MODULE 2 – METHODS OF PHILOSOPHIZING

Content The learner demonstrates various ways of doing philosophy.

Standards
Performance The learner evaluate opinions
Standards
Most Essential 1. Distinguish opinion from truth
Learning 2. Analyze situations that show the difference between opinion and
Competencies truth
3. Realize that the methods of philosophy lead to
wisdom and truth
4. Evaluate opinions
MODULE 2– METHODS OF PHILOSOPHIZING

Lesson 1 – TRUTH

Lesson 2 – FALLACIES

Lesson 3 – OPINIONS
➢In this lesson you shall identify the different
methods of philosophizing and how you used
them in your daily living. You will examine the
nature of truth and the different fallacies that
we are practicing unconsciously.
➢This module shall demonstrate the various
ways of doing philosophy.
➢In search for wisdom, the learner must
evaluate arguments and ways of expressing
one’s beliefs, emotions and opinions.
➢This section shall introduce methods or ways
of looking for truth and what will be considered
as mere “opinions”.
 Two lies and a Truth.
Think of two lies and a truth about
yourself that are confusing to most
people who knows you.
 Eskimos are very good hunters but
they never hunt penguins why?

Answer:
Penguins are not hunted by the Eskimos, because Eskimos live
in the arctic regions, while penguins live in the antarctic.
You are in a cabin and it is pitch black. You
have one match on you. Which do you light
first, the newspaper, the lamp, the candle
or the fireplace?
Answer:
You light the match first.
 There was an old man who lived by himself. He felt
tired so he went into the bathroom, went to the toilet,
ad then turned the light off before going to bed. The
next morning there was a news flash on the radio
that a boat crashed. The man opened the window
and jumped out. why?
Answer:
The old man live in a lighthouse he was a
lighthouse keeper and he turned off the light at the top
of the lighthouse. He committed suicide because it was
too much for him, it's his fault the boat crashed.
 I. TRUTH
Philophizing
➢is to think or express oneself in a philosophical
manner.
➢It considers or discusses a (matter) from a
philosophical standpoint.
 I. TRUTH
➢In phenomenology, truth is based on the
person’s consciousness ; while in
existentialism, truth is based in exercising
choices and personal freedom; in
postmodernism, it is accepted that truth is not
absolute; and in logic, truth is based on
reasoning and critical thinking.
 I. TRUTH
1. Belief is established by means of sense experience or
reason
Empirical truth –
➢ established by means of sense experience
➢ knowledge that is derived from experience and experimentation
Example: Matching DNA profiles, fingerprint matching and matching retina scans

Rational truth – established by means of reason

Example: “A spinster is female and unmarried".
I. TRUTH
Empirical Truth Example:
Imagine that you are a doctor
and that you are interested in
lowering blood pressure as a
way to reduce the probability
of having a heart attack.

You hear about a new drug

called atenolol that slows
down the heart and reduces
blood pressure.
Rational Truth Example:
Mathematical knowledge
 I. TRUTH
2. The question of whether knowing the truth of a belief extends
our knowledge or add to what we already know.
Synthetic truth – extend our knowledge
➢ require experience in addition to those required by the concepts themselves.
Example: "It is raining outside"

Analytic truth – does not extends our knowledge

➢ no more experience that was necessary to form the concepts
Example: "A triangle has three sides".

▪ All empirical truth are synthetic truths.

▪ Definitions and identity statements are good examples of analytic truths
 I. TRUTH
3. The question of whether a statement or belief is true in all
possible situations.
Example:
Contingent truth –
➢ is not true in all possible situations. “If Mark is a
➢ one that is true as it happens bachelor, he is
unmarried,”
Necessary truth –
➢ is true in all possible situation Ex: “17 is prime”
➢ one that must be true
▪ Empirical truth is contingent truth
▪ Rational truth is necessary truth
 I. TRUTH
4. The question of whether the truth of something can only be
known by the person who has belief or make the statement.

Private truth – can only be known by the person who has

the belief or makes the statement considered to be true

Public truth – can, in principle, be known by everyone.

Example: Ferdinand "Bongbong" Romualdez Marcos Jr.
is the president of the Philippines.
 I. TRUTH
5. The question of whether the truth of a belief or statement is
dependent on the attitudes, preferences, or interest of a person
or a group of persons.
Subjective truth – is dependent on the attitudes,
preferences or interest of a person or a group of persons.
Example: I love the rain!

Objective truth – is not

Example: It is raining.
▪ Value judgment such as esthetic judgments are subjective
▪ Factual judgment is objective
 I. TRUTH
6. The question whether a belief or statement is acknowledged
to be true by everyone or only by some people.
Universal truth – its truth is acknowledged by everyone
Example: In the East, the sun rises and falls in the West.
Relative truth –
➢ its truth is acknowledged only by some people
➢ rejection of absolute truth.
“You have your truth and I have mine.”

▪ Objective truth is usually universal truth as well

▪ Subjective truth is usually relative truth
 I. TRUTH
7. The question of whether the truth of a belief is arrived at
through the process of deductive or inductive reasoning
Deductive truth – the truth of the statement arrived at
through the process of deductive reasoning is certain
Example:
Christmas is always Dec. 25th; today is Dec. 25th, therefore it's Christmas.
Inductive truth – the truth arrived at through the process
of inductive reasoning is merely probable.
Example:
All the tigers I saw on my safari trip to South Africa were orange.
Conclusion: Therefore, all tigers are orange.
 I. TRUTH
8. The question of under what area of study does the topic or
content of a belief or statement that is held to be true falls.
Disciplinal kinds of truth –
➢ Religious truth, scientific truth, psychological truth, biological
truth, economic truth, and so on
Scientific Truth: “the Sun exists”

Psychological Truth: People get nicer as they get older.

Biological Truth: All living things are made up of cells

 I. TRUTH
General Methods of truth
1. Correspondence – we can know whether a
statement/belief if true by examining if it corresponds to or
represents, a fact in the world.
2. Coherence – we can know whether a statement/belief
is true by examining whether it coheres with the rules of
the relevant system. (pagkakaugnay-ugnay)
3. Pragmatism – we can know whether a statement/belief
is true by examining the consequences of holding or
accepting to be true. (sumasalamin sa katotohanan)
 I. TRUTH
Particular methods of truth
1. Observation (perception) method used to check if an
empirical statement, a statement about an observable fact
in the world correctly represent a fact in the world.
✓ Internal observation – observation of our thoughts
and feelings. It is also identified with what is call
introspection.
✓ External observation – observation of things “outside
our mind or consciousness” the physical objects using
our five organs of senses.
 I. TRUTH
Particular methods of truth
2. Reasoning –
generally the process of knowing or establishing truth by
means of our reason, can be done in a variety of ways.

✓ It includes testing for coherence, whether two statements are

contradictory or cannot be held to be true at same time.

✓ It also includes the process of proving the truth of a

statement or belief based on the truth of a statement or belief
on the basis of the truth of another statement or belief.
 I. TRUTH
Particular methods of truth
3. Intuition (directly grasp the truth) –
one that is the way by which we directly grasp the truth of
something.
✓ We immediately know what our moral duties are in each
situation
 I. TRUTH
Particular methods of truth

4. Mystical experience –
provides the person having the experience some means of
knowing something which cannot be known using the
methods of observation by our organs and reasoning.
 I. TRUTH
Different forms of knowledge (using the word “know”)
1. Knowledge by Acquaintance – we use the word “know”
to mean acquaintable or familiarity with a place or person.
2. Practical knowledge (knowledge – how)
we use the word know to mean knowledge of skills
3. Propositional knowledge (knowledge – that)
we use the word know to mean knowledge of a fact, a
situation, or anything that can be either true or false.
Some ugly truths of life…
1. Not all relationships will lead to marriage, some
will help you discover new restaurants.
2. It’s not selfish to make your happiness your main
priority.
3. Stay away from “still” people. Still broke, still
complaining, still hating, still nowhere.
4. Anything that costs you your mental health is too
expensive.
5. Make sure you’re not the only one who actually
values the connection.
Some ugly truths of life…
6. You don’t have to be liked by everybody. You don’t even
like everybody.
7. People may be upset when you choose you over their
mess. Choose you anyway.
8. Listen, that move you are scared to make, might be the
game changer.
9. There is a past version of you that is so proud of how
far you have come.
10. If someone’s absence brings you peace. You didn’t lose
anything.