METHODS OF

PHILOSOPHIZING
ACTIVITY 1

2 LIES AND A TRUTH

ACTIVITY 1

How do we know if they are

telling the TRUTH???
IS THERE AN
ABSOLUTE
TRUTH?
Philosophizing means to think or express oneself in
a philosophical manner. It considers or discusses a
(matter) from a philosophical standpoint. 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.
 How do we know if they are telling the truth?
Philosophers often grapple with the concept of truth.
Knowledge must be truthful to gain validity and acceptance.
For example, when we answer a “true or false” test, we
judge if the statements we read are true or false. This
means that statements may have truth or may not have
truth. Statements about the world or reality are called
propositions and these propositions may or may not carry
truth. Propositions are usually stated as short statements
or sentences.
 Truth and Knowledge
Truth lies at the heart of any inquiry. It is a fact
that has been verified.

Knowledge is simple data that comes from the

outside that pass to our senses. It must be
truthful to gain validity and acceptance.
WHAT IS TRUTH AND WHY IS IT
IMPORTANT?

Knowledge is the clear awareness and
understanding of something. It is the
product of questions that allow for clear
answers provided by the facts. Our
knowledge is comprised of ideas and
beliefs that we know to be true.
 One important aspect of knowledge- it is based on reality. This simply
means that what we know is what is observable or evident in the real
world. Propositions or statements which are observed to be real or
truthful are considered facts.

 There are statements, however, that are not evidently or immediately

known to be true. This statement is claim and further explanation
whether it is true or false is required to establish true or false

 Science considers truth as something observable and empirical.

This means that any claim can be proven by verification and
experimentation.
 HOW DO WE KNOW IF SOMETHING IS TRUTH?

 Ancient Greek Philosophers approached the

problem of truth by looking at the nature of
knowledge and how we know what we know. We
assume that everything we know about this world
is true. But philosophers who pondered upon the
origins of knowledge doubted everything there is
to know about themselves and the world.
 Example:

I am alive.
I have a body.
I can breathe.

Doubt has very important purpose in philosophy as it drives our

desire to discover truth. In philosophy, systematic doubt is
employed to determine truth. This means that every statement,
claim, evidence, and is scrutinized and analysed. Nothing is
taken as true unless there is sufficient reason
and evidence to prove that is indeed true. Let’s rewrite the
statements as questions to make them easier to analysed.
Am I alive?
Do I have a body?
Can I breathe?

The obvious answer would be examine yourself to determine if indeed

you are alive, that you have a body, and you can breathe.
Then you can now say:

I am alive!
I have a body!
I can
breathe!
One perspectives on truth- a belief is true if it can be justified or
proven
through the use of one’s senses.

Another basis for determining the truth- a belief for statement is

true if it is based on facts.
Getting consensus or having people agree on common belief is a way of
determining what is true. But this approach has certain limitations.

Determining truth requires a person to prove a statement through

an argument
 HOW CAN PHILOSOPHY GUIDE US IN DISTINGUISHING
TRUTH FROM OPINION?

 Opinion are statements go beyond providing facts. They also provide

conclusions or perspectives regarding certain situations. Some of
statements even advance a belief about a certain thing or person.
Opinions are also the bases for making arguments and convincing people
that a certain claim is a fact.
 Conclusions is a judgment based on certain facts.
 Beliefs are statements that express convictions that are not easily clearly
explained by facts. To judge the truthfulness of belief, we must also
consider things if we rely merely on facts.
 Explanations are statements that assume the claim to be true and
provide reasons why the statement is true.
 Arguments are a series of statements that provide reasons to convince
the reader or listener that a claim or opinion is truthful. Thus we need
to be very careful when we listen to arguments since not all
arguments are truthful.

Arguments often take the form of statements that are either

claims of facts and are phrased in such a way that they seem
reasonable. However, a number of arguments may be based on
faulty reasoning. These kinds of arguments are called fallacies.
Some of these fallacies may be intentional, as the person making
the claim is desperate to convince you to accept his or her
argument.
 Bias or the personal views of the person presenting. Biases are not
necessarily errors in reasoning, but refer to tendencies or influences
which affect the views of people.
HOW CAN AN UNDERSTANDING OF THE DIFFERNCE
BETWEEN TRUTH AND OPINION LEAD US TO WISDOM?

 Understanding of opinions and facts and the means to distinguish

one from the other can further improve our understanding and
appreciation of varied views and ideas. The ability to determine truth
goes hand in hand with the holistic perspective and enables us to
make wiser decisions, especially in choosing the ideas and views
which we find acceptable.
 An individual cannot live his or her life just agreeing with everybody
he or she meets. A critical mind aided by philosophy can help us form
our own personal point of view that can guide us in making
decisions and actions when faced with a problem.
 Philosophy can help us determine ideas that are truthful and
acceptable which we can then use to form our own views regarding
certain matters.
Directions: Identify whether the statement is a truth or an
opinion.
1. I am alive.
2. Immigrants who are in the U.S. illegally are a very
big problem for the country today.
3. Immigrants who are in the U.S. illegally have some
rights under the Constitution.
4. Democracy is the greatest form of government.
5. President Rodrigo Roa Duterte was born in the
Philippines.
6. Government is almost always wasteful
and inefficient.
7. Abortion should be legal in most cases.
8. Health care costs per person in the U.S.
are the highest in the developed world.
9. Math is the hardest subject.
10. I can breathe.
It means to think or express oneself in a
philosophical manner. It considers or discusses
a (matter) from a philosophical standpoint.

PHILOSOPHIZING
It is the clear awareness and
understanding of something.

KNOWLEDGE
It refers to tendencies or influences
which affect the views of people.

BIAS