Binmaley Catholic School, Inc.

Binmaley, Pangasinan
S.Y. 2020-2021

LEARNING
MODULE Introduction to
Philosophy of

Module 2: The Reflective Life

NAME: _____________________________________________________________

SECTION:________________________________

Lesson 1: Doxa and Episteme

1|Page
 Binmaley Catholic School, Inc.
Binmaley, Pangasinan
S.Y. 2020-2021

ENTRY POINT:

1. Choose a word from the box below.

2. Write down other related words or ideas that you can think of in relation to the word that
you chose.
3. Write your answer in a one whole sheet of paper.
It is dangerous to mistake an opinion for knowledge. For instance, much may be at stake
when we consult a quack doctor instead of a medical doctor when we are sick or just any person
instead of a wise one for advice. Quacks do not possess knowledge about disease and the human
body just as some people most probably as confused as we are about life and love. Everytime we
interact with fellow human beings in this world, we are presented with claims that we can easily
mistake for truth. Television networks would present news that are not really news and our
friends on social media like Facebook would post deceiving updates or photos we need a means
to identify whether what is presented to us is true especially since there are people who profit
from perpetuating lies, Financial scams, for instance , have taken away hard-earned money of
victims and ruined lives.
Philosophy will show you path to a good life. The skills and values that philosophy present
will equip you with the mental training required to distinguish the false from the true. In this
chapter, pay attention to the philosophers who have lighted the path in a journey to truth.

DEEPENING:

EPISTEME= Knowledge DOXA= Opinion

To know the truth is different from believing something to be true. There are different views
presented to us every day- in the news, in social media, in the classroom, in the streets, in the
church, interaction with people. We are not supposed to believe all views presented to us as true.

2|Page
 Binmaley Catholic School, Inc.
Binmaley, Pangasinan
S.Y. 2020-2021

Plato and other philosophers devoted much of their time to the problem between appearance and
reality. Something to be true is not automatically true. When we talk about knowledge (episteme
in Greek), we are not concerned with mere belief or opinion (doxa in Greek).
Statement of Facts vs Statement of Opinions
Truth is an acceptable statement. It agrees with facts and reality. Truth needs to be supported by
factual evidence. If there is no evidence, or there is insufficient evidence, then the statement is an
Opinion.
Every person has a set of beliefs or opinions. We expect people to respect our beliefs and we
even say that every person is entitled to his or her own opinion. Since we recognize and celebrate
diversity, then there seem to be no point in claiming which views are correct. They are opinions,
and as such, we do not need to justify them.
It is a different case, however, when we claim that our belief is true. When we claim that a belief
is true, we are required to explain why we know it to be true. To know is to be able to give
rational justification. Gut feel that something is true would never be enough to justify what we
claim to know. Hearsay and opinions would not count as knowledge unless they pass a test of
verification or confirmation.
Statement of Opinion- one whose content is either subjective or else not well supported by the
available evidences.
Statement of Fact- One whose content is objective and well-supported by available evidence.
Since the beginning of philosophy, it was recognized that truth is not readily accessible to human
beings. Only gods, beings of supreme intelligence, possess all truths. Man has to exert mental
effort to know some of these truths, his rational capacity (reason) is his tool in such endeavor.

CHECK POINT :

3|Page
 Binmaley Catholic School, Inc.
Binmaley, Pangasinan
S.Y. 2020-2021

A. Tell whether the statement is an opinion or fact statement. Write your answer before each
number.
___________1. Bali tigers are extinct.
___________2. She looks sad.
___________3. The cake tastes delicious.
___________4. Sir Ian McKellan played Gandalf in the Lord of the Rings and the Hobbit
franchises.
___________5. My Philosophy teacher hates me.
___________6. The capital of Ukraine is Kiev/Kyiv.
___________7. The third president of the United States was Thomas Jefferson.
___________8. The Mango Graham Cake tastes delicious.
___________9. King John of England signed the Magna Carta in 1215.
___________10. Online Class is boring

Lesson 2: Questions of Truth and Opinion

ENTRY POINT:

Compare and Contrast

A newspaper can be in a broadsheet or tabloid form. Compare and contrast the format in terms of
delivering and look for some examples to support your answer/s:
1. Factual News
2. Editorial Opinion
3. Gossip Columns

DEEPENING:

Now that you can distinguish opinion form knowledge, you will be presented with
different methods or techniques used by philosophers to test truth claims. When an opinion is
presented to us and claimed to be true, how do we verify that indeed it is true? The following
theories will help you understand the nature of truth and how each theory is used to determine
the truth of beliefs or propositions.

4|Page
 Binmaley Catholic School, Inc.
Binmaley, Pangasinan
S.Y. 2020-2021

THE CORRESPONDENCE THEORY OF TRUTH

The correspondence Theory of truth starts that the key to truth is the relations (or
correspondence) between propositions and the world. This means that “a belief is true if there
exists and appropriate entity-a fact- to which it corresponds. If there is no such entity, the belief
is false.”

Example: "A cat is on a mat"

This statement is true if, and only if, there is in the world a cat and a mat and the cat is related to
the mat by virtue of being on it. If any of the three pieces (the cat, the mat, and the relation
between them which correspond respectively to the subject, object, and verb of the statement) is
missing, the statement is false. It compares the given proposition and the truth conditions or state
of affairs that will make the proposition true.

COHERENCE THEORY OF TRUTH

The coherence theory of truth states that the truth of any (true) proposition consists in its
coherence with some specified set of propositions (or significant wholes). This means that the
truth conditions of a proposition are based on other propositions. In the simpler term, the
Coherence Theory of Truth insists that a belief is true if and only if it is part of a coherent system
of beliefs.
Example:
“The pencil hit the ground”
A pencil falls, I hear it, a 2nd person hears it, it is now table but I saw it a moment ago.
- 3 observation fits:
o I hear it
o 2nd person hears it
o Missing pencil
- According to the theory, the proposition “the pencil hit the ground” is true. (did it really
hit the ground, or is there another explanation)

PRAGMATIC THEORY OF TRUTH

The pragmatic Theory of Truth holds that a proposition is true if it is useful to believe it. This
utility is the essential mark of truth. A statement is true if people can use that statement to
achieve results that satisfy their interest. This implies that there are no unchanging absolute
truths. To verify a belief as truth, for example, we might look at whether it aids us individually or
collectively in the biological struggle for survival.
Example: Religion/ Existence of God.

The apparent God is visible in all aspects of life. What we conclude about God will
decide the direction of our lives, as well as formulate our expectations, desires, and objectives.

5|Page
 Binmaley Catholic School, Inc.
Binmaley, Pangasinan
S.Y. 2020-2021

The world can be organized in such personal and meaningful conditions, thus fulfilling human
needs.
“On pragmatic principles, if the hypothesis of God works satisfactorily in the widest sense of the
word, it is ‘true.’”

CHECK POINT :

Directions: Identify the theory of truth which best characterizes the following descriptions:

__________________________________
1. An idea that in accord with a fact is considered true, and one that is not is considered false.
_________________________________
2. What is said is true if it is logically derivable from a system of other things that are said.
__________________________________

3. A statement is true insofar as it is a necessary constituent of a systematic whole as in Euclidian

geometry.

__________________________________

4. Truth can be known only when one knows the practical consequences which would result
from the truth of the expression, and these consequences are testable.

__________________________________

5. A statement is not known to be true if the fact corresponding to the statement is not, in
principle, verifiable in some manner.

__________________________________

6. You can never know something is true until you can set up a test for that truth. If you can't test
it, you can't know it.

__________________________________

7. Truth is a property of an extensive body of interrelated statements; hence, statements have

degrees of truth and falsity.

__________________________________

8. The truth of a belief is tested by its results when it is put into operation and has satisfactory
results.

__________________________________

9. You know "Snow is white" if and only if snow is white.

__________________________________

10. The truth of the conclusion of an argument is logically derivable from the truth of its
premises.

6|Page
 Binmaley Catholic School, Inc.
Binmaley, Pangasinan
S.Y. 2020-2021

Lesson 3: Unveiling Truth through Methods

ENTRY POINT:

Escaping the Maze!

Using a ballpen, try to get through the maze.

7|Page
 Binmaley Catholic School, Inc.
Binmaley, Pangasinan
S.Y. 2020-2021

Question: What method/s did you do to successfully navigate this maze puzzle? (you can write
your answer at the back of this page)

DEEPENING:

1. Logical Analysis
It is a method of determining whether the assertion offered as reason for accepting the assertion
justify that acceptance in the way the speaker intended. When a speaker asserts a thing, it
becomes an argument.
An argument consists of two or more statements, one of which is a conclusion and the others are
premises.
The speaker has to establish relationship between premises and conclusions in arguments which
reasoning may either be deductive or inductive argumentation.
- Deductive reasoning
o is a basic form of valid reasoning. Deductive reasoning, or deduction, starts out
with a general statement, or hypothesis, and examines the possibilities to reach a
specific, logical conclusion.

8|Page
 Binmaley Catholic School, Inc.
Binmaley, Pangasinan
S.Y. 2020-2021

o Deductive reasoning usually follows steps. First, there is a premise, then a second
premise, and finally an inference. A common form of deductive reasoning is the
syllogism, in which two statements — a major premise and a minor premise —
reach a logical conclusion.
o For example, "All men are mortal. Harold is a man. Therefore, Harold is mortal."
For deductive reasoning to be sound, the hypothesis must be correct. It is assumed
that the premises, "All men are mortal" and "Harold is a man" are true. Therefore,
the conclusion is logical and true. In deductive reasoning, if something is true of a
class of things in general, it is also true for all members of that class. 
- Inductive reasoning
o Inductive reasoning makes broad generalizations from specific observations.
Basically, there is data, then conclusions are drawn from the data.
o Inductive arguments are meant to predict a conclusion. They do not create a
definite answer for their premises, but they try to show that the conclusion is the
most probable one given the premises.
o An example of inductive logic is, "The coin I pulled from the bag is a penny. That
coin is a penny. A third coin from the bag is a penny. Therefore, all the coins in
the bag are pennies."

2. Method of Systematic Doubt

This is also called as Cartesian Doubt since advocated by Rene Descartes, a French philosopher.
He said that when we begin to think philosophically, the first thing we should do is to doubt
everything of which we cannot be absolutely certain. Since there are many beliefs (true or false)
that surround us, the person must distance himself from the whole mixture of beliefs and then as
a fresh start, he may begin intellectually by reasoning the most solid foundation against this
method, it is certainly an effective way of overcoming unreflective body of traditional beliefs.
3. Phenomenological Method
This method of philosophy was associated with Edmund Husserl (1859-1938), a German
philosopher who postulated transcendental phenomenology.
The word phenomenon is derived from a Greek word, phaenesthai meaning “to appear”.
This is the careful inspection and description of phenomena or appearance. It is a process of
learning and constructing the meaning of human experiences. It is aims to understand the
meaning of the experience as it is lived by the participant through direct awareness.
Direct awareness connotes three things:
1. The object of our intention (Noema)
2. The intentional act (Noesis)

9|Page
 Binmaley Catholic School, Inc.
Binmaley, Pangasinan
S.Y. 2020-2021

3. Conscious Self
Example: Mark buys Caramel Macchiato in a coffee shop.
Caramel Macchiato- Noema
Buying- Noesis
Mark- Conscious self and the giver of meaning.
Meaning of the Experience: He keeps on repeating this activity because he feels satisfied
drinking coffee (Caramel Macchiato).

Main Characteristics of Phenomenological Method

a. Epoché or Bracketing- this means that we need to put inside the bracket all our natural
attitudes of our object of inquiry (Noema). Natural Attitudes mean our advance concepts
like, prejudices and biases. These natural attitudes can create misconceptions and
therefore in a scientific study these natural attitudes are invalid and unreliable because we
do not have enough evidence to prove their claim.
Example: Object of Inquiry: A boy with many tattoos and bald.
o Natural attitude- bad boy, naughty, irresponsible and dirty. We need to bracket
such things.
b. Eidetic Reduction- you reduce an object to the level of the mind. This is all about
analyzing essences: what makes the thing you are contemplating what it is.
Example: A boy with a tattoo
- Upon looking at this boy, I analyze him as an individual, a man, a person, a friend, a
member…
- One may ask the question, who is this person free from prejudices? why does he have
tattoos?
c. Transcendental Reduction- one reduces the object to the mere activity itself of one’s
own consciousness. One will now turn to him/herself to the very experience of the “I”
who will decide the validity of the objects in experience. This gives us the idea that there
is always truth in every experience and only the “I” can validate it.
Example: A boy with a tattoo
- Having a pleasant encounter with a bald and tattooed person, the “I” always finds the
reason to perpetuate friendship due to what has been and pleasant experience they shared.
- “I do not care what you have in mind. You judge him as a bad person, irresponsible,
naughty or whatever. But based on what I experienced about this guy, he is not”.

4. Existentialism
It emphasizes the importance of free individual choice, regardless of the power of other
people to influence and coerce our desires, beliefs, and decisions. It is also about the
existence of the human being, the lack of meaning and purpose in life, and the solitude of
human existence. Its roots come from the 19 th century but does not become a movement until
WW II.
Common Themes in Existentialism
1. Existence Precedes Essence
-We have no predetermined nature or essence that controls what we are, what we do, or
what is valuable for us.
- We are radically free to act independently of determination by outside influences.
- We create our own human nature through these free choices.
- We also create our values through these choices.
 “We create our own nature” : We are thrown into existence first without a predetermined
nature and only later do we construct our nature or essence through our actions.

10 | P a g e
 Binmaley Catholic School, Inc.
Binmaley, Pangasinan
S.Y. 2020-2021

2. Absurdity
- life is absurd and reason is useless in dealing with the depths of human life.
- Man seen in this light is full of contradictions.
- Man creates himself through the choices he makes and thus takes responsibility.
3. Alienation
- The development of science has “separated man from concrete earthy existence, and
forced him to live at a high level of abstraction. We have collectivized individual man
out of existence, driven God from the heavens or from the hearts of men. Man lives in
alienation from God, from nature, from other men, from his own true self.”
4. Fear, Dread and Anxiety
- Anxiety stems from our understanding and recognition of the total freedom of choice that
confronts us every moment, and the individual’s confrontation with nothingness.
- Dread is a feeling of general apprehension to make a commitment to a personally valid
way of life.
5. Encounter with Nothingness and Death
- If man is alienated from nature, God, neighbors, and self, what is left?
- Death hangs over all of us. Our awareness of it can bring freedom or anguish.
6. Freedom
- Existentialists write about the loss of freedom or the threat to it, or the enlargement of the
range of human freedoms.
- Freedom is the acceptance of responsibility for choice and a commitment to one’s choice.
o Believers-stress the man of faith rather than the man of will. Man’s essential
nature is God-like – and humans should not alienate ourselves from it.
o Non-believers- Because there is no God, we must accept individual responsibility
for our own becoming.

CHECK POINT :

Make an essay using Phenomenological Method with a title: “Online Class”

Instructions:
1. Write your essay in a ONE WHOLE SHEET OF PAPER (WHITE OR YELLOW)
2. Handwritten

11 | P a g e
 Binmaley Catholic School, Inc.
Binmaley, Pangasinan
S.Y. 2020-2021

Lesson 4: Discovering the Self: Who Am I?

Core Understandings:
Content Standard:
Performance Standard:
Learning Competencies:
Transfer Goal(s):

ENTRY POINT:

Watch this excerpt from the movie Kung Fu Panda:

1. The Secret Ingredients: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K7DnFGdqT8c
2. Fight for the Dragon Scroll: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AhbCYVILusc
Draw five insights

12 | P a g e
 Binmaley Catholic School, Inc.
Binmaley, Pangasinan
S.Y. 2020-2021

13 | P a g e
 Binmaley Catholic School, Inc.
Binmaley, Pangasinan
S.Y. 2020-2021

THINKING OUT LOUD :

CHECK POINT:

14 | P a g e