Fact
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Current revision as of 19:38, 4 May 2006
Template:Wiktionary Template:Otheruses
In science 'fact' is an objective and verifiable observation.
Outside of science, a word 'fact' may be associated with some of the following:
- A honest observation confirmed by widely respected observers.
- Errors are common in the interpretation of the meaning of observations.
- Power is frequently used to force the politcally correct interpretation of an observation.
- A repeatedly observed regularity.
- One observation of any phenomenon does not necessarily make it a fact. Repeatability of an observation is required usually by using the stated procedures or operational definitions of a phenomenon.
- Something thought to be actual as opposed to invented.
- Something concrete used as a basis for further interpretation.
- Information about a particular subject.
- Something believed to be the case.
Science uses facts. In order to have objectivity science makes an effort not to use human emotional subjective senses or reports as factual in it efforts to observe and confirm repeatability of observations. Instead science uses measuring tools (like clock, meter stick and other standards) and recording devices (like spectrometers, cameras, oscilloscopes, etc). Science also use deductive and inductive logic (usually in form of mathematics) to derive reliable and statisically important conclusions through the process of measured data with the goal of forming or confirming laws of nature and theories - like relativity theory, theory of evolution, etc. Science fundamentally means "Let me tell you HOW I believe I LOGICALLY THINK I know."
The tremendous success of science we witness in 19-21 century is the direct result of use of the objective observation (of natural phenomena), use of of logic (mathematics) to generate reliable theories which correctly predict behavior of various (sometimes rathe complex) objects and systems and allows their successful control. This in turn allows to dramatically improve and diversify our life via building high quality shelters, transportation, communication, entertainment, produce more and better quality food, more energy, cure untreatable in the past deseases, etc.
Psychological aspects of factual claims
We tend to see facts which support our position and ignore facts which contradict our opinion. However, events that do not fit our framework also tend to stand out and draw our attention. Beautiful theories that explain a cluster of facts as we know them are frequently enhanced (and sometimes destroyed) by new facts. New theories can help us see new facts that we never suspected to exist.
Proven - a theory is proven when the facts do not contradict the theory. Because facts are known with known margins of errors, science always specifies boundaries of applicability of any theory.
Belief is an opinion or trust in a particular point of view without checking it against facts. Dogma is an unquestioned or strong belief system. Dogmatic people frequently claim that they know the truth, but their claims are rarely true. They also frequently claim that you must be punished for your transgressions from the truth.
Statements of fact
A statement of fact or a factual claim is a statement that is presented as an accurate representation of a situation, event, or condition, and that is capable of being either proved or disproved.
If a factual claim is incorrect, then it is called a mistake or an error (if the person making the statement believed it to be correct) or a lie (if the person making the statement did not believe it). A factual claim shown to be correct is a fact. A factual claim that was believed to be true may later shown to be false (disproved), and a factual claim believed to have been disproved may later shown to be true. A fact that was once a fact and hence becomes disproven may once again become a fact if the factual evidence supporting its validity become increasingly factual in light of new and, ultimately, factual evidence. Supporting evidence may become realised for a fact long after the fact itself was first established and, thus, a factual claim must be as fact once the Popperian elements of falsification have been exausted - a process that never ends - to end with a fact accepted in the social. A belief that cannot be proved or disproved is an opinion.
This article is licensed under the GNU Free Documentation License. It uses material from the Wikipedia article "Fact".
