Many grade schools teach the fact/opinion distinction. In this course, we’ll discuss whether this distinction cuts off space for public debate – by presenting ‘facts’ as settled and ‘opinions’ as outside the realm of evidence and argument. We’ll explore whether there is a better way to conceptualize the underlying phenomena.

Presenter: Ben Lennertz is a Professor of Philosophy at Colgate University specializing in the Philosophy of Language, Epistemology, and Philosophy of Mind. He is widely published and has received a number of fellowships and prizes.