That's Just Your Opinion
Laurie Fendrich,
Brainstorm,
Feb 09, 2010
I see this a lot, from certain quarters, a "failure to distinguish between argumentation and opinion." I have even at times uttered an exasperated "this isn't a question of faith" to a student who felt that it mattered whether or not they 'believed' the assertions I was making, "it's a question of evidence." And with the author, I think reliance on opinion is a poor substitute for good thinking. "Many students, not wanting to stand out, or hurt someone else's feeling, would rather float gently in the open sea of opinions than navigate the perilous waters of rigorous argumentation." Oh, and one more thing - it's not just students. I think that many adults, professionals, and teachers operate of the basis of opinion rather than evidence (it is is from them students are adopting these habits).
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