Claims, assertions, statements
Intro
Expression supposedly true
May be spoken, written, thought
Not all claims and assertions are true
Lies
Mistaken belief
Not straightforwardly true or false, but can be asserted, or denied
Examples: dinosaurs were cold-blooded
Statement
Distinguish between sentences that usually express claims and those which are used to ask questions or give commands
You may not know whether a particular claim is true, but at least it makes sense to say that i t is; or that you agree or disagree with it
Fact and opinion
Claims can be divided into state facts or expressed opinions.
Fact
True statement
Stating a fact is not the same as claiming it
You can state a fact only if it really is a fact
Can claim that something is a fact and be mistaken, or even be lying
You can claim to know something and be mistaken, but you cant actually know that something isnt true --> You can only think you know it
Claim to fact
This claim is that it is a belief (judgement or opinion); and unless or until there is more factual evidence available, it will remain so
Opinion
Two people can disagree as to whether it is true or not, and neither of them is necessarily wrong
To say that the sentence is true just means that you agree with it and to say it is false, means you desagree
click to edit
Value judgements
Opinions about the perceived value or worth or rightness or wrongness of things
Can be quantified and verified
It becomes a value judgement if you claim that there is something 'wrong' or 'excessive about a level of earnings
It remains a matter of opinion or belief and people may differ in their opinions
Predictions and probabilities
Prediction
Claim that something may or may not be true because it is still in the future or is as yet unverified
You cannot say that the prediction was a fact when it was made, because at the time of making it, it was not yet known to be true
Hypotheses
A supposition or proposed explanation made on the basis of limited evidence as a starting point for further investigation
The probability of such a claim ever being wrong is practically non-existen
Recommendations
Recommendations or suggestions are claims of yet another sort
Example: The wages and bonuses of bankers should be capped
Is a claim about how things ought to be, or what the author thinks should be done in response to the situation
Not straightforwardly true or false