Lesson 5 - Knowledge and Truth Handouts PDF

METHODS OF PHILOSOPHIZING Part 1 Lesson 5: Knowledge and Truth Mr. Edward B. Noda Jr.  2 ✖People are already relying on knowledge for their survival. ✖Without knowledge on how to create a fire, how to cook one’s food, how to bui...

METHODS OF PHILOSOPHIZING Part 1 Lesson 5: Knowledge and Truth Mr. Edward B. Noda Jr.  2 ✖People are already relying on knowledge for their survival. ✖Without knowledge on how to create a fire, how to cook one’s food, how to build a shelter, how to build dams to control flooding, how to create laws to preserve order in society and yes even how to think properly, we would still be in a prehistoric cave. ✖Knowledge literally enabled mankind to survive and reach the present level of our civilization.  3 What is Epistemology? ✖“Epistemology is a science devoted to the discovery of the proper method of acquiring and validating knowledge” (Rand 1990) The purpose of epistemology therefore is two-fold: 1. To show how we can acquire knowledge. 2. To give us a method of demonstrating whether the knowledge we acquired is really knowledge (i.e., true).  4 The Nature of Knowledge Knowledge is the clear awareness and understanding of something. * it is provided by facts * It is based on reality * It is observable and evident on the real world  5 HOW Do WE Acquire Knowledge? 1. We can acquire knowledge using our senses (Empiricism) Empiricists: 1. John Locke 2. George Berkley 3. David Hume  6 HOW Do WE Acquire Knowledge? 2. We can acquire knowledge by thinking with the use of our minds (what philosophers call the rational faculty) (Rationalism); knowledge comes from intellectual reasoning. Rationalists: Rene Descartes, Baruch Spinoza and Gottfried Wilhelm Leibniz  7 PROCESS OF Acquiring Knowledge 1. Reality To know is to know something. This “something” is what philosophers call reality, existence, being. Existence is everything there is (another name for it is the Universe). It includes everything we perceive (animals, plants, human beings, inanimate objects) and everything inside our heads (e.g., our thoughts and emotions) which represents our inner world. Existence is really all there is to know. If nothing exists knowledge is impossible.  8 Process Of Acquiring Knowledge 2. Perception Our first and only contact with reality is through our senses. Knowledge begins with perceptual knowledge. 3. Concept “an abstract or generic idea generalized from particular instances” (Merriam-Webster Dictionary)”  9 PROCESS OF Acquiring Knowledge 4. Proposition Statements about the world or reality are called propositions Propositions may or may not carry the truth. Facts-propositions or statements observed to be real and truthful Claim-proposition that requires further examination; can be contested  10 PROCESS OF Acquiring Knowledge 5. Argument series of statements that provide reasons to convince the reader/ listener that a claim/ opinion is truthful. Group of statements that serve to support a conclusion. “There is no hope in the Philippine government” (opinion) “There is no hope in the Philippine government because many officials are corrupt, and Filipino voters continue to elect them.” (argument) 11  12 DOMAINS OF TRUTH Objective domain: related to scientific truths; pertains to the natural world that maintains a relative independence from the perspective and attitude of human beings that perceived them. EG: TYPHOON SEASON, WATER’S BOILING POINT (100 DEGREES CELSIUS)  13 DOMAINS OF TRUTH Social Domain: Truth is related to a general agreement or consensus on what is right as opposed to what is wrong. Based on norms (standard of acceptable behavior in society) EG: maintaining silence inside the chapel; cheering loudly in a basketball game; being silent in the library Remember!!! Consensus has certain limitations. It is helpful but not always reliable  14 DOMAINS OF TRUTH Personal Domain: Truth is related to “SINCERITY”; consistent to inner thoughts and intentions needs to establish “trust”  15 Truth and Justification ✖TRUTH (according to Richard Rorty)- has passed the “procedures of justification” ✖JUSTIFICATION is the process of proving the truth or validity of a statement. This process is made up of ways of critically testing a claim against certain criteria.  16 Each domain of truth has a corresponding justification or has a different criteria for truth: SCIENTIFIC/ OBJECTIVE DOMAIN- Truths are tested against empirical evidence SOCIAL DOMAIN- Truths are tested against their acceptability to a particular group in a particular time in history PERSONAL DOMAIN- Truths are tested against the consistency and authenticity of the person who claims it  17 To which domain of truth does each of the following statements fall? 1. “In sickness and in health, “till death do us part.”- Personal Domain 2. Reptiles are cold-blooded. Scientific Domain 3. “Don’t talk when your mouth is full!”- Social Domain  18 How do we Know if Something is True? 1. A belief is true if it can be justified or proven through the use of one’s senses. 2. A belief or statement is true if it is based on facts 3. Getting a consensus or having people agree on a common belief 4. Truth requires to prove an action 5. Subject to test to determine the truth  19 TRUTH VS. OPINION  20 ✖Truth is knowledge validated based on the facts of reality. facts of reality are independent of your thoughts, feelings or preferences For example the statement “Jose Rizal died in 1896” is true. There are many sources that can validate the truth of that statement if one cared to look.  21 ✖When one say that “Jose Rizal is the greatest man who ever lived” you are stating your preference and not facts. This is an opinion. That statement represents not facts but an interpretation of facts which may reveal biases.  22 ✖OPINION- A statement of judgment of a person about something in the world. Opinions are bases for making arguments and convincing people that a certain claim is a fact. Example: Case of Extra Judicial killings, war on drugs, Issue on defending West Philippine Sea from China, Government response on COVID 19 OPINIONS are statement of judgment that are in need of further justification.  23 ✖CONCLUSION- Judgment based on certain facts; could still be contested or questioned. ✖BELIEFS- Statements that express convictions that are not easily and clearly explained by facts. ✖EXPLANATIONS- statements that assume the claim to be true and provide reasons why statement is true.  24 ✖An opinion has the following characteristics: 1. Cannot be confirmed 2. Open to interpretation 3. Based on emotions 4. Inherently biased ✖While truth is: 1. Can be confirmed with other sources 2. Independent of one’s interpretation, preferences and biases 3. Based on the facts of reality  SYNTHESIS 25 Nature of Epistemology and Knowledge Acquire and Validate Knowledge Distinguish Truth from Opinion 26