot be a fact.

That's true, because an opinion is not a fact at all. In fact, a true (as in real) opinion cannot be proven to be true or false, and as such cannot be a fact. Opinions are subjective. Facts are objective.