Fact
An individual fact is said to be explained by pointing out its cause, that is, by stating the law or laws of causation, of which its production is an instance.
John Stuart Mill (1862)Facts are "events that occur" or "the state of being of things" that are referred to. Facts exist independent of theory. Scientists do not construct facts, but make observations about things that refer to or represent the facts through theory. Unlike other terms of science, facts in science are similar in definition and interpretation relative to their use in common language. While the term "scientific fact" appears in the literature, facts transcend all human activity such that science cannot lay claim to them. Facts exist in the public domain inasmuch as they exist in science. In the practice and writing of science, however, there are two very broad and even oppositional classes of fact: 1) manifest, and 2) inferential.
Read more about this topic: Evolution As Fact And Theory, Evolution, Fact and Theory
Famous quotes containing the word fact:
“The fact that we are all trained to be mothers from infancy on means that we are all trained to devote our lives to men, whether they are our sons or not; that we are all trained to force other women to exemplify the lack of qualities which characterizes the cultural construct of femininity.”
—Andrea Dworkin (b. 1946)
“The fact is popular art dates. It grows quaint. How many people feel strongly about Gilbert and Sullivan today compared to those who felt strongly in 1890?”
—Stephen Sondheim (b. 1930)
“We hear a great deal of lamentation these days about writers having all taken themselves to the colleges and universities where they live decorously instead of going out and getting firsthand information about life. The fact is that anybody who has survived his childhood has enough information about life to last him the rest of his days.”
—Flannery O’Connor (1925–1964)