A fact (derived from the Latin factum, see below) is something that has really occurred or is actually the case. The usual test for a statement of fact is verifiability, that is whether it can be proven to correspond to experience. Standard reference works are often used to check facts. Scientific facts are verified by repeatable experiments.

Etymology and usage[link]

The word fact derives from the Latin factum, and was first used in English with the same meaning: "a thing done or performed", a use that is now obsolete.^[1] The common usage of "something that has really occurred or is the case" dates from the middle of the sixteenth century.^[2]

Fact is sometimes used synonymously with truth, as distinct from opinions, falsehoods, or matters of taste. This use is found in such phrases as, It is a fact that the cup is blue or Matter of fact,^[3] and "... not history, nor fact, but imagination."

Fact also indicates a matter under discussion deemed to be true or correct, such as to emphasize a point or prove a disputed issue; (e.g., "... the fact of the matter is ...").^[4][5]

Alternatively, fact may also indicate an allegation or stipulation of something that may or may not be a "true fact",^[6] (e.g., "the author's facts are not trustworthy"). This alternate usage, although contested by some, has a long history in standard English.^[7]

Fact may also indicate findings derived through a process of evaluation, including review of testimony, direct observation, or otherwise; as distinguishable from matters of inference or speculation.^[8] This use is reflected in the terms "fact-find" and "fact-finder" (e.g., "set up a fact-finding commission").^[9]

Facts may be checked by reason, experiment, personal experience, or may be argued from authority. Roger Bacon wrote "If in other sciences we should arrive at certainty without doubt and truth without error, it behooves us to place the foundations of knowledge in mathematics."^[10]

Fact in philosophy[link]

In philosophy, the concept fact is considered in epistemology and ontology. Questions of objectivity and truth are closely associated with questions of fact. A "fact" can be defined as something which is the case, that is, a state of affairs.^[11][12]

Facts may be understood as that which makes a true sentence true.^[13] Facts may also be understood as those things to which a true sentence refers. The statement "Jupiter is the largest planet in the solar system" is about the fact Jupiter is the largest planet in the solar system.^[14]

Misunderstanding of the difference between fact and theory sometimes leads to fallacy in rhetoric,^{[citation needed]} in which one person will say his or her claim is factual whereas the opponent's claim is just theory. Such statements indicate confusion as to the meanings of both words, suggesting the speaker believes that fact means "truth," and theory means "speculation."^{[dubious – discuss]}

Correspondence and the slingshot argument[link]

Some versions of the correspondence theory of truth hold that what makes a sentence true is that it corresponds to a fact.^[15] This theory presupposes the existence of an objective world.

The Slingshot argument claims to show that all true statements stand for the same thing - the truth value true. If this argument holds, and facts are taken to be what true statements stand for, then we reach the counter-intuitive conclusion that there is only one fact - "the truth".^[16]

Compound facts[link]

Any non-trivial true statement about reality is necessarily an abstraction composed of a complex of objects and properties or relations.^[17] For example, the fact described by the true statement "Paris is the capital city of France" implies that there is such a place as Paris, there is such a place as France, there are such things as capital cities, as well as that France has a government, that the government of France has the power to define its capital city, and that the French government has chosen Paris to be the capital, that there is such a thing as a "place" or a "government", etc.. The verifiable accuracy of all of these assertions, if facts themselves, may coincide to create the fact that Paris is the capital of France.

Difficulties arise, however, in attempting to identify the constituent parts of negative, modal, disjunctive, or moral facts.^[18]

Fact–value distinction[link]

Moral philosophers since David Hume have debated whether values are objective, and thus factual. In A Treatise of Human Nature Hume pointed out there is no obvious way for a series of statements about what ought to be the case to be derived from a series of statements of what is the case. Those who insist there is a logical gulf between facts and values, such that it is fallacious to attempt to derive values from facts, include G. E. Moore, who called attempting to do so the Naturalistic fallacy.

Factual–counterfactual distinction[link]

Factuality — what has occurred — can also be contrasted with counterfactuality — what might have occurred, but did not. A counterfactual conditional or subjunctive conditional is a conditional (or "if-then") statement indicating what would be the case if events had been other than they actually are. For example, "If Alexander had lived, his empire would have been greater than Rome". This is to be contrasted with an indicative conditional, which indicates what is (in fact) the case if its antecedent is (in fact) true — for example, "if you drink this, it will make you well".

Such sentences are important to Modal logic, especially since the development of Possible world semantics.

Fact in science[link]

Just as in philosophy, the scientific concept of fact is central to fundamental questions regarding the nature, methods, scope and validity of scientific reasoning.

In the most basic sense, a scientific fact is an objective and verifiable observation, in contrast with a hypothesis or theory, which is intended to explain or interpret facts.^[19] (For an example, see Evolution as theory and fact.)

Various scholars have offered significant refinements to this basic formulation, some of which are detailed below. Also, rigorous scientific use of the term "fact" is careful to distinguish: 1) states of affairs in the external world; from 2) assertions of fact that may be considered relevant in scientific analysis. The term is used in both senses in the philosophy of science.^[20]

Scholarly inquiry regarding scientific fact[link]

Scholars and clinical researchers in both the social and natural sciences have forwarded numerous questions and theories in clarifying the fundamental nature of scientific fact.^[21] Some pertinent issues raised by this inquiry include:

• the process by which "established fact" becomes recognized and accepted as such;^[22]
• whether and to what extent "fact" and "theoretic explanation" can be considered truly independent and separable from one another;^[23][24]
• to what extent are "facts" influenced by the mere act of observation;^[24] and
• to what extent are factual conclusions influenced by history and consensus, rather than a strictly systematic methodology.^[25]

Consistent with the theory of confirmation holism, some scholars assert "fact" to be necessarily "theory-laden" to some degree. Thomas Kuhn and others pointed out that knowing what facts to measure, and how to measure them, requires the use of some other theory (e.g., age of fossils is based on radiocarbon dating which is justified by reasoning that radioactive decay follows a Poisson process rather than a Bernoulli process). Similarly, Percy Williams Bridgman is credited with the methodological position known as operationalism, which asserts that all observations are not only influenced, but necessarily defined by the means and assumptions used to measure them.

Fact and the scientific method[link]

Apart from the fundamental inquiry in to the nature of scientific fact, there remain the practical and social considerations of how fact is investigated, established, and substantiated through the proper application of the scientific method.^[26] Scientific facts are generally believed to be independent of the observer: no matter who performs a scientific experiment, all observers will agree on the outcome.^[27] In addition to these considerations, there are the social and institutional measures, such as peer review and accreditation, that are intended to promote factual accuracy (among other interests) in scientific study.^[28]

Fact in history[link]

A common rhetorical cliché states, "History is written by the winners". This phrase suggests but does not examine the use of facts in the writing of history.

E. H. Carr in his 1961 volume, What is History?, argues that the inherent biases from the gathering of facts makes the objective truth of any historical perspective idealistic and impossible. Facts are, "like fish in the Ocean," of which we may only happen to catch a few, only an indication of what is below the surface. Even a dragnet cannot tell us for certain what it would be like to live below the Ocean's surface. Even if we do not discard any facts (or fish) presented, we will always miss the majority; the site of our fishing, the methods undertaken, the weather and even luck play a vital role in what we will catch. Additionally, the composition of history is inevitably made up by the compilation of many different bias of fact finding - all compounded over time. He concludes that for a historian to attempt a more objective method, one must accept that history can only aspire to a conversation of the present with the past - and that one's methods of fact gathering should be openly examined. As with science, historical truth and facts will therefore change over time and reflect only the present consensus (if that).

Fact in law[link]

In most common law jurisdictions,^[29] the general concept and analysis of fact reflects fundamental principles of Jurisprudence, and is supported by several well-established standards.^[30][31] Matters of fact have various formal definitions under common law jurisdictions.

These include:

• an element required in legal pleadings to demonstrate a cause of action;^[32][33]

• the determinations of the finder of fact after evaluating admissible evidence produced in a trial or hearing;^[34]
• a potential ground of reversible error forwarded on appeal in an appellate court;^[35] and
• any of various matters subject to investigation by official authority to establish whether a crime has been perpetrated, and to establish culpability.^[36]

Legal pleadings[link]

A party to a civil suit generally must clearly state all relevant allegations of fact upon which a claim is based. The requisite level of precision and particularity of these allegations varies depending on the rules of civil procedure as well as the jurisdiction. Parties who face uncertainties regarding the facts and circumstances attendant to their side in a dispute may sometimes invoke alternative pleading.^[37] In this situation, a party may plead separate sets of facts that (when considered together) may be contradictory or mutually exclusive. This (seemingly) logically-inconsistent presentation of facts may be necessary as a safeguard against contingencies (such as res judicata) that would otherwise preclude presenting a claim or defense that depends on a particular interpretation of the underlying facts.^[38]

See also[link]

• Brute fact
• Consensus reality
• Counterfactual history
• De facto
• Fact-finding
• Factoid
• Lie
• Reality
• State of affairs
• Truth

References[link]

Gregory and the Hawk
Meredith Godreau in summer 2007
Background information
Origin	New York, USA
Genres	Acoustic, indie pop, indie folk[1]
Years active	2003–present
Labels	FatCat Records, Pearly Gates!
Website	http://www.gregoryandthehawk.com/

Meredith Godreau is an American singer-songwriter performing under the pseudonym Gregory and the Hawk. Active since 2003, Godreau initially enjoyed independent success with 2 EPs and a full length album selling a total of 15,000 copies.

Biography[link]

Originally from Medfield, Massachusetts, Godreau moved to upstate New York when she was twelve. This was where she learned a number of instruments, including piano, clarinet, oboe, violin and viola before settling on her "$70 Christmas gift": the guitar.

Godreau then took on the pseudonym Gregory and the Hawk in 2003 to avoid being pigeonholed as a singer-songwriter, despite citing her influences as Nick Drake, Liz Phair and PJ Harvey. The name was derived from her brother, Gregory, and his imaginary childhood hawk. This was when she released her demo EP, including early versions of the popular "Boats and Birds" and "Isabelle".^[2] When asked about going by her real name, Godreau responds, "There is no reason for it. But, I’d walk by places and it’d say ‘Playing Tonight – Joe Jones’ and I think that was super-boring and I’d never want to go to that show".

Godreau began playing solo shows in small venues around New England until 2005 when she met Mike McGuire in New York. The two played live shows together for several months before bassist Jeff Ratner and drummer Adam Christgau (both of New York band Paper And Sand) joined the band. The four of them recorded the Boats And Birds EP.^[3]

Boats and Birds[link]

In 2006, Gregory and the Hawk self released the Boats and Birds EP as a home-studio project containing the songs "Isabelle" and "Boats and Birds". Both songs received a great amount of attention on social networking website MySpace, increasing Gregory and the Hawk's popularity. Soon after the release, the four friends moved apart, and so Godreau began playing live with just Ratner on upright bass, and herself on acoustic guitar and vocals.

FatCat Records[link]

In Your Dreams, Gregory and the Hawk's first full length album, was self released the following year with Mike McGuire and Susan Ambrose as the only other players. The album received many positive reviews but it wasn't until a show in Godreau's native Brooklyn that FatCat Records stumbled across her. Before Gregory and the Hawk was signed, Godreau already sold 15,000 copies of her demos and full length album, had 18 pages of cover versions on YouTube, and had several solo shows. As stated by FatCat Records, "[we] discovered our newest signing, Gregory and the Hawk, entirely by accident, whilst out one night at a bar in Brooklyn. An unknown band came on stage and Meredith Godreau began to sing, instantly stunning everyone in the room". A month later, she was in the studio recording her first FatCat single, Ghost and debut album, Moenie and Kitchi, which were both released in September and October 2008, respectively.

During an interview with AU Magazine, Godreau was asked about her work with FatCat Records and responded, "I wasn’t really aiming to be on a record label, but now that I am, there have been so many great people that I’ve met in the last couple of years because of it that I would never, ever say that I wouldn’t want to have that. I’m very glad about the people I’ve met, and not necessarily the technicalities of being on a label". ^[4]

Moenie and Kitchi[link]

In the recording of Moenie and Kitchi, many of the instruments were played by the album's producer, Adam Pierce (Mice Parade), with most vocals and guitars recorded simultaneously in just one take. Gregory and the Hawk took a three-continent tour for this album, taking in support slots for múm, The Album Leaf, Mice Parade, Frightened Rabbit, Asian Kung Fu Generation and other bands.^[5] "Moenie and Kitchi was not produced by me... and I really like[d] it, but it wasn’t very personal to me. I wrote the songs but I felt like it was not something I could have made on my own," Godreau told AU Magazine. Godreau decided to create her most recent album back in her own garage/studio.

Leche[link]

Godreau started working on Leche throughout the winter of 2009, writing and self-recording, then taking her music to a team of friends, engineers, and collaborators including Pierce, as well as Jeremy Backofen (Felice Brothers) and Rob Laakso (Amazing Baby, Diamond Nights, Mice Parade, Swirlies). Godreau writes, "it turned out the idea behind the album was about traveling all around - both physically and psychologically - and observing many different places, people, and behaviors but always from a detached perspective, never directly involved. Traveling was a major influence on the album, as was personal change and growth". The album was released in Canada and the United States on November 9, 2010 and in the UK and Europe on November 15, 2010. ^[6]

Come, Now[link]

Godreau has a new album coming up in June 5 2012 and has posted 3 of her new songs from the new album. Two of them, Cause it's cold and Been too long had been posted in January 2012 while First Flying V had been posted in November 2011. First Flying V can be downloaded for free and those who download can get a bonus track.

Discography[link]

Albums[link]

• In Your Dreams (2007)
• Moenie and Kitchi (2008)
• Leche (2010)
• Come, Now (June 5, 2012^[7])

EPs[link]

• Gregory and the Hawk (Demo) EP (2005)
• Boats and Birds EP (2006)
• Huckleberry Cherry and Boules EP (2010)

Singles[link]

• Ghost (2008)
• Olly Olly Oxen Free (2010)

Compilations[link]

• The Lonesome Call of the... WHPRWHIL, Whprwhil Records (2006)
• Pickathon, Pickathon Roots Music Festival (2006)
• Nano-Mugen Compilation 2009, Ki/oon Records (2009)

^[8]

References[link]

1. REDIRECT Dependency