It seems that in this article, Robin is co-defining “opinion” with “belief”. This isn’t, exactly, incorrect, but I don’t think it maps completely onto the common use, which may be causing misunderstanding. If I say “it’s my opinion that [insert factual proposition here]”, then Robin’s remarks certainly apply. But if it’s my opinion that chocolate chip cookie dough ice cream is delicious—which is certainly a way people often use the word “opinion”—then in what way might I not be entitled to that? Unless I turn out to be mistaken in my use of the term “chocolate chip cookie dough ice cream”, or something, but assume I’m not.
Robin was clear about what he meant by “opinion”. From his first paragraph, with emphasis added:
You are entitled to your desires, and sometimes to your choices. You might own a choice, and if you can choose your preferences, you may have the right to do so. But your beliefs are not about you; beliefs are about the world. Your beliefs should be your best available estimate of the way things are; anything else is a lie.
Though I agree that it can cause problems to use “opinion” in an unusual way, even in the context of explicitly stating one’s unusual definition, when people are going to quote the conclusion as a slogan out of the clarifying context.
On the other hand, “You are entitled to your utility function but not your epistemology” would not make an effective slogan. (Well maybe, if it has enough “secret knowledge” appeal to motivate people to figure out what it means.)
In this case, it means that you’re not entitled to refuse to change a belief that’s been proven wrong.
If you think “everyone likes chocolate ice cream”, and I introduce you to my hypothetical friend Bill who doesn’t like chocolate ice cream, you’re not entitled to still believe that ‘everyone’ likes chocolate ice cream. You could still believe that ‘most people’ like chocolate ice cream, but if I was able to come up with a competent survey showing that 51% of people do not like chocolate ice cream, you wouldn’t be entitled to that belief, either, unless you could point me to an even more definitive study that agreed with you.
Even the belief “I like chocolate ice cream” could be proven false in some situations—peoples’ tastes do change over time, and you could try it one summer and discover that you just don’t enjoy it any more.
It also implies that you’re supposed to go looking for proof of your claims before you make them—that you’re not ‘entitled’ to have or spread an opinion, but instead must earn the right by doing or referencing research.
It seems that in this article, Robin is co-defining “opinion” with “belief”. This isn’t, exactly, incorrect, but I don’t think it maps completely onto the common use, which may be causing misunderstanding. If I say “it’s my opinion that [insert factual proposition here]”, then Robin’s remarks certainly apply. But if it’s my opinion that chocolate chip cookie dough ice cream is delicious—which is certainly a way people often use the word “opinion”—then in what way might I not be entitled to that? Unless I turn out to be mistaken in my use of the term “chocolate chip cookie dough ice cream”, or something, but assume I’m not.
Robin was clear about what he meant by “opinion”. From his first paragraph, with emphasis added:
Though I agree that it can cause problems to use “opinion” in an unusual way, even in the context of explicitly stating one’s unusual definition, when people are going to quote the conclusion as a slogan out of the clarifying context.
On the other hand, “You are entitled to your utility function but not your epistemology” would not make an effective slogan. (Well maybe, if it has enough “secret knowledge” appeal to motivate people to figure out what it means.)
Thank you. An opinion is a thought. What does it mean to say that you are not entitled to a thought?
In this case, it means that you’re not entitled to refuse to change a belief that’s been proven wrong.
If you think “everyone likes chocolate ice cream”, and I introduce you to my hypothetical friend Bill who doesn’t like chocolate ice cream, you’re not entitled to still believe that ‘everyone’ likes chocolate ice cream. You could still believe that ‘most people’ like chocolate ice cream, but if I was able to come up with a competent survey showing that 51% of people do not like chocolate ice cream, you wouldn’t be entitled to that belief, either, unless you could point me to an even more definitive study that agreed with you.
Even the belief “I like chocolate ice cream” could be proven false in some situations—peoples’ tastes do change over time, and you could try it one summer and discover that you just don’t enjoy it any more.
It also implies that you’re supposed to go looking for proof of your claims before you make them—that you’re not ‘entitled’ to have or spread an opinion, but instead must earn the right by doing or referencing research.
(And I agree with the two posters in the other comment-branches who pointed out that it’s a poor wording.)