METHODS OF

PHILOSOPHIZING
ARNEL B. DE GUZMAN SST-II
Learning Competency/Objective

• Learners are expected to distinguish opinion from

truth;
Learning Competency/Objective

Learners are expected to Realize that the methods of

philosophy lead to wisdom and truth
Learning Competency/Objective

Learners are expected to evaluate opinions in different

situations using the methods of philosophizing;
What are the three discipline in philosophy?

State the difference of the three disciplines of

philosophy?
Let’s Play
You are taller in the morning than in the evening.

FACT BLUFF
 FACT

You are approximately one half inch taller when you wake in the morning,
thanks to excess fluid replenish. During the day, your body has to deal with
the stress of standing, so the disc become compressed and the fluid seeps
out. This result in you losing a small amount of extra height.
Alcohol doesn’t make you forget anything. When you get
blackout drunk, the brain temporarily loses the ability to
create memories

FACT BLUFF
FACT
In ancient Greece, throwing an apple at someone was
done to declare one’s love

FACT BLUFF
FACT
• What were the kind of questions raised in the
course of guessing the answer?
• Is there any question raised which you consider as
evidence-based? Cite examples.
• Is there any question which you think is opinion-
based?
Let’s Start
• Why do we ask questions?
• Why do we ask follow-up questions?
• What kind of answers are we seeking?
• What do we get from finding the truth?
• Why do we have to avoid giving unsolicited opinions to
people who are not too familiar to us?
• How can we arrive at the truth?
• What are the essential elements of philosophizing?
Opinion, Fact, and Truth
• An opinion is an expression of one’s feelings based
on facts, emotions, beliefs, or views. It is not based on
evidence.
Examples:
• Filipinos are the most resilient and hospitable people
in the world.
• Manny Pacquiao is the best boxer in the world.
• A fact is a statement that can be checked and backed
up with evidence. It is often used in conjunction with
research and study.
Example:
• According to the Philippine Statistics Authority, the
country's total population is 92,337,852. It is based on
the recent May 2010 census.
• A truth is something that has actual and proven
existence scientifically and spiritually regardless of
one’s opinion and beliefs. It is undisputed, objective,
universal, constant, exact, and factual.
Examples:
• All things that can be seen are temporal. (undisputed)
• Two plus two equals four (2 + 2 = 4). (exact)
Criteria for Evaluating an Argument

Fairness
Evidence
Logic
Tone
• Fairness- Is the argument fair and balanced, or does
it contain bias? Is the argument overly emotional and
filled with loaded language?
• Is the argument one-sided? Are there alternative
points of view not addressed?
• Evidence- Are the given premises reliable and
relevant?
• Logic- Are the arguments thoroughly explained? Do
they contain gaps in reasoning or logical fallacies?

• Tone- Is the attitude of the writer appropriate for the

content?
• Why is evaluating an opinion significant in your daily
dealings with your
– classmates/friends?
– teachers?
– siblings?
– parents?
– community?
• What are the qualities of a good argument?
 4 Methods of Philosophizing

• Socratic
• Dialectic
• Scientific
• Historical
 Socratic

• The Socratic method, also known by the Greek

term elenchus that means "to inquire or to cross-
examine", is an exchange of ideas using Socratic
questioning.
• It was developed by Socrates, a Greek philosopher
and teacher, who laid the groundwork for Western
systems of philosophy and logic.
• In this process, statements are deconstructed or
questioned to come up with the actual truth that is
believed to rest on the roots of the argument.
• Conflicting ideas are seen as invalid sources of the
truth, and probing questions are immediately derived
from the given statements.
• In a classroom setting, this method is used not to
intimidate students, but to produce a deeper
understanding of thoughts and ideas through further
questioning statements or claims
• There is no particular end goal aside from reaching an
absolute truth from probing statements and, in the
process, eliminating ideas that are questionable or
contradicting.
Examples:
• A psychologist is trying to dig deeper into the story of
his patient who only mentions vague and general ideas.
• A lawyer is asking further questions about the
suspect’s whereabouts during the crime because she is
not entirely convinced by his alibi.
• A mother is questioning her son’s real reason for his
excessive absences from school.
 Dialectic
• The term 'dialectic' comes from the Greek
word dialektike which means 'the art of conversation.'
• It is the act of talking back and forth, disagreeing with
one another, and arguing about contentious issues.
• In philosophy, it is a method of coming up with a
conclusion from an exchange of contradicting logical
arguments.
• The aim of dialectics, as a process of the dialogue, is the
clarification of controversial notions and arguments
with other people. In this process, personal and shared
conceptions should be considered and corrected.
• Many philosophers, such as Hegel, Aristotle, and
Socrates, had their own beliefs and explanations about
this approach; however, the basic concept remains to be
the same.
Examples:
• discussing the pros and cons of a variety of human
resource strategies as forms of managing employees
in the workplace, then choosing the best option
• evaluating two physical activities regarding their
ability to increase work performance
 Scientific
• The term "science" is derived from the Latin
word scientia that means “to produce knowledge.”
• 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.
• The scientific method could trace its history from the
Classical period with Aristotle giving the earliest
structured theory on the scientific approach.
• The process begins with an idea about any given
topic. Hypothesis testing is done to prove the
validity of this idea.
• In a philosophical view, the means of hypothesis
testing and its results are considered the most
important feature of the method.
• The scientific method also values observation as an
important aspect because it contributes to further
understanding the results of the hypothesis testing.
Examples:
• exposing one plant to sunlight while limiting the
exposure of another is done to test which setting
promotes better plant growth
• testing and quantifying morality, love, mercy, justice,
or compassion which are all realities that do not dwell
in the realm of materialism
 Historical
• The term "history" is from the Greek
word iotopia which means “to investigate" or "to
find out.”
• The historical method is the process of gathering
evidences, examining them, and formulating ideas
about the past to come up with present truths.
• In this approach, it is believed that history has a
“divine order” or a large “cyclical or progressive”
pattern that enables events to repeat themselves and
record information through historical accounts or
archaeological findings.
• The process of learning the truth is simply through
looking at past records to validate the present
hypothesis.
• If viewed in a more general perspective, the historical
approach would include only a historical account to
differentiate truth from opinion.
• History is seen as more important than logic and a
more valid source of the truth.
• Using the historical approach is much like researching
for an answer to a particular question. Reviewing what
has been done in the past is the primary method of
looking at a solution for a problem at present.
Examples:
• You are going to Baguio for the first time with your
family. You have the option to use one of two routes.
You look for reviews published in the internet to
determine which of the two routes is better.
• An entrepreneur wants to open a café in a middle
class residential area in the city. Before buying the
property, she looked first at previous business
ventures that were established within the area to
determine the feasibility of her plan.
• What are the four methods of philosophizing?

• How does the four methods of philosophizing leads

to wisdom and truth?
Let’s Evaluate
1. This refers to something that has actual and proven
existence scientifically and spiritually regardless of
one’s opinion and beliefs. It is undisputed, objective,
universal, constant, exact, and factual. This is known
as ___________.
A. Fact C. Impossible
B. Opinion D. Truth
2. An entrepreneur wants to open a café in a middle class
residential area in the city. Before buying the property,
she looked first at previous business ventures that were
established within the area to determine the feasibility of
her plan. What Methods of Philosophizing will the
entrepreneur should apply?
A. Dialectic C. Historical
B. Socratic D. Scientific
3. Mr. Zamora is asking further questions about the
suspect’s whereabouts during the crime because he is
not entirely convinced by his alibi. Mr. Zamora is using
what methods of philosophizing?
A. Dialectic C. Historical
B. Socratic D. Scientific
4. The Socratic method, also known by the Greek
term ______ that means "to inquire or to cross-
examine", is an exchange of ideas using Socratic
questioning.
A. elenchus  C. elenquest
B. elenches D. elengeneris
5. Which of the following statement below do you think
is telling opinion?
A. According to the PSA, the country's total population
is 92,337,852 (May 2010 census)
B. All things that can be seen are temporal
C. Filipinos are the most resilient and hospitable people
in the world
D. Two plus two equals four (2 + 2 = 4)
Thank You So Much for Listening 
God Bless us all!