In philosophy, an opinion is a judgment, viewpoint, or statement that is not conclusive, rather than facts, which are true statements. Philosophers might be tempted to draw a contrast between opinions and facts by identifying facts as states of affairs that are there in the world regardless of what anyone may think about them, and identifying opinions as beliefs or some other mental state about states of affairs. An opinion expresses someones belief about something and can be based on facts or emotions, and sometimes they are meant to belittle others' stances or to deflate one's own. Philosophers certainly express opinions, but they do more than this. They make arguments and distinguish arguments from opinions because our understanding of what philosophical reasoning does depends on a clear understanding of the difference. In summary, an opinion is a subjective judgment or viewpoint that is not conclusive, and it can be based on facts or emotions. Philosophers express opinions, but they also make arguments and distinguish arguments from opinions.