Philo Lesson 2

PHILOSOPHY : Lesson 2
Today, we encounter a lot of information from various sources such as the media and our interactions with friends, family, and
members of the community.
Most of them are helpful, but some may mislead or may even be utterly false.
 Opinions are statements go beyond providing facts. They also provide conclusions or perspectives regarding certain
situations. Some of the 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.
 Conclusion is is a a judgement 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 merely rely 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 the listener that a claim or opinion is
truthful. Thus, we need to be very careful when listening to arguments since not all arguments are truthful.
 Arguments often take the form of statements that are either claim of facts and are phrased in such I a way that seem
reasonable. However, a number of arguments may be based on faulty reasoning. These kinds of arguments 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 I refer to
tendencies or influences which affect the views of people.
FACTS
 Facts are statements that can be checked or proved.

 We can check facts by conducting some sort of experiment, observation, or by verifying (checking) the fact with a source
document.
 Facts often contain numbers, dates, or ages.
 Facts might include specific information about a person, place or thing.
OPINION
 An opinion is a statement that cannot be proved or checked.

 It tells what someone thinks, feels, or believes.
 Clue words for opinion statements are:
- think, feel, believe, seem
- always, never, all, none, most, least, best, greatest, worst
HINTS FOR DECIDING IF A STATEMENT IS FACT OR OPINION
To recognize a FACT:
 Read each answer choice and ask yourself:

 "Can this statement be proved?"
Example: Which of these is a fact?
A. We live in the best apartment in the city.

B. Ibelieve that summer is the best season.
C. I think that spaghetti is a delicious meal.
D. The Poughkeepsie Journal is a newspaper.
To recognize an OPINION:
 Read each answer choice and ask yourself "Does this statement tell what someone thinks, feels , or believes?"
 Look in the answer choice for clue words that signal an opinion.
FACT VS. OPINION
“FACT”
 A statement that can proven to be true.

 Can be verified.
 Can be proven true or false.
 Are objective, contain information but do not tell the writer thinks or believes about the topic.
“OPINION”
 Expresses someone's belief, feeling, view, idea, or judgement about something or someone.
 Express a writer's feelings, attitudes, or beliefs
 Neither true or false.
 Are one person's view about the topic or issue.
What to consider in evaluating arguments or opinions?
Fallacy is a defect in an argument. To detect fallacies, it is required to examine the argument's content. Fallacies not resolved can
result to errors in reasoning, coming up with false conclusion and worse, distorted truth.
Some of these fallacies may be intentional, as the person making the claim is desperate to convince you to accept his or her
argument. The following are examples.
Fallacy Characteristics Examples

attacking the person It is simply, attacking the person "Puro kayo batikos, ano ba ang nalambag
(ad hominem) presenting the argument itself nyo?"
appeal to pity It is an appeal to emotion in which "Wala narang may gusto ng krisis, huwag
(ad misericordiam) someone tries to win support for an nating sisihin ang gobyerno."
argument ar idea by exploiting his or her
opponent's feelings of pity or guilt.
appeal to force It is using the threat of force or an "Magsumbong ka sa pulls tungkol sa
(ad baculum) undesirable event to advance an katiwalian ng kumpanyang ito. Isipin mo
argument ang pamilya mo. Ang kawalang
katapatan mo sa kumpanyang ito ay
malalaman ng lahat at hindi ka na
makapagtatrabaho muli.”
appeal to the popular/bandwagon It is presented as acceptable because a "Maging makabayan tayo. Sumunod na
(ad populum) lot of people accept it. lang kayong lahat at huwag magtanong”
begging to question It assumes the thing or idea to be proven “Hindi tayo marunong sumunod, kasi
as true. wala tayong disiplina”
cause and effect It assumes a "cause-and-effect" "Kaya tayo napeste ng virus, kasi hindi
relationship between unrelated events. ninyo binoto si Mar."
fallacy of composition It is an assumption that what is true in a "Buong mundo, maayos. Tayo lang ang
part is true for the whole. ganito kagulo.”
TRUTH
 A fact or belief that is in accordance with reality

 Something that is proven.
 Authentic
Truth according to …
Socrates
- Truth is found in ideas recognized only through reflection and reason.
Aristotle
- He saw ultimate truth in physical objects recognized through experience.
THEORIES ON TRUTH
REALISM
 Just the facts; not hopes.

 A portrayal of how things really are.
RELATIVISM THEORY
 The conviction that there's no absolute truth.

 Different people can have different views depending on one's culture.
PRAGMATISM THEORY
 Pragmatic maxim: "Consider the practical effects of the objects of your conception".
 It identifies the nature of truth with the principle of action.
CORRESPNDENCE THEORY
 Affirms that the principle of criterion of truth is that actual propositions agree to the facts.
 It asserts that correct beliefs and declarations are consistently parallel to the actual set of circumstances.
COHERENCE THEORY
 The theory of truth that every true statement, insofar as it is true, depicts or illustrates its subject in the entirety of its
association with all other things.
 There is no solitary set of such "logical universes", but instead a collection of viewpoints that are generally conferred.
DOUBT – Not being sure of something.

SKEPTICISM – Is doubt with an attitude.
CURIOSITY – “the difference maker”
CRITICAL THINKING
 One of the components of philosophy that leads to wisdom and truth.

 Philosophers use this to address philosophical questions.
 Is important as it lead one to analyze, explain, evaluate and restructure his thoughts on a certain matter under study.
Critical Thinking involves self Hassessment where one can:
 Engage in redefining, analyzing, and devising solutions.

 Provide a way of arriving at reasonable and informed conclusions
 Apply understanding and knowledge to new and different problems
 Change one's point of view willingly and examining and re-examining of ideas continues with a willingness to say and
accept that "I don't know".
Attributes of a Critical Thinker
 Looks for evidence to support his assumption and beliefs.

 Keeps on adjusting his opinions and looks for proofs.
 Examines the problems and reject irrelevant and non-factual information.

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PHILOSOPHY : Lesson 2

 Facts are statements that can be checked or proved.

 An opinion is a statement that cannot be proved or checked.

HINTS FOR DECIDING IF A STATEMENT IS FACT OR OPINION

 Read each answer choice and ask yourself:

Example: Which of these is a fact?

A. We live in the best apartment in the city.

 A statement that can proven to be true.

What to consider in evaluating arguments or opinions?

Fallacy Characteristics Examples

 A fact or belief that is in accordance with reality

 Just the facts; not hopes.

 The conviction that there's no absolute truth.

DOUBT – Not being sure of something.

 One of the components of philosophy that leads to wisdom and truth.

Critical Thinking involves self Hassessment where one can:

 Engage in redefining, analyzing, and devising solutions.

 Looks for evidence to support his assumption and beliefs.

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