A Study On The Characteristics And Functions Of Opinion

In the article I make full academic analysis about the connotation, characteristics and role of Opinion, as a category of epistemology. In process of cognition, such cognition forms as ignorance, opinion , knowledge and truth have mutual relations, functions and transformations among themselves. The meaning of probing the category of opinion avoids the recurrence of the arbitrariness.Firstly, in the history of Western philosophy and Chinese philosophy I make comments about history study of opinion category. In the ancient history of Western philosophy, Xenophanes was the first man who had regarded opinion and truth as a pair of confrontation categories between areas and made the distinction between themselves. However, Xenophanes had raised the problem with the spirit against the traditional concept, and brought it into no further play. Parmenides had brought the important thinking into further play. Parmenides had specified "opinion", "Phenomenon" and "truth" and "nature" between counterparts and transformed opinion into the component in his philosophical thinking. Plato had made a profound insight into the relations among "knowledge" , "opinion" and "ignorance" . He had probed the theory on the visible world and sensible world. Man has four types of cognitive ability which are logos, intellectuality, conviction and imagination. In ancient Chinese philosophy, especially the philosophy before the Han Dynasty, despite no clear views on opinion, we believe that in the "know" several levels of the inspection, opinion is about the views of "Yan" , "Lun", "Chen Yan", "Zhong Duan" . From the perspective of epistemology Dai Zhen had made the nuanced analysis about the connotation of opinion and "Li Yi" and had theoretically anatomized and animadverted Cheng and Zhu's school of leaning..Secondly, I make full academic analysis about the characteristics of opinion in the epistemology. Opinion's characteristics are present when compared with truth, ignorance and knowledge. Compared with the characteristics of truth: certainty, universality and uniqueness, opinion has four characteristics of uncertainty, individuality, and diversity and untested. The uncertainty of opinion refers to that we can not tell the right and wrong about opinion. The individuality means to be that opinion is individual subject's subjective cognition on some problems. The diversity regards opinion as a subjective cognition which reflects all kinds of objects with a variety of different forms The reflection is not a comprehensive, objective and specific reflection, but one-sided, abstract and subjective reflection The to-be tested of opinion is individual subject's subjective cognition on some problems which is not logically proved and tested by practice, and doesn't tell the right and wrong.Thirdly, I make full academic analysis about the function of opinion in the epistemology. On the way to the truth, opinion contains the particles of truth and false, and carries the embryo with the results of cognition. With opinion's debate unfolded, it provides premise and guarantee for the understanding and transmission of the truth. After rigorous logic verification and practical tests, opinion goes beyond ignorance, from knowledge to truth. The significance of exploring opinion lies in explaining accurately the process of cognition from beginning to end in order to enrich and perfect Marxism's dialectical epistemology.Finally, I make full academic analysis about the attitude to opinion so as to oppose the arbitrary theory and relativism and uphold dialectical materialism, realistically understand the different roles and status of such cognition forms as ignorance, opinion, knowledge and truth.In short, this article mainly deals with the connotation, characteristics, status and action of all kinds of cognition forms especially opinion. It furthers to enrich and perfect Marxism's dialectical epistemology, builds the ladder to the growth of knowledge and enhances human cognitive ability and level.