Michael Eppolito's List: Facts opinions

• Opinion...
• Fact...
• Remember that your acceptance of an author's opinion or claim depends on your own view of the subject and of the writer's work. To help evaluate an author's ideas, you need a clear understanding of your opinions. One way to do this is to keep a reading journal in which you record your thoughts and reasons as to why you agree or disagree with the author. This journal will help you define your ideas and give you a starting point for a more thorough exploration of the topic. You might also try to write a journal entry for each argument you consider in which you attempt to defend the viewpoint of the author. Remember, there are intellectual standards which apply to the expression of "facts" and "opinions" just as there are intellectual standards which apply to "Reasoned Judgements".

  • This section is for advanced thinkers.
    The author here is saying that in order to evaluate some else's claims or opinions you have to know what your opinions are. Since for high level thinkers all facts and opinions have to be analyzed then it is important to know what you think before you begin your analysis. This understanding will help you learn more deeply about a topic.

1 more annotation...