FIJ

Fact: Facts, which deal with the pieces of information that one has heard, seen or read,
and which are open to discovery or verification. Also fact is something demonstrated to
exist or known to have existed. The wording here is very important. Fact is a piece of
information known to people, but may not be true. For example, "The sun revolves
around the earth" was a fact at that time, but not now.
hat actually happened, what is true! verifiable by empirical means! distinguished from
interpretation, inference, "udgment, or conclusion! the raw data. There are distinct
senses of the word "factual": "True" #as opposed to "claimed to be true"$! and "empirical"
#as opposed to conceptual or evaluative$. %ou may make many "factual claims" in one
sense, that is, claims which can be verified or disproven by observation or empirical
study, but & must evaluate those claims to determine if they are true. 'eople often
confuse these two senses, even to the point of accepting as true, statements which
merely "seem factual", for example, "().(* + of Americans suffer from depression."
,efore & accept this as true, & should assess it. & should ask such -uestions as ".ow do
you know/ .ow could this be known/ 0id you merely ask people if they were depressed
and extrapolate those results/ .ow exactly did you arrive at this figure/" 'urported facts
should be assessed for their accuracy, completeness, and relevance to the issue.
1ources of purported facts should be assessed for their -ualifications, track records, and
impartiality. 2ducation which stresses retention and repetition of factual claims stunts
students3 desire and ability to assess alleged facts, leaving them open to manipulation.
Activities in which students are asked to "distinguish fact from opinion" often confuse
these two senses. They encourage students to accept as true statements which merely
"look like" facts.
Judgment: 4udgments, which are opinions that imply approval or disapproval of
persons, ob"ects, situations and occurrences in the past, the present or the future. 1o
"udgments are personal opinions and sub"ective. The following information is helpful in
classifying "udgments. 4udgment is:
5$ The act of "udging or deciding.
($ 6nderstanding and good sense. A person has good "udgment when they typically
"udge and decide on the basis of understanding and good sense. henever we form a
belief or opinion, make a decision, or act, we do so on the basis of implicit or explicit
"udgments. All thought presupposes making "udgments concerning what is so and what
is not so, what is true and what is not. To cultivate people3s ability to think critically is to
foster their "udgment, to help them to develop the habit of "udging on the basis of reason,
evidence, logic, and good sense. 7ood "udgment is developed, not by merely learning
about principles of good "udgment, but by fre-uent practice "udging and assessing
"udgments.
5. 1tatement that imply "approval" or "disapproval"
hat a magnificent view8,
(. 1tatements that "impose compulsion" using should or must
%ou should work harder
*. 1tatement that "compare" non 9 measurable things
.e is the best boy in class
:. 1tatements modify the nature of attributes.
%ou are running very slowly
;. 1tatements of prediction using will or shall
& will become the <aptain of the team
=. 'roverbs and maxims which are not universal truths
.onesty is the best policy #how do we verify/$
Inference: &nferences, which are conclusions drawn about unknown, on the basis of the
known. An inference is a step of the mind, an intellectual act by which one concludes
that something is so in light of something else3s being so, or seeming to be so. &f you
come at me with a knife in your hand, & would probably infer that you mean to do me
harm. &nferences can be strong or weak, "ustified or un"ustified. &nferences are based
upon assumptions.
5. >esults of some action taken or incident taken place.
2ver since the bridge collapsed, the villagers are facing a big problem to go to town
(. 2xpectations or possibilities of something happening as a result of something else.
&f there is an earth-uake, people will be killed
*. Any proverb that functions on cause and effect
An apple a day, keeps the doctor away
.ow to answer these -uestions: 4udgments can be identified by observing the tone of
the sentence along with the key words discussed above. &f the statement has been
given by an individual and a personal composition, may not be accepted by others, then
it is a "udgment. A statement is a fact which can be verified by the "senses". ?therwise
it is a "udgment. &f a "udgment is based on some facts, then it is an inference. @et us
have a look at some examples:
2xample 9 5
5. 1o much of our day9to9day focus seems to be on getting things done, trudging our
way through the tasks of living 9 it can feel like a treadmill that gets you nowhere! where
is the childlike "oy/
(. e are not doing the things that make us happy! that which brings us "oy! the things
that we cannot wait to do because we en"oy them so much.
*. This is the stuff that "oyful living is made of A identifying your calling and committing
yourself wholeheartedly to it.
:. hen this happens, each moment becomes a celebration of you! there is a rush of
energy that comes with feeling completely immersed in doing what you love most.
#5$ &&&4 #($ &F&4 #*$ 4F44 #:$ 4444 #;$ 4F&&
5. 1o much of our day9to9day focus seems to be on getting things done, trudging our
way through the tasks of living 9 it can feel like a treadmill that gets you nowhere! where
is the childlike "oy/
1tatement 5 states, B&t can feel like a treadmill that gets you nowhereC. This is a personal
view point. so 4udgment.
(. e are not doing the things that make us happy! that which brings us "oy! the things
that we cannot wait to do because we en"oy them so much.
1tatement ( is a personal viewpoint not necessarily agreed by many. &t is a "udgment.
*. This is the stuff that "oyful living is made of A identifying your calling and committing
yourself wholeheartedly to it.
1tatement * is an opinion, neither verifiable nor directly experienced. &t is a "udgment.
:. hen this happens, each moment becomes a celebration of you! there is a rush of
energy that comes with feeling completely immersed in doing what you love most.
1tatement : is someoneDs personal assessment of his own experience. This cannot be
verified. &t is also a "udgment. .ence, the correct answer is option :.