5 Knowledge and Truth

Knowledge and Truth

The lesson will culminate in the process of evaluating opinions
based on the adequacy of evidence. This is important in fulfilling the
epistemic obligation of an analytical and critical thinker. This
epistemic obligation is rooted on epistemology or that branch of
philosophy that deals with the nature of knowledge, including its
sources and the process of validation or verification of our
knowledge claims.

The methods of philosophy will help to learn the process of

doing philosophy in a systematic way. On the other hand,
philosophizing is to think or express oneself in a philosophical manner.
Although philosophy is an organized body of knowledge, the subject
matter of philosophy is questions, which have three major
characteristics;

1. Philosophical questions have answers but the answers

remain in dispute.
2. Philosophical questions cannot be settled by science,
common sense, or faith.
3. Philosophical questions are of perennial intellectual interest
to human beings.

The methodology or method that philosophers use to address

philosophical question is critical thinking.

Critical Thinking is the careful, reflective, rational and

systematic approach to questions of very general interest. Critical
thinking means understanding if philosophy and refraining from
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merely giving claims but through careful thought, one reasons
through to argumentation.

The scientific method also leads to wisdom and truth because

it uses an evidence- based approach to come up with its conclusion.
In this method, all truths are supported by facts that can easily be
tested or proven again through experiments, logical reasoning, or
observation.

A method of philosophizing is a process of determining the

truth or drawing conclusions from a statement using various
philosophical methods, such as: Socratic, dialectic, scientific, and
historical. When you evaluate information, it is very important to
distinguish between fact and opinion. How do we know if something
is true?

Philosophers emphasize the importance of belief as a basis for

determining truth. It is said that there are instances when we have to
unlearn something so that we may learn anew. Philosophers
questioned what they knew and even analyzed their methods of
knowing in order to understand themselves and the world much
better.

Both the Socratic and dialectic method are based on a

discussion between two or more people who may carry differing
views but wish to pursue the truth by seeking an agreement with one
another.

Meanwhile, the scientific method is a process of determining

truth or knowledge through experimentation, inductive and
deductive reasoning, and

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hypothesis or theory testing. The scientific method, also called
empirical method, is a process of determining truth or knowledge
through experimentation, inductive and deductive reasoning, and
hypothesis or theory testing.

Logic is the truth based on reasoning and critical thinking. It

includes analysis and construction of arguments. It serves as path to
freedom from half-truths and deception.

TYPES OF REASONING

Deductive Reasoning
In this type of reasoning, conclusion comes first, followed by
main points, and the last will be the supporting data, facts, examples,
and evidences. General idea comes first before the specific or
particular idea.

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Inductive Reasoning
In this type of reasoning, supporting data, facts, examples,
and evidences come first followed by the main points and
conclusion will be the last part. This is the vice versa of the deductive
reasoning because particular idea comes first before the general
idea.

Theories of Truth

1. Coherence theory
The coherence theory of truth has to do with well-formed
formulas adopted in the field of the formal sciences like
mathematics, logic, trigonometry, geometry, or linguistic systems
where definitions are considered as tautologies. These well-formed
formulas have been accepted as universal and have been proven
to be true within the assumptions or axioms of the system where they
belong. Coherence deals with the consistency of the truth of
statements being claimed within the system that is being used or
employed. For example, one could show a certain proof by using an
accepted or well-formed formula for a certain mathematical
problem.

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2. Correspondence theory
The correspondence theory of truth, on the other hand, has to
do with the correspondence of knowledge claims being made with
the state of affairs in the world. Different
philosophers, depending on their philosophical
inclinations, would have different interpretations
of what this 'state of affairs' should be. For the
sense data philosophers like Alfred Jules Ayer,
the given in the world are sense data because
material objects are logical constructions out of
sense data.
For the logical atomists like
Bertrand Russell, espousing the
referential theory of meaning, where he
believed that the meaning of a word is
its referent or the object denoted by it,
and he assumes that there must be
atomic facts made up of simple objects
that correspond with elementary
propositions made up of simple names.
Suffice to say that no matter what their
versions or answ ers to what is given as
the state of affairs in the world may be, the correspondence theory
assumes that there is something given outside, in the realm of sense
experience that We perceive as an objective reality.

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3. Pragmatic theory of truth

Pragmatism is a philosophical
viewpoint associated with an American
philosopher and doctor of medicine, William
James. In his book entitled Pragmatism 1907).
James makes a pronouncement about truth
based on the good or practical
consequences of an idea. According to him,
"Grant an idea to be true, what concrete
difference will its being true make in anyone's
actual life? -What, in short, is the truth's cash
value in experiential terms. What do verification and validation
pragmatically mean? They again signify certain practical
consequences of the verified and validated idea.
Thus, for James, the nature of knowledge is pragmatic, as it is
found to have a successful application in the world. Moreover, it is
not his concern to look at the formal structure or well-formed formula
for validity, nor the empirical data for verification, James construed
both the process of validation and verification as tantamount to the
good or practical consequences that the belief in the idea would
bring.

Sources of knowledge
1. Reason - The faculty of reason is construed here as an analytic
faculty that is able to determine the truth of analytic statements.
Therefore, the truth of knowledge claims made in the formal
sciences use the faculty of reason following the framework of
coherence within the given system.

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2. Experience - The faculty of experience or sense perception, on the
other hand, has to do with the use of the five senses, including
sensory extending devices for the purpose of verifying our
empirical claims and as a result, leading to empirical knowledge.

3. Intuition - The faculty of intuition, as a third source of knowledge,

deals with the immediate or direct recognition of self-evident
truths. Ochers call this tacit knowledge which is unmediated by
conceptual process. George Edward Moore, is the proponent of
intuitionism in ethics. In his article entitled, "Principia Ethica" (1903),
he appealed to the faculty of intuition for the direct or immediate
knowledge of the idea of goodness.

ACTIVITY No. 5

Directions: Write your answer in one (1) whole yellow paper.

A. Which theory of truth was put to use for the corresponding

scenarios? Write CH for coherence theory, CR for correspondence
theory, and P for pragmatic theory in the space before each
number.

1. Believing in Santa Claus as a kid but growing out of it when

you don't receive gifts from him anymore.
2. Answering an equation with your knowledge of algebraic
functions.
3. Knowing that chill is spicy because you have tasted it before.
4. Seeing the rugged terrain of the road and judging that it is rough
to touch.

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5. Knowing that the star Polaris points to the North because of

your knowledge of astronomy.

B. Read the conversation below and answer the following

question.

Lover’s Quarrel

Shanon: Did you hear about what happened between Angel and
her boyfriend?
Vanvan: What happened?
Shanon: They got a huge fight last night. Angel called me up. She
was crying and she said that Mike hit her.
Dean: Wait, what? That’s not, right? Mike came by my place last
night and he was pretty shaken up. He had scratch marks on his
arms and a bite on his left hand. He said Angel just attacked
her and was accusing him of seeing another girl.
Shanon: No! Angel said it was Mike who started to hit her and she
had to defend herself!

Question: As friend of Angel and Mike, how will you react to the
statements given?

C. Choose your answer from the box and write your answer on the
space provided.

Doubt Senses Bias

Truth Consensus Opinion

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 5 Knowledge and Truth
1. Philosophy is concerned with determining the concept of
_________________. Truth lies at the heart of any inquiry.
2. In philosophy, systematic __________________ is employed to help
determine the truth. This means that every statement, claim,
evidence, and experience is scrutinized and analyzed.
3-4. There are various philosophical views regarding truth. One
perspective is that a belief is true if it can be justified or proven
through the use of one’s _______________________, a belief or
statement is true if it is based on facts. Another way of
determining what is true is getting a _______________________ or
having people agree on a common belief. Philosophers also
believe that claims and belief should also be subjected to tests to
determine truth.

5. ______________________ are statements which not only give facts

but also provide conclusions or perspective regarding certain
situations.
6. __________________ or the personal views of the person presenting
it affect the way he or she sees reality.

D. Fill in the blanks

Complete the thought/concept by filling up the blank with the most
appropriate word, phrase or a name of a person.

1. According to ____________________, "Meanwhile, we have to live

today by what truth we can get today. and be ready tomorrow to
call it falsehood.”
2. According to ____________________, “most of our beliefs are based
on induction, and we accept them because they have a
probability of being true.
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3. ____________________, is the proponent of intuitionism in ethics with
his article entitled, Principia Ethica (103).
4. "Never accept the ____________________ of any statement of belief
unless there is adequate evidence for it."
5. A way of rendering what is initially unobservable observable,
through the use of ____________________.
6. The ____________________ theory of truth deals with the consistency
of the truth of statements being claimed Within the system that is
being used or employed.

7. The ____________________, theory of truth has to do with the

correspondence of knowledge claims being made the state of
affairs in the world.
8. For ____________________, a logical positivist, ethical concepts are
‘pseudo-concepts’ because they could not be subjected to the
process of verification.
9. ____________________ was a doctor of medicine and philosopher
who made pronouncement about truth based on the good or
practical consequences of an idea.
10. The faculty of ____________________ is constructed here as an
analytic faculty that is able to determine the truth of analytic
statements.

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References
Ramos, C. C. (2019). Introduction to the Philosophy of the
Human Person Edition. Rex Book Store.
Vinzons, M. P. (2020). Introduction to the Philosophy of the
Human Person. Vibal Group Inc. .
DepEd Module

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