[Ads-l] Definition OTY

[ADSGarson O'Toole]

Dan Goncharoff wrote:
> I read it as saying a man can be wrong about the facts, not the facts
> themselves.

Good point, Dan. The longer version of Bernard Baruch's quotation
supports your interpretation:

[Begin quotation]
Every man has the right to an opinion but no man has a right to be
wrong in his facts. Nor, above all, to persist in errors as to facts.
[End quotation]

Here is the 1975 remark from James R. Schlesinger. How would you interpret it?

[Begin quotation]
“Everybody is entitled to his own views,” Schlesinger said. “Everybody
is not entitled to his own facts.”
[End quotation]

Garson

> On Wed, Aug 19, 2020, 12:33 PM ADSGarson O'Toole <adsgarsonotoole at gmail.com>
> wrote:
>
> > Mark Mandel wrote:
> > > I don't think Moynihan's use is the newer sense. I can say what I want
> > > because *it's true*.
> >
> > If you are interested in the provenance of the expression ascribed to
> > Moynihan you may find this article helpful:
> >
> > People Are Entitled To Their Own Opinions But Not To Their Own Facts
> > https://quoteinvestigator.com/2020/03/17/own-facts/
> >
> > An Associated Press article from 1946 printed the following remark
> > spoken by Bernard Baruch (a precursor to Moynihan's remark):
> >
> > Every man has the right to an opinion but no man has a right to be
> > wrong in his facts.
> >
> > The statement above remark suggests that facts can be wrong.
> >
> > Garson
> >
> > > MAM
> > >
> > > On Tue, Aug 18, 2020, 2:28 PM Laurence Horn <laurence.horn at yale.edu>
> > wrote:
> > >
> > > > I know we’ve had threads on this in the past (e.g. “I deny the fact
> > > > that…”), and I suspect you’re right in that this non-committal use of
> > > > “fact” is increasing.  In some contexts “claim” can be used as a
> > > > non-presuppositional alternative to “fact”, but of course not all
> > > > propositions correspond to overt claims.  And as you say,
> > “proposition” is
> > > > rather non-colloquial.  Of course, if there can be alternative facts,
> > > > there’s no reason not to accelerate the trend.  As Daniel Patrick
> > Moynihan
> > > > didn’t quite say,
> > > > “You are entitled to your own opinions, but you are not entitled to
> > your
> > > > own facts. I am, though.”
> > > >
> > > > LH
> > > >
> > > > > On Aug 18, 2020, at 2:04 PM, Mark Mandel <markamandel at GMAIL.COM>
> > wrote:
> > > > >
> > > > > In general, I hear "fact" being used more and more often to mean
> > > > something
> > > > > like "proposition" in the logical sense. And the fact that I have to
> > > > > describe the usage that way illustrates why the usage is spreading:
> > we
> > > > have
> > > > > no colloquial word for the concept.
> > > > >
> > > > > MAM
> > > > >
> > > > >
> > > > > On Sun, Aug 16, 2020, 3:17 PM Jonathan Lighter <
> > wuxxmupp2000 at gmail.com>
> > > > > wrote:
> > > > >
> > > > >> Remember "Truth is not truth"?   Remember "alternative facts"? :
> > > > >>
> > > > >>
> > > > >>
> > > >
> > https://www.thedailybeast.com/trump-chief-of-staff-mark-meadows-says-lack-of-evidence-of-mail-in-voting-fraud-is-the-definition-of-fraud
> > > > >> :
> > > > >>
> > > > >> “But there’s no evidence of widespread voter fraud,” Tapper added
> > after
> > > > >> Meadows reiterated his concern with voter rolls.
> > > > >>
> > > > >> “There’s no evidence that there’s not either. That’s the definition
> > of
> > > > >> fraud, Jake.”
> > > > >>
> > > > >> See, undetected fraud is the worst fraud, so if there's no evidence
> > of
> > > > >> fraud, that means the fraud has gone undetected.
> > > > >>
> > > > >> Extraordinary claims require undiscovered evidence.  Absent
> > evidence is
> > > > >> evidence of non-absence.
> > > > >>
> > > > >> JL
> > > > >> --
> > > > >>
> > > > >>
> > > > >>
> > > > >> "If the truth is half as bad as I think it is, you can't handle the
> > > > truth."
> > > > >>
> > > > >> ------------------------------------------------------------
> > > > >> The American Dialect Society - http://www.americandialect.org
> > > > >>
> > > > >
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> > > > > The American Dialect Society - http://www.americandialect.org
> > > >
> > > > ------------------------------------------------------------
> > > > The American Dialect Society - http://www.americandialect.org
> > > >
> > >
> > > ------------------------------------------------------------
> > > The American Dialect Society - http://www.americandialect.org
> >
> > ------------------------------------------------------------
> > The American Dialect Society - http://www.americandialect.org
> >
>
> ------------------------------------------------------------
> The American Dialect Society - http://www.americandialect.org

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