This document discusses different theories of truth and how to distinguish between opinions and facts. It introduces the correspondence theory, which views truth as statements that correspond to reality, the coherence theory, which sees truth as propositions that fit within a system of beliefs, and the pragmatic theory, which considers useful or practical ideas to be true. It also provides definitions for key terms and examines philosophers' perspectives on the differences between opinion and knowledge.

1. ANALYZE
SITUATIONS THAT
SHOW THE
DIFFERENCE
BETWEEN OPINION
AND TRUTH

2. INTRODUCTION
◦ Philosophers are interested in a constellation of issues involving the
concept of truth.
◦ Is truth a property of sentences (which are linguistic entities in some
language or other)?
◦ is truth a property of propositions (nonlinguistic, abstract and timeless
entities)?
◦ The most important theories of truth are the Correspondence Theory, the
Coherence Theory, and the Pragmatic Theory.

3. INTRODUCTION
◦ Plato is the first to have thematized opinion in philosophy.
◦ He defends the opposition of the “doxa” (the opinion) and the “episteme”
(the knowledge).
◦ The historian, like the mathematician, can both tell the truth.
◦ The difference between them will be the predictability of their statement:
the causes of the American Revolution, if they are reproduced, will not
necessarily lead to the same consequences. Arithmetic, on the other hand, is
predictable.

4. INTRODUCTION
◦ Opinion has a place halfway between ignorance and knowledge, in the
sense that it is not yet founded or demonstrated.

5. DEFINITION OF TERMS
◦ Correspondence – a close similarity, connection, or equivalence
◦ Coherence – the quality of forming a unified whole
◦ Pragmatic – dealing with things sensibly and realistically in a way that is
based on practical rather than theoretical considerations
◦ Authority – power to influence or command thought, opinion, or behavior
◦ Reliability – the quality of being trustworthy or of performing consistently
well

6. DEFINITION OF TERMS
◦ Relevance – relation to the matter at hand
◦ Bias – a personal and sometimes unreasoned judgment
◦ Preconception- an idea or opinion formed beforehand
◦ Hasty Generalization - making a claim based on evidence that it just
too small
◦ Metaphysics – the branch of philosophy that deals with the first
principles of things, including abstract concepts such as being,
knowing, substance, cause, identity, time, and space.

7. THEORIES OF TRUTH

8. CORRESPONDENCE THEORY
◦ a view that was advocated by Russell and Moore early in the 20th
century
◦ argues that truth is whatever corresponds to reality
◦ an idea which corresponds with reality is true while an idea which
does not correspond with reality is false

9. CORRESPONDENCE THEORY
◦ The existence of a man, for instance, implies the truth of the statement in which
we assert his existence. The converse is also the case. For if he exists, then the
statement in which we assert his existence is true, and conversely, if the statement
in which we assert his existence is true, he exists. But the truth of the statement is
in no way the cause of his existence, though his existence is in a way the cause of
the truth of the statement. For we call the statement true or false according as he
exists or not.

10. COHERENCE THEORY
◦ a proposition is true if it fits our overall set of beliefs
◦ a belief is true when we are able to incorporate it in an orderly and
logical manner into a larger and complex system of beliefs.
◦ inaccurate belief would still be called "truth."

11. COHERENCE THEORY
◦ A friend called you that he is driving a tiny car with a real whale/ horse hybrid talking Latin at the
backseat. Also, he told you that despite the fact he is 2000 km away, he will arrive in 10 minutes.”
You know it is not true from the coherence of your knowledge:
1.There are no whale/horse hybrids.
2. His car is too small to fit the said animal.
3. There are no such thing as cars as fast as that.
4. Animals don't speak Latin.
Without seeing it, you know it is 100 percent False. No coherence with your basic
knowledge.

12. PRAGMATIC THEORY
◦ a proposition is true if it is useful or works in practice
◦ a philosophical movement that includes those who claim that an
ideology or proposition is true if it works satisfactorily, that the
meaning of a proposition is to be found in the practical consequences
of accepting it, and that unpractical ideas are to be rejected.
◦ truth does not exist in some abstract realm of thought independent
of social relationship or actions; instead, the truth is a function of an
active process of engagement with the world and verification

13. PRAGMATIC THEORY
◦ "if humans commonly perceive the ocean as beautiful then, the ocean is beautiful."
◦ "red street lights are for stop and green street lights are for go because it's a rule
followed by everyone thus, it is the truth"
◦ " a marketing principle that is useful in explaining consumer behavior in one
generation but not the next" - due to change in practicality

14. PHILOSOPHIZING TO
PROVE IT’S AN OPINION

15. SOURCE AND AUTHORITY
◦ Who is the source of the information?
◦ What are her qualifications, background, or reputation?
◦ Is she an authority in the issue?
◦ What is the source of the claim? Is the source reliable?

16. RELIABILITY AND RELEVANCE
◦ How reliable is the person making the claim?
◦ How long has he or she spent studying the issue?
◦ How wide is his/her experience concerning the subject matter?
◦ Does the claim contain unsubstantiated generalizations?
◦ Are the premises provided really relevant to the conclusion?

17. PURPOSE AND CONTEXT
◦ What is the main and corollary purpose of the author or source?
◦ Who are the intended readers or audiences?
◦ Is the message intended to convince or persuade, or is it a plain propaganda?
◦ What is the context in stating the opinion?

18. BIAS AND PRECONCEPTION
◦ Is the one giving a stance biased towards or against the issue?
◦ Does she exhibit partiality, preference, or prejudice for or against an issue?
◦ Is the language used emotional or inflammatory?
◦ Are proofs offered or the basis is a mere preconceived idea?

19. ASSUMPTION AND HASTY
GENERALIZATION
◦ Does the source make effort to prove or substantiate the opinion?
◦ Are there authentic documents provided?
◦ Does the information represent just a single opinion or a range of various
pertinent opinions?
◦ Are there sufficient pieces of evidence for the conclusion?
◦ Are all of the significant variables considered?

20. PHILOSOPHIES

21. Opinion is something intermediary between
knowledge and ignorance (Plato)

22. Opinion is a belief that is conscious of
being insufficient both subjectively and
objectively (Kant)

23. In his Metaphysics, Aristotle stated: "To
say of what is that it is not, or of what is not
that it is, is false, while to say of what is that
it is, and of what is not that it is not, is true"

24. The metaphysical version presented by Thomas
Aquinas is the best known: “Veritas est
adaequatio rei et intellectus” (Truth is the equation of
thing and intellect), which he restates as: “A
judgment is said to be true when it conforms to the
external reality”.

25. According to Kant, the statement “to
tell the truth is a duty...to him who has a
right to the truth” is false, because
truth is not a right but a requirement