Posts: 6301
Threads: 78
Joined: May 14, 2011
Reputation:
82
You are not entitled to your opinion.
February 26, 2014 at 9:15 am
Quote:“I’m sure you’ve heard the expression ‘everyone is entitled to their opinion.’ Perhaps you’ve even said it yourself, maybe to head off an argument or bring one to a close. Well, as soon as you walk into this room, it’s no longer true. You are not entitled to your opinion. You are only entitled to what you can argue for.”
A bit harsh? Perhaps, but philosophy teachers owe it to our students to teach them how to construct and defend an argument – and to recognize when a belief has become indefensible.
The problem with “I’m entitled to my opinion” is that, all too often, it’s used to shelter beliefs that should have been abandoned. It becomes shorthand for “I can say or think whatever I like” – and by extension, continuing to argue is somehow disrespectful. And this attitude feeds, I suggest, into the false equivalence between experts and non-experts that is an increasingly pernicious feature of our public discourse.
I find this a very interesting notion and I actually agree. It's time to sort out that you do not have an opinion regarding anything that can be proven to be true or false, you can only be ignorant or have knowledge, but opinions are worthless (and even in some cases dangerous). Full article here.
When I was young, there was a god with infinite power protecting me. Is there anyone else who felt that way? And was sure about it? but the first time I fell in love, I was thrown down - or maybe I broke free - and I bade farewell to God and became human. Now I don't have God's protection, and I walk on the ground without wings, but I don't regret this hardship. I want to live as a person. -Arina Tanemura
Posts: 12232
Threads: 324
Joined: April 14, 2011
Reputation:
140
RE: You are not entitled to your opinion.
February 26, 2014 at 9:20 am
For me it's on the same level as when people say "I'm offended". It's just such a so what kind of statement. It doesn't even mean anything.
Posts: 6301
Threads: 78
Joined: May 14, 2011
Reputation:
82
RE: You are not entitled to your opinion.
February 26, 2014 at 9:23 am
Yeah, it is.
But however, if we take the anti-vaccers as an example, a stupid parent being of the "opinion" that (s)he shouldn't vaccinate their child, it becomes a major problem, not only for the family, but for the whole community.
When I was young, there was a god with infinite power protecting me. Is there anyone else who felt that way? And was sure about it? but the first time I fell in love, I was thrown down - or maybe I broke free - and I bade farewell to God and became human. Now I don't have God's protection, and I walk on the ground without wings, but I don't regret this hardship. I want to live as a person. -Arina Tanemura
Posts: 1013
Threads: 10
Joined: January 20, 2014
Reputation:
26
RE: You are not entitled to your opinion.
February 26, 2014 at 9:28 am
It's weak and lazy to say "I'm entitled to my opinion".
You are not entitled to it, you are entitled to have an opinion if you can defend it. You don't have to defend it successfully, you just need to have ideas behind it.
Posts: 11260
Threads: 61
Joined: January 5, 2013
Reputation:
123
RE: You are not entitled to your opinion.
February 26, 2014 at 9:55 am
Eh, I kind of see it a little differently; of course you're entitled to your opinion, far be it from me to tell you what to think.
But opinions are ghostly, ephemeral things until you can defend them and justify them. If you can't do that, then you can keep that opinion locked up inside your head; if you're unable or unwilling to argue for your opinions, then they aren't rationally justified, and you have no right to ask me to share it, or observe any form of action based upon them.
Be a crazy dick if you want: don't expect anyone else to play along with you.
"YOU take the hard look in the mirror. You are everything that is wrong with this world. The only thing important to you, is you." - ronedee
Want to see more of my writing? Check out my (safe for work!) site, Unprotected Sects!
Posts: 7568
Threads: 20
Joined: July 26, 2013
Reputation:
54
RE: You are not entitled to your opinion.
February 26, 2014 at 10:06 am
Being entitled to have an opinion is not the same as being entitiled to be taken seriously by others. When it comes to certain topics, one earns a place at the adults' table.
Posts: 736
Threads: 38
Joined: December 3, 2013
Reputation:
10
RE: You are not entitled to your opinion.
February 26, 2014 at 10:37 am
What annoys me is the vox pox sections in the news. I couldn't care less about what Dave or Sharon thinks about the latest government policy. Firstly they probably haven't read it. Secondly their actual knowledge of said subject is close to zero.
As the saying goes: The more you learn, the more you realize how little you know. It seems also for many people the less you know, the more vocal you are about the subject.
Actually as an aside I think that when you vote you should be able to show a limited knowledge of what you are actually voting for.
Posts: 7140
Threads: 12
Joined: March 14, 2013
Reputation:
72
RE: You are not entitled to your opinion.
February 26, 2014 at 10:45 am
(This post was last modified: February 26, 2014 at 10:45 am by Tonus.)
Well, a discussion forum like this one is designed to allow us to express our opinions with the expectation that we explain why we hold those opinions. And I think people tend to define "opinion" as either "my preference" or "my belief" without distinguishing between them. I think olives taste terrible, for example. Is that my opinion (belief that I am required to defend) or just my particular preference (or lack thereof)? The latter requires nothing more than "I tasted them and they were terrible." The former requires that I explain why you should also think that they taste terrible, which is a very different beast.
"Well, evolution is a theory. It is also a fact. And facts and theories are different things, not rungs in a hierarchy of increasing certainty. Facts are the world's data. Theories are structures of ideas that explain and interpret facts. Facts don't go away when scientists debate rival theories to explain them. Einstein's theory of gravitation replaced Newton's in this century, but apples didn't suspend themselves in midair, pending the outcome. And humans evolved from ape- like ancestors whether they did so by Darwin's proposed mechanism or by some other yet to be discovered."
-Stephen Jay Gould
Posts: 6301
Threads: 78
Joined: May 14, 2011
Reputation:
82
RE: You are not entitled to your opinion.
February 26, 2014 at 11:01 am
(February 26, 2014 at 10:45 am)Tonus Wrote: Well, a discussion forum like this one is designed to allow us to express our opinions with the expectation that we explain why we hold those opinions. And I think people tend to define "opinion" as either "my preference" or "my belief" without distinguishing between them. I think olives taste terrible, for example. Is that my opinion (belief that I am required to defend) or just my particular preference (or lack thereof)? The latter requires nothing more than "I tasted them and they were terrible." The former requires that I explain why you should also think that they taste terrible, which is a very different beast.
I would say that regarding olives, you are only supposed to at least have tasted them before saying that they taste like shit. (That is at lest all that I require.) But if we actually would delve into why you think that olives are repugnant, there would be so many factors to take into consideration, that it wouldn't be worth it. I think olives are yummy, you yucky. As long as our difference of opinion doesn't lead to WWIII, I think it's safe to say that in this case it's actually and truly about opinion and preference, nothing more 
When I was young, there was a god with infinite power protecting me. Is there anyone else who felt that way? And was sure about it? but the first time I fell in love, I was thrown down - or maybe I broke free - and I bade farewell to God and became human. Now I don't have God's protection, and I walk on the ground without wings, but I don't regret this hardship. I want to live as a person. -Arina Tanemura
Posts: 3432
Threads: 102
Joined: November 13, 2013
Reputation:
59
RE: You are not entitled to your opinion.
February 26, 2014 at 11:05 am
(February 26, 2014 at 9:15 am)Kayenneh Wrote: Quote:“I’m sure you’ve heard the expression ‘everyone is entitled to their opinion.’ Perhaps you’ve even said it yourself, maybe to head off an argument or bring one to a close. Well, as soon as you walk into this room, it’s no longer true. You are not entitled to your opinion. You are only entitled to what you can argue for.”
A bit harsh? Perhaps, but philosophy teachers owe it to our students to teach them how to construct and defend an argument – and to recognize when a belief has become indefensible.
The problem with “I’m entitled to my opinion” is that, all too often, it’s used to shelter beliefs that should have been abandoned. It becomes shorthand for “I can say or think whatever I like” – and by extension, continuing to argue is somehow disrespectful. And this attitude feeds, I suggest, into the false equivalence between experts and non-experts that is an increasingly pernicious feature of our public discourse.
I find this a very interesting notion and I actually agree. It's time to sort out that you do not have an opinion regarding anything that can be proven to be true or false, you can only be ignorant or have knowledge, but opinions are worthless (and even in some cases dangerous). Full article here.
Must... Resist.... Obvious... Joke...
Of course I'm entitled to my opinion. What I'm not entitled to is for you not to tell me it's a fucking stupid opinion.
"Peace is a lie, there is only passion.
Through passion, I gain strength.
Through strength, I gain power.
Through power, I gain victory.
Through victory, my chains are broken."
Sith code
|
