Epstein distinguishes the difference between subjective and objective claims. “A claim is subjective if whether it is true or false depends on what someone (or something or some group) thinks, believes, or feels. A subjective claim invokes personal standards, [while] an objective claim invokes impersonal standards.” (Epstein, p. 20)
I am reminded of last week, when my little brother hurt his ankle. Apparently two fourth-graders in his class were fighting, and one pushed the other down onto my brother’s ankle. It just so happened that the kid that fell down was the overweight student in the class.
My brother’s friend described the overweight child’s appearance in a rather negative manner. “Nick is the fattest kid in the school.” The term “fat” can be defined in many different ways, both literally and culturally. In our society, fat can be put into context of attractiveness as well as a measurement for obesity. In this case, my brother’s friend is most likely making an opinionated statement about Nick’s attractiveness. Therefore, his claim is probably a subjective one.
According to Epstein, if a claim is not subjective, then it is objective. That means it should not be based on someone’s opinion. I recall how much my little brother loves watermelon. “Everyday after school my brother eats at least one slice of watermelon.” This statement is a fact and is not based on my opinion. He actually eats watermelon after school. This is an objective claim.
One must be careful when trying to distinguish between subjective and objective claims. A factual statement can turn into an opinionated statement rather easily. If I were to say “my brother loves watermelon,” that would actually be a subjective claim. It is clear that differentiating between the two will be essential in this course.
-ABC
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