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Concept

Opinion

Opinion
No machine-readable author provided. David.Monniaux assumed (based on copyright claims). · CC BY-SA 3.0 · source

Overview

An opinion is a judgement, viewpoint, or statement that is not conclusive, as opposed to facts, which are true statements.

Overview adapted from Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 4.0; see the article history for authors).

Possible passages

Found by search and not yet checked by a person; they may only mention the idea in passing.

  1. The case is the same with the maxims of morality. For we must not hazard an action on the mere opinion that it is allowed, but we must know it to be so. In the transcendental sphere of reason, on the other hand, the term opinion is too weak, while the word knowledge is too strong. From the merely speculative point of view, therefore, we cannot form a judgement at all.

    Immanuel Kant, The Critique of Pure Reason

    The chapter “Section III. Of Opinion, Knowledge, and Belief” is titled for Opinion; names Opinion several times.

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  2. But there is a commoner case than either of these; when the conflicting doctrines, instead of being one true and the other false, share the truth between them; and the nonconforming opinion is needed to supply the remainder of the truth, of which the received doctrine embodies only a part. Popular opinions, on subjects not palpable to sense, are often true, but seldom or never the whole truth. They are a part of the…

    John Stuart Mill, On Liberty

    Names Opinion several times; states what Opinion is.

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  3. That men do exist who are 'opinionated,' in the sense that their opinions are self-willed, is unfortunately a fact that must be admitted, no matter what one's notion of truth in general may be. But that this fact should make it impossible for truth to form itself authentically out of the life of opinion is what no critic has yet proved. Truth may well consist of certain opinions, and does indeed consist of nothing…

    William James, The Meaning of Truth

    Names Opinion several times; states what Opinion is.

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Related ideas

Opposing perspectives

Place in the tradition

Part of Outline of logic.

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