I think ascertain works. For a quick online look:What do we make of Collingwood here saying "ascertain" rather than, say, "establish"? — Srap Tasmaner
Yes it bloody is. You wrote: "Let's say he's innocent". This immediately establishes his innocence in your narrative. This is the only reason why you can write later on: "It remains a fact that he didn't murder Miss Rabbit". — Olivier5
Fourteen pages in. What is a fact? Anyone? — tim wood
Two definitions have been given which reflect two different common usages. One conceives of a fact as a proposition that states an actual state of affairs and the other conceives of a fact as an actual state of affairs. What more do you want? — Janus
Two definitions have been given which reflect two different common usages. One conceives of a fact as a proposition that states an actual state of affairs and the other conceives of a fact as an actual state of affairs. What more do you want? — Janus
You do recognize your answer is actually a non sequitur, yes? And what, exactly, do you suppose "an actual state of affairs" is? — tim wood
So what something is, is what it is used for or how it is used? — tim wood
An actual state of affairs is a situation or event which exists or has existed. What else? — Janus
Meh. I gave you the answer in the fourth post. Everything after that is quibbling — Banno
...dismissive of what that is or how to account for it. — tim wood
First, a fact is a true statement by definition. There are no facts that are not true. SO your preoccupation is ill-formed.My preoccupation is how do we determine a fact is a true statement? — Tom Storm
Evidently your answer isn't as much help as you think it is. — Srap Tasmaner
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