Is there such a thing as knowledge and such a thing as opinion? If so, how do they differ?

Question

Please spare me the posts from people who feel that philosophy and philosophers need to ask their permission to assume they are ignorant. They are. We all are.

I never object to someone willing to teach me anything. If you really believe I'm intelligent, then you will also believe that I know my limitations and want to learn from other people. I love to discuss, but hate contention. I don't think a doctor who knows something condescends to tell me I'm sick. I pay him for it. :-)

So my assumption that you are ignorant is wrong? You know everything in this universe and can render an account giving the necessary connections to all else? If you cannot, then you are ignorant of what you do not know. I do not use ignorant as a synonym for stupid. Not a huge leap of faith there.

Answer 1

Ever hear of the "divided line metaphor" by Plato/Socrates. It explains the difference betw knowledge and opinion. I sense a lack of true humility in your tone.

Answer 2

Knowledge and opinion are totally different.
Knowledge refers to truth and authority on any subject.
Knowledge cannot go wrong. There is nothing like wrong knowledge. If it is wrong it is not knowledge.
In contrast opinion can be right or wrong. Opinion can be given by anybody with or without knowledge.
For example an Engineer is recognized as an Engineer by his knowledge....not by any body's opinion.
As a very simple example, we may say " David is a boy".. This is because of our knowledge that he is a boy. He cannot be a girl.
We may also say that David is a good boy. This is an opinion. David may not be a good boy also in somebody Else's opinion. But he is definitely a boy in every body's knowledge.
People gain knowledge by reading, learning, practicing etc.
Opinions are formed with environmental influences, beliefs and the way people are brought up. No scientific back up is required for opinions. knowledge is very vast and no individual can master every thing but whatever knowledge one may attain that is based on truth. Knowledge has no meaning without truth. Two multiplied by two is always four. There is no second opinion on that. This is knowledge.

Answer 3

Knowledge is of two types:
Right knowledge and False knowledge.

Opinion is of two types:
Correct opinion and Incorrect opinion.

That means I believe there is knowledge and there is opinion.

Now it means there are two beliefs:
Right belief and Wrong belief.

Whatever that is Truth is understood by us with our perception of the truth and our own capacity to comprehend the perceived truth. This comprehension is known as Knowledge.

The way we look at the truth if differs from others' perception then we just form opinions.

For Truth is a truth under all conditions and times after repeated observations by various people.
Opinion on the other hand varies under different conditions and times and after repeated observations by various people.

An opinion might be a truth which results in a knowledge or false which results in another kind of knowledge called wrong path to truth.

For Knowledge:

Say for example, The velocity of light is same under all circumstances and at all times on repeated observations by different people. This truth results in a knowledge called "Velocity of light to be a constant"

For Opinion:

Say for example, Sound required a medium to propagate was tested truth, therefore, when light was measured in the beginning scientists of those days believed that light too like sound required a medium to propagate. This medium they called as ether. This was considered just an opinion in later days, just because, the experiments proved there is no such medium called ether.

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Hope, I explained something worthy.

Answer 4

Yes there is such as thing as knowledge.
'Knowledge' is simply all the learned data that is stored in the mind from birth.

By that definition, 'Wisdom' is a compilation of knowledge, experience and understanding.

'Opinion' can be, but to me isn't necessarily, based upon any of these.
Opinion can be a learned preference and may or may not be based on anything actually known by an individual or experienced much less understood, so having one, (an opinion), doesn't necessarily indicate that you have the brain of an *** or the actual experience of one either ........... you just make a lot of noise braying!

Answer 5

Can you ask an easier question:-)
First, there are many different interpretations of what is Knowledge and opinion. There are those who consider their opinion knowledge, while there are others who considerer established fact questionable. If you wanted to be intellectually honest, you would probably create subcategories of "knowledge", i.e., scientific, personal experience, intuitively accepted... scientific being the strongest, and intuitive knowledge being the weakest. When it comes to opinion, there are those who hold themselves to higher standards, and are only willing to formulate an opinion if there is at least a logical explanation to justify this opinion. There are others who don't quite hold themselves to this standard..... As you can see, the deeper you get into this topic, the more complex it gets:) I would advise you to read Descartes Meditations, if you haven't already.
Man....philosophy is tough to deal with on yahoo answers!
steve

Answer 6

Knowlege is what can empirically be verified. All persons doing so should arrive at the same facts. So, knowlege is based on fact.
Opinion is subjective and involves your own vantage point on a given subject. Since each of us has a different vantage point, it shows you that every persons opinion will be slightly different from the opinion of others. They may agree in essence, but probably never see things 100 percent the same way.

Answer 7

Knowledge comes to you. Your opinion goes out to others. Thus, the difference. Ignorance is best viewed as our lack of knowledge. All the complex answers you have received thus far, are, only complex in nature. Most of which do not address you question or your views.

Answer 8

Knowledge and opinions are very different. Knowledge is something learned... information. The fact that a "stop" sign means to stop is knowledge. An opinion is your perseption or conclusion based on the knowledge you've gained. For instance... you may make the opinion that because nobody stops at a particualar stop sign... it's okay to blow by it.

Answer 9

Knowledge needs proof to be called knowledge.
Without proof it is opinion or belief.
Proof only gives credibility but does not necessarily make something correct.
Lack of proof does not make something incorrect.
Your belief or opinion may be closer to the truth than some-one elses knowledge.
Before "Copernicus" , people "Knew" that the earth was flat

Answer 10

I think even knowledge can be broken down into sub categories as example of book smart knowledge and street smart knowledge. Where as opinions are based more on the environment you were brought up in and your religion, etc. and many stupid people have opinions.