Redefining "fact"and "opinion"

Abstract

  The distinction between “fact”and “opinion”has been seen as important, but it is difficult to distinguish them in the previous way. The traditional distinction between “fact”and “opinion”has generally been based on whether or not they are certain. However, we can not know the truth that something has actually happened and something is true for everyone. The definitions of “fact”and “opinion”differ from textbook to textbook. In the conventional distinction, the purpose of the writer / speaker’s statement has not been fully considered.
  In this paper, based on the concept of “direction of fit”in speech act theory, I define “sentences/utterances stated as fact”and “sentences/utterances stated as opinion”. The technical term direction of fit is used by speech act theory such as John Searle. “Sentences/utterances stated as fact”are defined as sentences/utterances stated by a writer/speaker for the purpose of fitting a word to the world (excluding fiction). “Sentences/utterances stated as opinion”are defined as sentences/utterances stated by a writer/speaker for the purpose of fitting the world to words (especially for the purpose of changing the other person’s beliefs). In the definition of this paper, it is possible to distinguish between “sentences/utterances stated as fact”and “sentences/utterances stated as opinion”regardless of the truth of whether something is really certain.