Methods of Philosophizing by Jeo Bongato.pptx

methods of philosophizing

1. Methods of Philosophizing By: jeo l. Bongato

2. Which of the following statements are True? The sun is the center of the solar system. Asia is the largest continent in the world. God made the world in seven days. Man has the right to life, liberty and pursuit of happiness. A person’s must always consider the interest of his/her family before his/her own happiness. Citizens have the right to take up arms and overthrow an oppressive government.

3. TRUTH Truth lies at the heart of any inquiry. Knowledge must be truthful to gain validity and acceptance. Philosophers considered truth as a kind of quality or value. When we answer a “True or False” test, we judge if the statements we read are true or false. This means statement 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.

4. Knowledge We need to clarify knowledge since it is through knowing that we are able to determine what is true. Knowledge is the clear awareness and understanding of something . It is the product of questions that allow for clear answers provided by facts. Our knowledge is comprised of ideas and beliefs that we know to be true. Let’s explore your knowledge by completing the following statements: I know that…. I know why…. I know how…

5. Facts are propositions or statements which are observed to be real or truthful . This simply means that what we know is what is observable or evident in the real world. Ex. We can say that “I know fish live in water” because fish do live in water. Claim on the other hand are statements or propositions that are not evidently or immediately known to be true . We can say that “I know that my school is the best school in town.”, however it cannot be taken as true since it is simply not evident and further examination is required to establish whether it is true or false. It can be contested by other people. Truthful statements, therefore, can be considered facts . Science considers truth as something observable and empirical. This means that any claim can be proven by verification and experimentation. Philosophy has various views which can help us tackle the concepts of knowing the truth, and arrive at a reasonable assessment if a statement, idea or event is believable.

6. How do we know if something is true? There are several views regarding truth. Philosophers emphasize the importance of belief for determining truth. But what kind of belief is truthful? How do we know what we believe is true? Ancient Greeks approach the problem by looking at the nature of knowledge of how do we know what we know. We assume everything to be true. But philosophers pondered upon the origins of knowledge doubted everything. In doing so they were able to better understand how human gain knowledge and determine the truth about everything.

7. Step 1. Let’s embark on the ff: propositions. I am alive, I have a body, I can breathe. Do you believe these statements apply to you? Of course! But as a philosopher we do not need to assume that every statement is true. Doubt has a very important purpose in philosophy, systematic doubt is employed to determine truth . Nothing is taken as true unless there is sufficient reason and evidence to prove that it is indeed true. Step 2. Using doubt, let us revise the proposition by asking: Am I alive? Do I have a body? Can I breathe? Now how will you figure out the answers to these questions? Obviously, you need to examine yourself. Do you have a pulse? Do you have your head, arms and legs? Try to take a deep breath and exhale. Step 3. If you answered yes to these questions, then you can conclude with certainty that the previous statements are true. You can now say: I am alive! I have a body! I can breathe!

8. Something is True if…. If it can be justified or proven using one’s senses. Using your five senses or the sensation you feel in your body to verify the validity of the claim. If it is based on facts. Using existing documents, articles, arguments and proven and valid known facts to determine the truthfulness of the claim. Getting a consensus or having people agree on a common belief. A lot of people are in an agreement with the validity of the claim. It is applicable in real life or action (proven and verified). Using actions or real life situations to prove the truthfulness of the claim.

9. Fact or Opinion?

10. Now that you have an idea on how philosophizing recognizes truth, let us try and apply it in various situations in your life. The ideas that we encounter in everyday life can be considered as truth or opinion. But what distinguishes one from the other? Let us look at the ff: statements and determine which one states fact or opinion.

11. Facts? Or Opinion? It takes me 30 minutes to walk from my home to school . Living near the school is better because we don’t have to spend much for transportation. My sister ate the last piece of pizza pie. My sister is selfish person because she ate the last piece of pizza pie and did not share it with me. The policeman firmly pushed the suspect to his knees and placed him in handcuffs. The aggressive manner by which the policeman arrested the suspect is an example of the brutality that characterizes our police.

12. Which one is factual? Which one is opinion? 1. It takes me 30 mins. to walk from my home to school. 2. Living near the school is better because we don’t have to spend much for transportation. 3. My sister ate the last piece of pizza pie. 4. My sister is a selfish person because she ate the last piece of pizza and did not share it with me. 5. The police firmly pushed the suspect to his knees and placed him in handcuffs. 6. The aggressive manner by which the policeman arrested the suspect is an example of the brutality that characterize our police force.

13. Opinion – These 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 a judgement 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 that statement is true. Statement 4 asks the readers to simply accept the fact that the “sister is selfish.” Arguments – are a series of statements that provide reasons to convince the reader or listener that a claim or opinion is truthful. Arguments are made with the assumption that the truth of the claim or opinion is still to be determined. Logic – is the branch of Philo. that focuses on the analysis of arguments.

14. Arguments Arguments often take the form of statements that are either claims or facts and are phrased in such a way that they seem reasonable. However, a number of arguments may be based on faulty reasoning. This kind 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. The following are examples of fallacies.

15. The Fallacies: Ad Hominem – attacking the person who presents the argument instead of the argument itself. Ex: “Of course he believes that the government is flawed, he is a rebel and a Communist!” Appeal to force – using threat of force or an undesirable event to advance an argument. Ex: “If this peace agreement will not be signed by the government, then we will have no recourse but go to war!” Appeal to emotion – using emotions such as pity or sympathy. Ex: “All these charges are baseless; this is just plain harassment – can`t you see how this is affecting my family?”

16. 4. Appeal to the Popular – The idea is presented as acceptable because a lot of people accept it. Ex: “Every boy your age has a girlfriend, you should go find one!” 5. Appeal to Tradition – the idea is acceptable because it has been true for a long time. Ex: “You should pour alcohol in the wound; it has been that way for a long time!” 6. Begging the question – assuming the thing or idea to be proven is true; also known as “circular argument.” Ex: “I choose cookery because I like it, I like cookery because I choose it.”

17. 7. Cause and Effect – Assuming a “cause-and-effect” relationship between two unrelated events. Ex: “Ever since you bought that pen, everything has been going wrong in your life. You should get rid of it.” 8. Fallacy of Composition – assuming that what is true of a part, is true for the whole. “The cases of cheating in this section has convinced me that the school has become the den of tricksters and liars.” 9. Fallacy of Division – assuming that what is true for the whole, is true for its parts. “ You came from the family of doctors and intellectuals! Surely you can do better in these course!”

18. Bias When looking at an opinion, be aware of bias or the personal views of the person presenting it. Biases are not necessarily errors in reasoning but refer to the tendencies or influences which affect the views of people . Bias cannot be avoided in any discussion or debate. What is important is that the people engaging in the discussion are aware of their own personal biases and have an open but critical attitude toward other views which conflict with their own.

19. The common Biases: Correspondence bias or attribution effect – the tendency to judge a person’s personality by his/her own actions, without regard for external factors or influences. Ex: “These soldiers who fought in the war are all bloodthirsty murderers!” Confirmation bias – the tendency to look for and readily accept information which fits one’s own beliefs or views and to reject ideas or views that goes against it. Ex: “How can I accept his view that there is no God! I am a Christian!” Framing – Focusing on a certain aspect of a problem while ignoring the other aspects. Ex: “Preliminary evidence has still not pointed out the actual cause of the plane crash, but investigators are currently focusing on the possibility of pilot error.”

20. 4. Hindsight – the tendency to see past events as predictable, or to ascribe a pattern to historical events. Ex: “Magellan’s assault on Mactan Island was a foolhardy venture, made by an overconfident, careless man who underestimated the valor of the native Filipinos.” 5. Conflict of Interest – a person or group is connected to or has vested interest in the issue being discussed. Ex: “As the daughter of the accused, I believe I have the right to express my opinion on the issue of his alleged corrupt practices.” 6. Cultural bias – analyzing an event or issue based on one’s cultural standards. Ex: “I do not agree with this Western practice of placing aged parents in retirement homes. We Filipinos take care of our family members.”

21. How can understanding truth and opinion leads to wisdom? An 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/her life just agreeing with everybody he/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. Everyone's point of view is unique, but it should be based on sound and reasonable ideas and views. Philosophy can help us determine ideas that are truthful and acceptable, which we can then use to form our own views regarding certain matters.