Regarding the definition of fact, a definition of provability is irrelevant. If you can make a logical sentence that begins '
we attempted to prove the fact that...' then you can be said to be discussing a fact.
'
Icecream is good.' Statement of opinion because you can not prove it according to the assumed context. It is entirely subjective. Others could have equally valid but opposing opinions. Perhaps you could come up with some 'provable' interpretation and define good and perform some quantitative analysis on some goodness scale. But that's silly.
'
Icecream contains ice and cream.' That is a fact. It may be false. But we can conceivably verify whether or not it is true.
It is a fact that I have the opinion that icecream is good.
vs
It is my opinion that it is a fact that icecream is good. <--- surely you hear the nonsense
fact is just popular opinion. i could make up my own measuring system where 3 inches did add up to the size of the statue of liberty, but since not so many people agree with my measuring system it's not a fact
Kinda, yes I'd agree.
I'm jumping on both of your thought trains. While you, Johnj, argue against this line of reasoning, you should not have given it any slack. "Kinda, but no, I can not agree".
Regardless of Sannyasi's own measuring system, the height of the statue of liberty is objective. Whether we know his measuring system, the statement "The statue of liberty is 3 inches tall" is a fact. It is stupid, deceptive, or a terrible example of communication failure. But it is not in anyway a statement of opinion.
It is my
opinion that the following is an excellent quote:
You are entitled to your own opinion, but you are not entitled to your own facts.
The
fact that it is attributed to Senator Daniel Patrick Moynihan may be false because it is also attributed to James R. Schlesinger in a 1973 US Congressional testimony.
