Method of Philosophizing 2

Method of
philosophizing
Objectives
 - Distinguish opinion from truth

 – Realize that the methods of philosophy lead to wisdom and truth
 –Evaluate truth from opinions in different situations using the
methods of philosophizing
Before heading on to our lesson, let us first check what you
have learned from our previous lesson .
 1. It is the study or discipline that uses human reason to investigate the ultimate causes,
reasons, and principles which govern all things.
 _______________ 2. The Greek term, philosophia, means ______.
 _______________ 3. The Greek word, philos, means _________.
_______________ 4. The Greek word, sophia, means _________.
_______________ 5. The Greek philosopher who believes that Philosophy is brought about by
man’s sense of wonder.
 _______________ 6. He believes that persons engage in philosophy in order to make sense
of difficult life experiences.
 _______________ 7. It is an activity that requires a person to examine his or her thoughts,
feelings, and actions and learn from experience.
 _______________ 8. Rene Descartes consider this as a reason why people philosophize.
 _______________ 9. It is a perspective that considers the “bigger picture” when look at
problems and situations.
 _______________ 10. It is a perspective that focuses on specific aspects of a situation.
Answer key
 1. Philosophy
 2. Love of wisdom.
 3. Love.
 4. Wisdom.
 5. Plato.
 6. Karl Jaspers.
 7. Reflection.
 8. Doubt.
 9. Holistic Thinking.
 10. Partial Thinking.
Philosophical method (or
philosophical methodology)
 is the study of how to do philosophy. A common view
among philosophers is that philosophy is distinguished by
the ways that philosophers follow in addressing
philosophical questions. There is not just one method that
philosophers use to answer philosophical questions.
 Philosophy is concerned with determining the concept
of truth. Truth lies at the heart of any inquiry.
Activity 1
 Give 5 examples of factual statements and another

5 examples of opinion statements about yourself.
Understanding Truth in
Philosophy
Truth in metaphysics and the philosophy of language is the
property of sentences, assertions, beliefs, thoughts, or
propositions that are said, in ordinary discourse, to agree
with the facts or to state what the case is.
Definition of Truth
Definition:
 Truth: The property of sentences, assertions, beliefs, thoughts, or
propositions that accurately reflect the facts or reality. It signifies
being in accordance with what is actually the case.
Example:
 Statement: "Water boils at 100°C at standard atmospheric
pressure."
 Explanation: This statement is considered true because it aligns
with established scientific facts about the physical properties of
water.
Propositions
 Definition:
 Proposition: A declarative statement about the world or reality
that can be true or false. Propositions express ideas or facts that
can be evaluated for their truthfulness.
 Example:
 Proposition: "The Earth orbits the Sun."
 Explanation: This proposition is true based on astronomical
evidence. It describes a fact about the solar system that can be
observed and verified.
Knowledge
Definition:
 Knowledge: Clear awareness and understanding of a fact or
concept. It involves justified true belief, where the belief is true and
supported by evidence.
Example:
 Knowledge: Knowing that "Paris is the capital of France."
 Explanation: This is considered knowledge because it is a fact,
supported by evidence, and has been verified through reliable
sources.
Facts and Claims
Definition:
 Fact: A statement that can be observed to be true. It is based on
objective reality and evidence.
 Claim: A statement that is not evidently or immediately known to
be true and requires verification.
Example:
 Fact: "The chemical symbol for gold is Au."
 Claim: "Gold has healing properties."
 Explanation: The fact is verifiable and universally accepted, while
the claim requires further investigation and evidence to determine
its truthfulness.
Philosophical Views on Truth
Definition:
 Philosophical Views: Different theories or perspectives on how
truth is determined or understood. Philosophers have varied views
on truth, such as correspondence, coherence, and pragmatism.
Example:
 Correspondence Theory: This view holds that a statement is true if
it corresponds to reality.
 Example: "The Eiffel Tower is in Paris" is true because it
corresponds with the actual location of the Eiffel Tower.
Systematic Doubt
Definition:
 Systematic Doubt: A methodological approach where everything
is questioned and scrutinized to determine its validity. It is a tool
used to achieve a clearer understanding of truth.
Example:
 René Descartes’ Method: Descartes doubted all beliefs that could
possibly be false to find an indubitable foundation for knowledge.
 Example: Descartes’ famous statement, "I think, therefore I am,"
was considered certain after doubting everything else.
Beliefs and Justification
Definition:
 JustifiedBelief: A belief is considered true if it is supported
by rational justification or evidence.
Example:
 Belief: "Exercise is beneficial for health."
 Justification:
Supported by numerous scientific studies and
evidence showing the positive effects of physical activity
on overall health.
Consensus and Agreement
Definition:
 Consensus: Agreement among a group of people or experts
about a particular belief or statement.
Example:
 Consensus: The scientific community's agreement that climate
change is occurring and largely driven by human activities.
 Limitations: Consensus alone does not guarantee truth, as it must
be backed by solid evidence.
Testing Claims
Definition:
 Testing Claims: The process of verifying statements or beliefs
through experiments, observation, or logical analysis.
Example:
 Claim: "Eating carrots improves night vision."
 Testing: Conducting scientific experiments to test if there is a
measurable improvement in night vision due to carrot
consumption.
Distinguish Opinion from Truth
Let us take a look at the following statements and determine which one states fac
or opinion
1. It takes me 30 minutes to walk from my home to school.
 (Truth)
2. Living near the school is better because we do not have to spend much for
transportation.
 (Opinion)
3. My sister ate the last piece of pizza pie.
 (Truth)
Distinguish Opinion from Truth
Let us take a look at the following statements and determine which one states fac
or opinion
4. My sister is a selfish person because she ate the last piece of pizza pie and did
not share it with me.
(Opinion)
5. The policeman firmly pushed the suspect to his knees and placed him in
handcuffs.
(Truth)
6. The aggressive manner by which the policeman arrested the suspect is an
example of the brutality that characterizes our police force.
(Opinion)
 Statements 1, 3, and 5 are more factual than statements 2, 4, and 6.
Using the philosophical tools we learned, they fit into the category of
facts since they contain ideas or information that are easily verifiable
 While statements 2, 4, and 6 could be considered as opinions. These

statements go beyond providing facts. It also provide conclusions or
perspectives regarding certain situations. Opinions are also the bases
for making arguments and convincing people that a certain claim is
a fact.
Fact
 is something concrete that can be proven. You can find facts in
legal records, scientific findings, encyclopedias, atlases, etc. In othe
words, facts are the truth and are accepted as such.
 A fact is something that is true, real information. It can be proven

Opinion
 is less concrete. It's a view formed in the mind of a person about a
particular issue. In other words it is what someone believes or thinks,
and is not necessarily the truth. Also, note in the examples below
how facts are the same for everybody, but opinions can differ quite
widely.
 An opinion is something that you think. It is not true information.
Examples of an opinion:
 Ann can have the opinion that Italian food tastes best, while Joe ha
the opinion that French food is ideal.
 Sue can have the opinion that reading is boring, while Mike can
have the opinion that reading is fun.
 Penny can have the opinion that cold weather is better, while Tim
can prefer hot weather.
Fact and Opinion
 Opinions are statement that go beyond providing facts.
 A conclusion is a judgment based on certain facts.
 Beliefs are statements that expresses convictions that are not
easily and clearly explained by facts.
 Explanations are statements that assume the claim to be true
and provide reasons why the statement is true.
 Arguments are series of statements that provide reasons to
convince the reader or listener that a claim or opinion is
truthful.
 Fallacies are arguments based on faulty reasoning.
 Bias is disproportionate weight in favor of or against an idea or
thing, usually in a way that is closed-minded, prejudicial, or
unfair.
 The facts that form the bases of a conclusion may not be
disputed but the conclusion itself could still be contested or
questioned. To judge the truthfulness of belief, we must also
consider things such a person’s experiences and views.
 Facts are statements that are observed to be real or truthful.
Claims are statements that require further examination to
determine their truthfulness. Some fallacies. We must be aware
of the various kinds of fallacies as these affect the validity of
arguments. Opinions are often influenced by bias. We must be
aware of bias so that we can objectively and critically examine
points of view.
 Opinion is something intermediary between knowledge and ignorance.
While Public opinion is the intermediate faculty which seizes the things that
float between the two extremes (Plato)
 Opinion applies to what, being true or false, may be other than it is: in fact,
opinion is the apprehension of an immediate and unnecessary premise
(Aristotle)
 Opinion, founded in the probable, perhaps also the name of knowledge
(Leibniz)
 Opinion is a belief that is conscious of being insufficient both subjectively and
objectively (Kant)
 An opinion gives for truth something that has been said, although sometimes
they are absurd words, which mean nothing, impossible to understand
(Hobbes)
 Public opinion is the convergence of the opinions of the greatest number of
people in a community, so that they form a common and dominant feeling,
exerting diffuse pressure(Freund)
examples of fallacies.
examples of biases.

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Method of

 - Distinguish opinion from truth

 Give 5 examples of factual statements and another

 While statements 2, 4, and 6 could be considered as opinions. These

 A fact is something that is true, real information. It can be proven

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