Republic of the Philippines

Department of Education
REGION 1V-A CALABARZON
SCHOOLS DIVISION OF BATANGAS PROVINCE
MALVAR SENIOR HIGH SCHOOL
POBLACION, MALVAR, BATANGAS

Introduction to the Philosophy

of the
Human Person
Quarter 1 – Week 2 Module:
Methods of Philosophizing

Prepared by: Mrs. Leslie Monica M. Reyes

Mrs. Connie Villafranca
Mrs. Sheila Teresa G. Villanueva

Address: San Joaquin Road, Poblacion, Malvar, Batangas

09171601390
info@shsinmalvar.org
www.shsinmalvar.org
 What I Need to Know
This module was designed and written to help you learners understand how human beings
facilitate reasoning or is doing Philosophy. The scope of this module will let you, students learn
how to think, read, write and do reasoning with a critical mind while developing an enormous
and enduring interest.

The module is divided into three lessons namely:

1. Lesson 1- Opinion vs. Truth
2. Lesson 2-Methods of Philosophizing
3. Lesson 3 -Evaluate opinions

This touches the most essential learning competencies that you are expected to learn.
1. Distinguish opinion from truth
2. Realize that the method of philosophy lead to wisdom and truth
3. Evaluate opinions

What I Know

DIRECTION: Choose the letter of the best answer. Write the chosen letter on a separate
sheet of paper.
Pre-test
1. Truth is based on the person’s consciousness
a. Phenomenology c. Logic
b. Existentialism d. Postmodernism
2. Truth is based in exercising choices and personal freedom
a. Phenomenology c. Logic
b. Existentialism d. Postmodernism

3. It is accepted that truth is not absolute (with limits).

a. Phenomenology c. Logic
b. Existentialism d. Postmodernism

4. Truth is based on reasoning and critical thinking.

a. Phenomenology c. Logic
b. Existentialism d. Postmodernism

5. An argument where force, coercion, or the threat of force, is given as

justification for a conclusion.
a. Appeal to force (Argumentum ad baculum) c. Equivocation
b. Appeal to the people d. Composition

6. An argument that appeals or exploits people’s vanities, desire for esteem,

and anchoring on popularity.
a. Appeal to force (Argumentum ad baculum) c. Equivocation
b. Appeal to the people d. Composition
7. A is a defect in an argument other than its having false premises.
a. Fallacy c. Inductive Reasoning
b. Deductive Reasoning d. Analytic Philosophy

8. It draws conclusion from usually one broad judgment or definition and one
more specific assertion, often an inference.
a. Fallacy c. Inductive Reasoning
b. Deductive Reasoning d. Analytic Philosophy

9. It is based from observations in order to make generalizations. This

reasoning is often applied in prediction, forecasting, or behavior.
a. Fallacy c. Inductive Reasoning
b. Deductive Reasoning d. Analytic Philosophy

10. It is centered in the analysis and construction of arguments

a. Phenomenology c. Logic
b. Existentialism d. Postmodernism

11. It is the conviction that to some significant degree, philosophical problems,

puzzles and errors are rooted in language and can be solved or avoided by a sound
understanding of language and careful attention to its workings.
a. Fallacy c. Inductive Reasoning
b. Deductive Reasoning d. Analytic Philosophy

12. It believes that humanity should come at truth beyond the rational to the
non-rational elements of human nature, including the spiritual.
a. Phenomenology c. Logic
b. Existentialism d. Postmodernism

13. He is concerned with the spiritual nature of the “true” self as opposed to the
authentic demands of desire and body.
a. St. Augustine c. St. Thomas Aquinas
b. Socrates d. Husserl

14. He is concerned himself with the authenticity of the self – the genuineness of
his thoughts and actions, “the good of his soul”.
a. St. Augustine c. St. Thomas Aquinas
b. Socrates d. Husserl

15. It is to think or express oneself in a philosophical manner.

a. Philosophizing c. Psychologism
b. Consciousness d. Opinion

16. The normal state of being awake and able to understand what is happening
around you.
a. Philosophizing c. Psychologism
b. Consciousness d. Opinion

17. This focuses on careful inspection and description of phenomena or

appearances, defined as any object of conscious experience, that is, that which are
conscious of .
 a. Phenomenology c. Logic
b. Existentialism d. Postmodernism

18. He discusses logic and mathematics and provides a critique of

psychologism.
a. Augustine c. St. Thomas Aquinas
b. Socrates d. Husserl

19. It is a statement that can be proven true or false.

a. Fact c. Expression
b. Opinion d. Feelings

20. It is an expression of a person’s feelings that cannot be proven.

a. Fact c. Expression
b. Opinion d. Feelings

Lesson
Opinion vs. Truth
1
A given opinion may deal with subjective matters in which there is no conclusive
finding, or it may deal with facts which are sought to be disputed by the logical fallacy that
one is entitled to their opinions. Distinguishing fact from opinion is that facts are verifiable,
i.e. can be agreed to by the consensus of experts. An example is: "United States of America
was involved in the Vietnam War," versus "United States of America was right to get
involved in the Vietnam War". An opinion may be supported by facts and principles, in
which case it becomes an argument.

Different people may draw opposing conclusions (opinions) even if they agree on the
same set of facts. Opinions rarely change without new arguments being presented. It can be
reasoned that one opinion is better supported by the facts than another, by analyzing the
supporting arguments.

In casual use, the term opinion may be the result of a person's perspective,
understanding, particular feelings, beliefs, and desires.

Though not hard fact, collective opinions or professional opinions are defined as
meeting a higher standard to substantiate the opinion.
 What’s In

DIRECTION: Choose a word from the box below.

1. Write down other related words or ideas that you can think of in relation to the word that
you chose.
2. Write your answer in a one whole sheet of paper.

What’s New

Theories of Truth:
Pragmatic Truth is what works, or serves our purposes
Coherence Truth is what coheres with the rest of our knowledge
Correspondence Truth is what corresponds to facts

The Coherence Theory:

 Seems circular or question begging: it defines truth in terms of coherence with our
knowledge. But knowledge presupposes true belief.
  If we know something, then surely anything that contradicts that knowledge will be
false. But how do we get knowledge in the first place?

 What if we only knew one thing?

The Pragmatic Theory:

 Seems compatible with many things we think are false
 Belief in spirits or ghosts may work or serve the purposes of mediums and fortune
tellers … we still want to say those beliefs are or may be false

The Correspondence Theory

 Seems to be what we mean when we say something is true
 My pancake is salty! (we seem to agree that someone told the truth when we check
the pancake and find it salty)
 Coherence and Pragmatic theories seem to confuse a test of truth with what
constitutes it

Fact vs. Opinion

 A fact is a statement that can be proven true or false.

 An opinion is an expression of a person’s feelings that cannot be proven. Opinions
can be based on facts or emotions and sometimes they are meant to deliberately
mislead others. Therefore, it is important to be aware of the author’s purpose and
choice of language. Sometimes, the author lets the facts speak for themselves.

The following is an example of a fact:

 With fewer cars on the road, there would be less air pollution and traffic noise;
therefore, the use of mass transportation should be encouraged.
  Sometimes the author may use descriptive language to appeal to your emotions and
sway your thinking. The following is an example of an opinion:
 Do you like looking at a smoggy view from a congested highway? How do you feel
about fighting road hugs and bumper to bumper traffic everyday? Mass transportation
is the solution to all these problems.
 Emotional language is neither right nor wrong, but the way in which it is used can be
positive or negative; it is up to you to make reasonable judgement about the material
you are reading and to draw your own conclusion.
 Therefore, when you read, it is important to judge facts and opinions carefully in
order to come to the right conclusion. Ask yourself, “are the facts reliable?” or “are
the opinions based on the facts?” Once you answer these questions, you may be on the
right track for finding and sticking to the facts; you be the judge.

What is It

LEARNING ACTIVITY 1

DIRECTION: Identify each statement as to Opinion or Truth. Write letter “O” if the
statement is an Opinion and letter “T” if the statement is Truth.

1. Manila is the capital of the Philippines.

2. Sun is the center of the solar system.
3. My neighbor is ugly.
4. The sun is the center of the solar system.
5. Asia is the largest continent in the world.
6. God made the world in seven days
7. Man has the right to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.
8. China’s continued presence in the Spratlysis a violation of international law.
9. A person must always consider the interest of his or her family before his
orher own happiness.
10. Citizens have the right to take up arms and overthrow an oppressive
government.

Questions:

1. Based on the activity, what are the two forms of statements given? What examples
were given for each?

2. What examples of truth and opinion can you give based on your real-life experiences?
LEARNING ACTIVITY 2

DIRECTION: Read the article and identify the opinion and facts about Matthew. Write your
answer at the space provided

Questions:
1. How do you determine the facts and opinion about Matthew?
2. How will you justify the statements of truth and opinion?

What’s More
LEARNING ACTIVITY 3

SMARTART GRAPHIC

DIRECTION: Make a graphical representation of the Theories of Truth through a SmartArt.

Draw your SmartArt in the box below. Then, cite a specific example in any of the three (3)
theories of truth in the context of their experience as senior high school students.

Examples of SmartArt:
Cite a specific example in any of the three (3) theories of truth in the context of their
experience as senior high school students.

Example: I am taking eight (8) subjects this semester.

(Indicate from which theory and facts the example belonged to)

Correspondence Theory

Coherence Theory

Pragmatic Theory

Questions:

1. How do you categorized the examples of theory of truth? Explain your answer.
2. How this activity helps you to understand the theory of truth?

What I Have Learned

In your notebook, journal or portfolio write your personal insights about the lessons
using the prompts below.

I understand that .

I realized that .
 What I Can Do

Thinking Beyond Thinking

Reflect on your daily living. Think of a situation wherein to identify two (2) economic,
political, or socio-cultural situations. Write two (2) statements of truth about each situation.
Then, have them identify what theory of truth is used.

Assessment

A. Identify the theory of truth in the given statement/question.

1. Belief in spirits or ghosts may work or serve the purposes of mediums

and fortune tellers.
2. It is a statement that can be proven true or false.
3. It is an expression of a person’s feelings that cannot be proven.
4. It seems to be what we mean when we say something is true.
5. It seems circular or question begging: it defines truth in terms of
coherence with our knowledge. But knowledge presupposes true belief.

B. Analyze each situation carefully and identify the fact and opinion used.

Fact and Opinion: Switch It Up!

A fact is something that is true and can be proven. It does not change, no matter who says it.
Opinion is something that someone thinks or feels. It may change from person to person.
Read each statement below. Decide if it is a fact or opinion and write your decision in the
blank.
Then switch it up! If the statement is an opinion, write a fact about the topic in the space
provided. If it is a fact, write an opinion about the topic.

Example:
Opinion
Ursula is very pretty.
Adam thinks Ursula is pretty
1. Abraham Lincoln was president during the U.S. Civil War.

2. Going to the doctor is scary.

3. Beethoven was the greatest composer.

4. Water is made of hydrogen and oxygen.

5. Pizza with black olives is delicious.

6. Elephants are the largest land mammals.

7. Mercury is the closest planet to the Sun.

8. The best vacation is going camping.

References
Introduction to the Philosophy of the Human Person, by Christine Carmela R. Ramos, pages
27

https://www.qcc.cuny.edu/socialsciences/ppecorino/intro_text/Chapter%205%20Epistemolog
y/Truth.htm

https://www.slideserve.com/collin/does-truth-matter
 Lesson
Methods of Philosophizing
2
In the last module, the meaning and process of doing philosophy emphasizing the
importance of holism, as well as learning how to construct philosophical essays were
introduced. This lesson shall demonstrate the various ways of doing philosophy. In the search
of wisdom, the learner must evaluate arguments and ways of expressing one’s beliefs,
emotions, and opinions.
This section shall introduce methods or ways of looking at truth and what will
considered as mere “opinions”. Philosophizing is to think or express oneself in a
philosophical manner. In phenomenology, truth is based on the person’s consciousness while
existentialism, truth is based in exercising choices and personal freedom. In postmodernism,
it is accepted that truth is not absolute; and logic, truth is based on reasoning and critical
thinking.

What’s In

GUESS THE WORD

DIRECTION: Identify the missing letter/s in each category. Write your answer on the given
box.
1.

2.

3.

4.

5.
Direction: Identify the correct answer in each statement. Choose your answer from the above
word/s

1. It is a defect in an argument other than its having false premises.

2. It is centered on the analysis and construction of arguments.
3. This focuses on careful inspection and description of phenomena or
appearances.
4. It is not primarily a philosophical method.
5. It is not a philosophy.

What’s New

Methods of Philosophizing

Philosophizing is to think or express oneself in a philosophical manner. It considers or discusses a

(matter) from a philosophical standpoint.

1.Phenomenology: On consciousness
Edmund Husserl founded Phenomenology- where the truth is based on the person’s
consciousness. This focuses on careful inspection and description of phenomena or appearances,
defines as any object of conscious experience, that is, that which we are conscious of (Johnson). the
word “phenomenon” comes directly from the Greek (phainomenon) meaning “appearance”.

- Husserl’s formulates several phenomenological “reductions” and their shifts.

1. Epoche or “suspension” brackets all the questions of truth and reality and simply describes the
contents of consciousness.
2. Focuses on the essential features, the meaning of consciousness.
3. What interests the phenomenologists are the contents of consciousness, not on the things of the
natural world as such.

2. Existensialism: On Freedom
It is not primarily on a philosophical method neither a set of doctrines but more of an outlook or
attitude supported by diverse doctrines centered on certain common themes as follows:
1. Human condition or relation of individual to the world.
2. Human response to that condition
3. Being, especially the difference between the being of person and being the other kinds of things
4. Human freedom
5. Significance of choice and decision in the absence of certainty 6. Concreteness and subjectivity of
life as lived, against abstractions and false objectifications. *Soren Kierkegaard, insisted that the
authentic self was the personally chosen self, as opposed to public or “herd identity” * Nietzsche took
this view of opposition of the genuine individual versus the identity of “herd” identity.

- Jean-Paul Sartre, French philosopher who emphasized the importance of free individual choice
regardless of the power of other people to influence and coerce our desires, beliefs and decisions.
Socrates “the good of his soul” he sought not mere opinions but knowledge, self-knowledge in
particular, and prescribed not just right action but virtue, being “true to oneself”. St. Augustine was
concerned with the spiritual nature of the “true” self as opposed to the inauthentic demands of desire
and the body. Jean-Jacques Rousseau essential goodness of the “natural” self in contrast to the
“corruption” imposed by society.
3. Post-Modernism : On Cultures
It is accepted that truth is not absolute (i.e. cultural). Post modernism is not philosophy– it is best a
holding pattern, perhaps a cry of despair. Postmodernists
believe that humanity should come at truth beyond the rational to the non-rational elements of human
nature, including the spiritual.

4. Analytic Tradition
Language cannot objectively describe truth. “Analysis” refers to a method; owing a great deal to the
pioneers, Bertrand Russell, G.E, Moore, Wittgenstein an J.L Austin. Ludwig Wittgenstein, an analytic
philosopher, language is socially conditioned.

5. Logic and Critical Thinking: Tools in Reasoning

It is the centered in the analysis and construction of arguments.

Two Types of Reasoning:

A. Inductive Reasoning- observations in order to make generalizations often applied in

prediction, forecasting or behavior

B. Deductive Reasoning- draws conclusion from usually one broad judgments or definition
and one more specific assertion, often an inference.
- Validity and Soundness of an Argument Ex. All philosophers are wise. (major premise)
Confucius is a philosopher. (minor premise) Therefore, Confucius is wise. (conclusion) Validity
comes from a logical conclusion based on logically constructed premises.
- Strength of an Argument Inductive arguments cannot prove if the premises are true which will
also determine the truth of the conclusion.

6. Fallacies
To detect fallacies, it is required to examine the argument’s content. Usual errors in reasoning and
thus, coming up with false conclusion and worse, distorting the truth.
a. Appeal to pity (Argumentum ad misericordiam)
A specific kind of appeal to emotion in which someone tries to win support for an argument
or idea by exploiting his or her opponent’s feelings of pity or guilt.
b. Appeal to Ignorance (Argumentum ad ignorantiam)
Whatever has not been proved false must be true, and vice versa.
c. Equivocation
This is logical chain of reasoning of a term or a word several times, but giving the particular
word a different meaning each time. Example: Human beings have hands; the clock has
hands. He is drinking from the pitcher of water; he is a baseball pitcher.
d. Composition
This infers that something is true of the whole from the fact that is true of some part of the
whole. The reverse of this fallacy is division.
e. Division
One reasons logically that something true of a thing must also be truth of all or some of its
parts.
f. Against the Person (Argumentum ad hominem)
This fallacy attempts to link the validity of a premise to a characteristics or belief pf the
person advocating the premise.
g. Appeal to Force (Argumentum ad baculum)
An argument where force, coercion, or the threat of force, is given as a justification for a
conclusion.
h. Appeal to the people (Argumentum ad populum)
An argument that appeals or exploits people’s vanities, desire for esteem, and anchoring on
popularity.
 i. False Cause
This fallacy is also referred to as coincidental correlation, or correlation not causation.

j. Hasty generalization
This is commonly based on a broad conclusion upon the statistics of a survey of a small group
that fails to sufficiently represent the whole population.
k. Begging the question (petitio principii)
It is which the proposition to be proven is assumed implicitly or explicitly in the premise.

DOUBLE (1999)
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 perennial intellectual interest to human beings.

CRITICAL THINKING
The methodology or method that philosophers use to address philosophical question is critical
thinking.
•is the careful, reflective, rational, and systematic approach to questions of very general
interest.
•means understanding of philosophy

Critical Thinking is a lifelong process of self-assessment that further consists of:

 Defining, analyzing, and devising solutions
 Arriving at reasonable and informed conclusions
 Applying understanding and knowledge to new and different problems
 Willingness to change one point of view
 Continually examining and re-examining ideas; and
 Willingness to say “I don’t know.”

ATTRIBUTES OF A CRITICAL THINKER

 Looking for evidence to support assumption and beliefs
 Adjusts opinions
 Looks for proof
 Examines problem
 Rejects irrelevant and incorrect information
.
What is It

LEARNING ACTIVITY 1
“SEMANTIC MAPPING”

DIRECTION: Create a Semantic Map on the Attributes of a Critical Thinker using symbols.
Write your answer in the given space provided.
Example:
1. Looks for Evidence to support assumption and beliefs

1.

2.

3.

4.
5.

Questions:
1. What is your basis in determining the Semantic Mapping for each attributes of a
Critical Thinker?
2. How do you come up with the Semantic Mapping for each attributes?

LEARNING ACTIVITY 2

DIRECTION: Fill in the table by writing a situation wherein you can experience the various
stages or beginnings of Philosophical Inquiry

With the advent of social media, how would you uphold truth and wisdom?

a. Facebook
b. Instagram
c. Twitter

Facebook

Instagram

Twitter
 What’s More
LEARNING ACTIVITY 3

PROBLEM-BASED ACTIVITY

Illegitimate generalizations result to stereotypes; It is a distortion because it creates a

false impression of the group that is being represented. There are stereotypes in television,
movies, etc.
a. Watch a film where you can identify generalizations. For instance, Mean Girls. Why are
they “mean” and how did they give false impressions to others?
b. Did you experience a stereotyped generalization? Describe the experience and explain
why you believe that you were subjected to this kind of generalization.

What I Have Learned

We are human beings possessed with reason. We used it when we make decisions or
when we try to influence the decisions of others or when we are engaged in an argument or
debate. Indeed, this lesson presented the general principles involved in reasoning to arrive at
truth. Though emotions can be more persuasive, in the long run, correct reasoning will prove
to be most solid foundation.
Students should not take the methods of philosophizing for granted. For instance, the
study of logic develops a habit of clear and critical thinking. It helps determine illogical
reasoning or fallacious ones. It builds self-confidence. Finally, though logic and other
methods of reasoning, students are trained of various techniques of assumptions and
implications.

In your notebook, journal or portfolio write your personal insights about the lessons
using the prompts below.

I understand that .

I realized that .
 What I Can Do

Thinking Beyond Thinking

DIRECTION: Cite examples of how fallacies are used in daily life. For example, when you
watched advertisement based on the popularity of endorsers, do you tend to
buy their product? Did you use the fallacies ad misericordiam or ad hominem
toward others? How? Use separate sheet for your answer.

Situational Analysis

DIRECTION: Read and analyze the given situations. Each of the statements below violates
at least one of the guidelines for critical thinking. Identify the guideline that
was violated and give a brief explanation for your choice. Determine whether
the statements are expressing opinions or truth.

1. Anna bought a bottle of pain reliever because a TV commercial claimed that most
hospitals prescribe it.
2. You’re either for us or against us.
3. I get disgusted with my science classes. We study the “principle of this” and the
“theory of that.” Aren’t there any laws? Why can’t scientists make up their minds and
stop acting like they don’t know anything for sure?

Assessment

A. Read each statement or question carefully and fill in the blank(s) with the correct
answer.

1. It is scientific study of the essential structures of consciousness.

 2. It is centered in the analysis and construction of arguments.

3. This is a type of fallacy in which the proposition to be proven is

assumed implicitly or explicitly in the premise.

4. An argument where force, coercion, or the threat of force, is given as

justification for a conclusion.

5. It is based from observations in order to make generations.

B. Write TRUE if the statement is valid and otherwise, if the statement is FALSE, write
the word(s) that make(s) it wrong and the correct term in its opposite side.

1. Philosophical questions cannot be settled by science, common sense, or faith.

2. Logic is the careful, reflective, rational means understanding of philosophy and refraining
from merely giving claims but through careful thought, one reasons through argumentations.

3. Critical Thinking is a lifelong process of self-assessment.

4. Critical Thinker must look for evidence to support assumption and beliefs.

5. Critical Thinker must reject relevant and incorrect information.

Additional Activities

ACTIVITY 1.1: PHILOSOPHIZING THROUGH WONDER

DIRECTION: Answer the question below and also ask other members of the family at home
to answer the same. Upon gathering all the responses, reflect on it and write
something about the given responses.

Question:
1. What makes a person a critical thinker?

2. Who are Bill Gates and Steve Jobs? What do you think are their positive attitudes that
made them successful?
 3. What characteristics of critical thinker do you think you possess or ought to have?

4. There was a robbery in which a lot of goods were stolen. The robber(s) left in a truck.
It is known that: (1) Nobody else could have been involved other than A,B and C. (2)
C never commits a crime without A’s participation. (3) B does not know now to drive.
So, is A innocent or guilty?

5. If someone in the group disagrees with your ideas, are you open to new ideas not
necessarily in agreement with yours?

ACTIVITY 1.2: SELF-EVALUATION

How do you assess these words: “terrorists,” “pretty,” “gay”? Are your assessments
based on unfounded generalizations or facts?

References
Introduction to the Philosophy of the Human Person, by Christine Carmela R. Ramos, pages
27-41
 What I Know

TRUE OR FALSE

DIRECTION: Write T if the statement is True otherwise, write F if the it is False.

1. Critical Thinking and logic are important tools to distinguish facts from opinions.

2. An opinion can be a belief or judgment that rests on grounds insufficient to produce

complete certainly.

3. Critical thinking is a personal view, attitude, or appraisal or personal feelings.

4. Critique is one way of as to critical thinking activity.

5. Critical thinking means understanding of philosophy and refraining from merely giving
claims but through careful thought, one reasons through argumentations.

Lesson
Evaluate Opinions
3
In the current language, to give one’s opinion is to give one’s “way of thinking”, in
other words, assume the very subjective part of one’s words. Thus, opinion is based more on
a feeling more than on a reality shared and observed by all.
Arguments are an important part of everyday life. You see them all the time, ranging
from a debate with a friend about coffee types, to a persuasive column in a newspaper, to a
formal argument in an academic journal. With so many arguments all around, how do you
know which ones to listen to, and which to dismiss? Making this judgment can sometimes be
difficult, but there are some guidelines you can follow when evaluating the quality of an
argument.
When you argue, you need to present your points of view and deal with different
points of view. You often need to present two or more points of view and discuss the positive
and negative aspects of each case; you need to evaluate them. These other points of view will
often come from your reading. On the basis of your evaluation, you can then choose one
point of view and persuade your readers that you are correct. This means giving your
opinions (positive and negative) on the work of others that you have read and learned.
Evaluation is the top of Bloom's pyramid and is central to academic criticality. Makes
judgements about the value of ideas or materials for a given purpose in a given context.
Presents and defends opinions by making judgments about information, validity of ideas or
quality of work based on a set of criteria. Compares and discriminates between ideas.
Recognises subjectivity. This is where philosophy engage in opinion evaluation.

What’s In

DIRECTION: Four Pics One Word. Fill in the missing letter/s for each category.

1. F _ I _ _ E _ S 2. _ V I _ E _ C _

3. _ O _ I _ 4. T _ N _
 What’s New

How do I evaluate an argument?

An argument is a conclusion based upon evidence (i.e. premises). Arguments are commonly
found in newspaper editorials and opinion columns, as well as magazine essays. To evaluate
these arguments, you must judge whether it is good or bad. "Good" and "bad" are not,
however, merely subjective opinions. An evaluation should be based upon rational criteria,
such as the F.E.L.T. criteria below.

When you evaluate your essays and columns, you probably won't use everything in this list
below. Focusing on one issue or another is usually quite effective, since a long list of
criticisms becomes tiresome and difficult to explain thoroughly.

Criteria in Evaluating an Argument

• Fairness
• Evidence
• Logic
• Tone

Fairness:
Is the argument fair and balanced, or does it contain bias? Bias can be detected by asking the
following questions:

Is the argument overly emotional and filled with loaded language?

Is the argument one-sided? Are there alternative points of view not addressed? What are the
implications of this narrowness?
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 and Logic:

Are the given premises reliable and relevant? Are they thoroughly explained?
Does the author make contradictory points?

Does the author make concessions to alternative views without explaining why they are
nevertheless subordinate to his/her main view?
Do the premises themselves require further justification? (That is, do they beg the question?)

Is the movement from premise to conclusion logical? Does the argument contain gaps in
reasoning or logical fallacies? Along with begging the question (above), here are some other
common errors you may find:
-ad hominem
-hasty generalization
-ignoring the burden of proof
 -non sequitur
-sincerity fallacy
-slippery slope
-straw man

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? For example, is it too serious? Is it too
sarcastic or dismissive? Is it overly dramatic? (Tone can reinforce bias.)
Is the attitude of the writer appropriate for the content?

How to evaluate an argument

 Identify the conclusion and the premises.
 Put the argument in standard form.
 Decide if the argument is deductive or non-deductive.
 Determine whether the argument succeeds logically.
 If the argument succeeds logically, assess whether the premises are true. ...
 Make a final judgement: is the argument good or bad?

.
What is It
LEARNING ACTIVITY 1
GRAPHING

DIRECTION: Create a Pie Chart to figure out the components for the criteria evaluation of
an argument and allot a percentage for each component. Write your answer on the space
provided.
Questions:
Based on your pie chart, answer the following questions.

1. What do you think are the criteria in evaluating an arguments?

2. How do you come up with their corresponding percentage of each component?

Explain your answer.

LEARNING ACTIVITY 2
IMAGINARY SCENARIO

DIRECTION: Imagine a skit on the following scenarios:

1. A mother leaving the house for work gives instructions to the eldest child on how to
manage the household chores
2. A class adviser who will take a maternity leave instructs her advisory class to behave at all
times
Questions:
1. What instructions were given in the first scenario? In the second scenario?
2. How important following instructions is in terms of doing or accomplishing a task?
3. What are the benefits of having and following guidelines in reading and examining
arguments.

What’s More

LEARNING ACTIVITY 3

DIRECTION: Reading an argument carefully. Here are some further thoughts on examining
an argument:

Warning: Did you read through the entire article? Writers will often start their articles by
explaining a certain point of view, only to demolish or refute that point of view
by the end of the article. If you don’t read to the end, you’ll completely reverse
the intent of the writer and thus discredit your evaluation! Try the example
below.

A recurring debate in the discussion of human nature is whether humans are generally selfish
or altruistic. It can be argued that humans only do good in order to be rewarded. I will help an
old lady across the street because it will impress my wife, or because the old lady is wealthy.
You will save a drowning person because your girlfriend is watching, or because there are

lots of people with cameras. Yet there are many other examples of those who act out of
genuine concern for others. Would you say that Mother Teresa devoted her entire life to the
poor out of a guilty conscience? Can you believe that rescuers who run into a burning house
do so only after seeing television cameras? These people act altruistically1: they respond to
the emotional stress of others by trying to shoulder and ameliorate2 - at considerable personal
cost - some of that stress themselves. This could also be called integrity - still a respected
virtue in our culture - which is defined as doing one’s moral duty when you would rather do
the opposite. Perhaps, at times, we do act out of self-interest or personal benefit, but cynics
will find it hard to ignore those many selfless acts that corroborate3 the human behaviour of
altruism.

1 To act selflessly without thought of self-interest.

2 to provide relief; end pain
3 confirm, support or prove

1. From the above argument, one can conclude that

a. people act mainly for selfish reasons.
b. people act only out of empathy for others.
c. people are confused regarding their motives.
d. people can act for both selfish and selfless reasons.

2. The author probably favours

a. kindness towards others.
b. self-interest.
c. ignoring our sense of duty.
d. both a and b.

What I Have Learned

Doing philosophical reflection enables a person to view a problem more objectively
and come up with better decisions or solutions. Seeing a life situation in its holistic
perspective does not confine one’s understanding of the world to one’s own perspective, but
also includes the perspective of others. This view also enables a person to better appreciate
his or her experience as vital components that give meaning to life.

In your notebook, journal or portfolio write your personal insights about the lessons
using the prompts below.

I understand that .

I realized that .
 What I Can Do

EVALUATING AN OPINION

QUESTIONS: How can we come up with a sound and valid argument? Cite a specific
instance that you had experienced in relation to this.
Why is evaluating an opinion significant in your daily dealings with your
a. classmates/friends?
b. teachers?
c. siblings?
d. parents?
e. community?

Assessment

A. Read each statement or question carefully and fill in the blank(s) with the correct
answer.

1. It is a conclusion based upon evidence (i.e. premises)

2. They are commonly found in newspaper editorials and opinion columns,
as well as magazine essays.
3. It is the argument fair and balanced, or does it contain bias?
4. Are the given premises reliable and relevant?
5. Are the arguments thoroughly explained? Do they contain gaps in
reasoning or logical fallacies?

Additional Activities

ACTIVITY 1.1: WRITING TASK 101

DIRECTION: Answer the following questions: Write down your answer on your journal or
notebook
1. How would you apply your knowledge on evaluating arguments in your daily lives?
2. In what particular situations do you deem it useful?
3. Write a five-sentence paragraph about the importance of learning the criteria in
evaluating arguments.
 ACTIVITY 1.2: WRITING TASK 102
Evaluating Arguments using FELT Framework.
DIRECTIONS: There are three (3) arguments in the context of the political, economic,
socio-cultural, and environmental situations in the Philippines. Evaluate each argument using
the FELT Framework.
Evaluation Tool for FELT Framework
Criteria Explanation

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? What
are the implications of this
narrowness?

Evidence Are the given premises

reliable and relevant

Logic Is the movement from

premise to conclusion
logical? Does the argument
contain gaps in reasoning or
logical fallacies?

Tone Is the attitude of the writer

appropriate for the content?
For example, is it too
serious? Is it too sarcastic or
dismissive? Is it overly
dramatic? (Tone can
reinforce bias.)

Argument #1
“Volatility in the stock market will probably persist for the foreseeable future. In a global
economy, changing circumstances anywhere in the world can create uncertainty”
Argument #2
“The U.N. Human Rights Commission and Amnesty International both claim conditions at
camp X-Ray amount to torture, therefore the United States should close the prison and either
release or formally charge all the detainees being held there”
Argument #3
“George Bush doesn’t care about black people” Kanye West

References
Introduction to the Philosophy of the Human Person, by Christine Carmela R. Ramos, pages
21-22

https://learn.lexiconic.net/argumentevaluation.htm

https://www.futurelearn.com/courses/logical-and-critical-thinking/0/steps/9155
 Answer Key

LESSON 1
What I Know What Is It

1.A 11. D 1. T
1. E 12. D 2. T
2. D 13. A 3. O
3. C 14. B 4. T
4. A 15. A 5. T
5. B 16. B 6. T
6. A 17. A 7. T
7. B 18. D 8. T
8. C 19. A 9. O
9. C 20. B 10. O

LESSON 2
What’s in What I Know
Question 1.
1. Phenomenology 1. T
2. Post Modernism 2. T
3. Fallacies 3. F
4. Logic 4. T
5. Existentialism 5. T
Question 2
1. Fallacies
2. Logic
3. Phenomenology
4. Postmodernism
5. Existentialism

LESSON 3
What’s in

1. Fairness
2. Evidence
3. Logic
4. Tone