In the classic Dirty Harry movie series, the crusty old detective, Harry Callahan, makes a quip that echoes back to the pre-Socratics: "Opinions are like assholes; everybody has one."

In his own way, Harry's character reminds us of that ancient and very important distinction between opinion and knowledge. Opinion requires little to no evidence to utter — faith even less so. Knowledge claims, at the other end of the truth-meter, have robust reasons and solid evidence to back them up.

Without this basic and fundamental understanding of how to sort through declarations, our world is now overrun by opinions masquerading as facts. As a result, poorly supported assertions of faith and opinion end up forging public policy — all which have a direct effect on our individual and collective well-being.

Need examples?

Poorly supported assertions of faith and opinion end up forging public policy.

Look no farther than the U.S. It's the culmination of the Trump Effect. "Fake news." Denying bold-faced facts. Brushing aside serious science in place of one's own uneducated version of reality.

But don't forget that sloppy thinking doesn't stop at borders. The same anti-intellectualism is rife in our own mainstream Canadian politics and media venues.

Consider the reaction to recent remarks from the newly appointed governor general, Julie Payette, at no less a venue than the Canadian Science Policy Convention in Ottawa. It illustrates to what extent critical distinctions and tough-minded demands for reason have been lost on so many of us, and society in general.

Speaking to the audience, Ms. Payette did a riff on the most popular of opinions warmly held close by too many, including those in our echelons of political power:

"Can you believe that still today in learned society, in houses of government, unfortunately, we're still debating and still questioning whether humans have a role in the Earth warming up or whether even the Earth is warming up, period?"

She continued:

"And we are still debating and still questioning whether life was a divine intervention or whether it was coming out of a natural process let alone — oh my goodness, a random process."

Could there be more examples? Unfortunately, yes. How about adding pseudo-medicine and astrology to the list?