philosophy LESSON 3 ( DETERMINING TRUTH).pptx

this is philosophy lesson 3

1. Truth Determining

2. Let’s Ponder: Put a check in the box next to the statement that is 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 the pursuit of happiness. China’s continued presence in the Spratlys is a violence of international law. A person must always consider the interests of his family before his own happiness. Citizens have the right to take up arms and overthrow an oppressive government. The President has done very little to uphold democracy and look after the interests of the Filipino people.

3. Were you able to easily judge the truthfulness of the statements? Why? Which of the statements are obviously true? Which ones require more thought to determine their truthfulness? Which of these statements may be true for others but not in you judgement? Which of these statements do you personally believe to be true but may be disputed by other people?

4. Philosophers often engage with the concept of truth. The truth lies at the heart of any inquiry. Knowledge must be truthful to gain validity and acceptance. But the concept of truth remains a controversial and much-discussed topic among philosophers. Truth , is a complex concept in philosophy Philosophers agree that there is no absolute measure of truth. There are various views which can help us tackle the concepts of knowing and truth and arrive at a reasonable assessment of whether a statement, idea, or event is believable.

5. The first concept about truth is rooted in an ancient Greek philosophy's concept of knowledge as " justified, true belief ." This concept rests on three conditions: true things can be known, something is true because you believe it to be true, and there is justification for such a belief. Later philosophers developed more theories on the nature of knowledge and truth, each providing a basis for establishing whether a statement or an idea is true.

6. The correspondence theory states that something is true if it corresponds to reality or the actual state of affairs. This theory assumes a direct relationship between an idea and reality to be able to take a statement as "fact."

7. Example: Mammals are animals that are generally warm-blooded, have hair, and feed their young with milk.

8. Discuss Manananggal Terrorizes Manila Man Gives Birth to Twins

9. The coherence theory proposes that something is true if it makes sense when placed in a certain situation or context. Based on this theory, there is a possibility that there will be varied "truths" from different perspectives. An idea or statement is true because it makes sense in its own context and has a certain degree of consistency that makes it true.

10. Example: Muslims have a belief that certain animals, like pigs, are unclean. For Muslims, this fact prevents them from eating pork and other types of food made from unclean animals. The belief that eating pork will render them unclean makes sense in the context of Islamic faith.

11. Coherence and consistency are also important in the context of law and politics. Laws make sense if they conform to previous laws and to a set of general principles like justice, democracy, and liberty. Only democratic laws and practices are accepted as true.

12. Relativism is a philosophical concept that contends that there are no absolute truths. An idea or principle is only true within a particular context, it differs with every knowing individual, and thus, it is possible for alternative truths to exist in various contexts or situations.

13. Discuss Analyze the headline using the coherence theory. Pope Francis Says Abortion is in Acceptable Practice for Catholics

14. The constructivist theory holds that knowledge is shaped by social forces and influenced by culture and history. What is true, or what a person considers true, is shaped by the structures within the individual's society and culture. The constructivist perspective also believes that knowledge is gained as part of social experience and requires interaction and collaboration.

15. Example : How different societies consider marriage. In some societies, marriage is a highly important social institution. It is not merely a union of individuals but a merging of families. Such societies assign high importance to marriage, and this is reflected in their laws and traditions. In other countries, particularly in the West, marriage is viewed as a contract between two consenting adults, in most cases, such a union can be nullified through lawful means.

16. The consensus theory views knowledge as based on agreement, and something is true if almost everyone agrees that it is true. Certain beliefs, traditions, and practices are often the product of consensus, as they may be imposed by influential groups or institutions such as governments or religious organizations.

17. Example : Influencing knowledge is the decision of the International Astronomical Union (IAU) in 2006 to change the planet Pluto's classification into a "dwarf planet." In this instance, the IAU is the recognized authority with regard to the designation of planets and other heavenly bodies, and is composed of professional astronomers and astronomy educators. This decision, however, was controversial, and a number of astronomers voiced their opposition to Pluto's new designation.

18. The pragmatic theory holds the view that something is true if we can put it into practice or if it is useful in real life. It also believes that ideas should be continually tested to confirm their validity. Verificationism - considers that ideas must be verified using the senses or experience the scientific method, where experiments are designed to test hypotheses or confirm conclusions is an example of a pragmatic approach to determining truth.

19. Example : The pragmatic theory was used in the study of yellow fever during the late 19th century. This disease was first thought to be transmitted through the air. This idea was refuted in 1886 by Dr. Carlos Finlay, a Cuban doctor. Based on his examination of tissue samples from victims, Finlay believed that the disease affected the blood and that mosquitoes were its carriers.

20. Example : In 1898, during the Spanish- American War, many American soldiers died from yellow fever, and a team of army doctors was sent to Cuba to investigate the disease. One of the members of the team, Dr. Jesse Lazear, heard of Finlay's theory and decided to test it. He had mosquitoes hatch and feed on blood samples infected with yellow fever. Then he had himself and other volunteers get bitten by the mosquitoes. Lazear and the volunteers developed symptoms of yellow fever, definitively proving that mosquitoes were indeed the carriers of the disease.

21. What other things should we consider in determining the truth? Ideas and claims are often presented in the form of arguments. A number of arguments may be based on faulty argumentation, and these are called fallacies . Fallacies or errors in reasoning may be intentional, as the person making the claim is desperate to convince you to accept his or her argument.

22. Fallacy Characteristics Example Ad hominem Attacking the person making the argument instead of the argument itself “Of course, he believes that the government is flawed. He is a rebel and a Communist!” Appeal to force Using the threat of force or an undesirable event to advance an argument “If this peace agreement will not be signed by the government, then we will have no recourse but to go to war.” Appeal to emotion Using emotions such as pity or sympathy “All these charges are baseless; this is just plain harassment. Can’t you see how this is affecting my family?”

23. Fallacy Characteristics Example Appeal to the popular The idea is presented as acceptable because a lot of people accept it “Every boy your age already has a girlfriend, you should go and find one!” Appeal to tradition The idea is acceptable because it has been true for a long time “Marriage should be between a man and a woman. It has been so for a long time in this country; it should remain so today and in the future.” Begging the question Assuming the thing or idea to be proven is true; also known as “circular argument” “I have a right to free speech, therefore, you cannot stop me from talking.”

24. Fallacy Characteristics Example Cause-and-effect Assuming a “cause-and-effect” relationship between unrelated events “Ever since you bought that sweater, everything has been going wrong in your life. You should get rid of it.” Fallacy of composition Assuming that what is true for a part is true for the whole “These cases of robberies in this district have convinced me that the city has become a den of thieves and criminals.” Fallacy of division Assuming that what is true for the whole is true for its parts “You come from a family of doctors and intellectuals! Surely you can do better in this course!.”

25. Facts - generally established truths that are verifiable and do not easily change from one situation to another. Opinions - are more subjective and may express certain views and beliefs. Biases- are not necessarily errors in reasoning, but refer to tendencies or influences that affect people’s views.

26. Bias Characteristics Example Correspondence bias or attribution effect Tendency to judge a person’s personality by his or her actions, without regard for external factors or influences “These soldiers who fought in the war are all bloodthirsty murderers!” Confirmation bias Tendency to look for and readily accept information that fits with one’s own beliefs or views and to reject ideas or views that go against it “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 other aspects “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.”

27. Bias Characteristics Example Hindsight The tendency to see past events as predictable, or to ascribe a pattern to historical events “Magellan’s assault on Mactan Island was a foolhardy venture, made by an overconfident, careless man who underestimated the valor of the native Filipinos.” Conflict of interest A person or group is connected to or has a vested interest in the issue being discussed “As the daughter of the accused, I believe I have the right to express my opinion on the issue of his alleged corrupt practices.

28. Bias Characteristics Example Cultural Bias Analyzing an event or issue based on one’s cultural standards “I do not agree with the Western practice of placing aged parents in retirement home. We Filipinos take care of our family members.”

29. Bias cannot be avoided in any discussion or debate. What is important is that the people engaging in the discussion are aware of their personal biases and have an open but critical attitude toward other views which conflict with their own.

30. How can philosophy help us in attaining perspective of things? Holistic perspective views things in its entirety. This means that something is viewed, understood, and determined as a whole and not only by its parts. This perspective follows the principle that the whole is more than the sum of its parts. It is similar to the idea of "looking at the bigger or general picture.“ A partial perspective views things based on the parts of a whole. This means that one focuses on the specifics rather than the general idea. If something is viewed only by its parts and understood to be true, then one commits the fallacy of composition.

31. Review!!!!! The concept of truth is a significant but often-debated concept in philosophy. Though it is difficult to establish an absolute measure of truth, there are perspectives that can help us analyze knowledge and determine truth. The correspondence theory of knowledge states that something is true if it corresponds to what actually exists in reality. The coherence theory states that the truth of an idea depends on its context or situation. It is also important for an idea to be consistent with other related information within its context for it to be considered true

32. Review!!!!! The constructivist theory considers the influence of social forces, culture, and history in shaping, truth Knowledge is gained through social interaction, and what is true may possibly change due to social and historical developments. The consensus theory considers knowledge as based on agreement, and that something is true if it is believed to be true by a significant number of people. The pragmatic theory tests the truth of an idea by applying it in real life. This view uses tests and experiments to verify the truth.

33. Review!!!!! Many ideas or claims are presented in the form of arguments. In determining the truth of these arguments, one must be able to identify arguments with faulty reasoning or fallacies. Opinions are subjective statements that are influenced by bias. Bias refers to tendencies or influences that affect how people view and interpret ideas. A holistic perspective views statements or situations as a whole and is similar to "looking at the larger picture. A partial perspective, meanwhile, focuses on aspects or parts, analyzing specifics rather than the general idea.

34. THANK YOU