Fact or Falsehood? by Groff Schroeder: September 2016
Submitted by ftcsadmin2 on Thu, 09/08/2016 - 10:08.
- by Groff Schroeder
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- If someone believes a falsehood and repeats it, are they lying? In these “interesting times” of “clickbait,” media megalopoly, and advertising and entertainment driven “news,” how can we be sure our statements are correct?
- Information is either objective (fact based) or subjective (opinion based). Objective factual information includes measurements, observations, and scientific laws, etc. stemming from mathematics, engineering, medicine, experiment, government, law, physical evidence, and current events. Received information is verified as objective when it matches original sources such as the speeches of representatives, scientific publications, government documents, legal statues, professional documentation, and unedited audio recordings, photographs, and video. In contrast, subjective information cannot be verified through any means.
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- A fact is a single who, what, when, where, how piece of objective information. While virtually any piece of information can be represented as fact, only information that agrees with the original objective source is accepted as fact. Factual information is both accurate (correct) and precise (agreeing in many sources), and the verifiably correct “evidence based,” objective facts of science, engineering, and medicine found our technological world. It is a fact that solid matter consists primarily of empty space.
- Opinion is subjective information based upon personal points of view. Opinions often include made up examples, exaggeration, speculation, hyperbole (extreme exaggeration), sarcasm, and wishful thinking devised to advance the presenter's point of view. Opinions cannot create technology, often contain falsehoods, and often present incorrect interpretations of reality. It is an opinion that the Apollo moon landings were faked.
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- Political propaganda intentionally creates incorrect points of view in populations by telling people what they want to hear and presenting opinions as facts. Common techniques of propaganda include the “big lie” (a falsehood so infamous that many instinctively believe it), the “broken record” (repeating a falsehood so many times that is becomes “fact”), “not me, you” statements (accusing your accusers of what you got caught doing), “ad hominem” (personal) attacks , false comparisons (equating “apples and oranges”), “straw man” arguments (building upon your own false premise as proven fact), and manipulations of logic (Your car is blue. Your car won't start. All blue cars don't start). Propaganda has repeatedly destroyed democracies, elevated dictators to power, and deceived the peoples of egalitarian nations into almost unimaginable criminality.
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- Careful questioning and an understanding of critical thinking, logic, and the techniques of propaganda can help to identify deception and prevent unintentionally repeating falsehoods as facts. Is what you are being told even possible? Could it be a “big lie” or a false comparison? How many times have you heard it? Is the information subjective or objective? Is it opinion, speculation, or fact? Is the information a personal attack or a diplomatic masterpiece? Does it make sense?
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- It is also important to reference multiple sources of information, the quality of information they provide, and consider possible bias. Are inconvenient stories, events, facts, or information omitted? Is the provided information correct, honorable, and logical? Are alleged facts supported by at least one original source? Are original sources reliably identified, excerpted, quoted, and cited? What and how much objective information supports disagreeing sources and points of view? Does there appear to be a dependable bias or prejudice? Is incorrect information corrected?
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- No matter what the source, quality, or completeness of the information we receive, our objectivity and our liberty depends on what we do with it.
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