DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION

REGION I
SAN CARLOS CITY DIVISION
SPEAKER EUGENIO PEREZ NATIONAL AGRICULTURAL SCHOOL
SENIOR HIGH SCHOOL DEPARTMENT
ROXAS BLVD. SAN CARLOS CITY PANGASINAN

INTRODUCTION TO THE PHILOSOPHY OF THE HUMAN PERSON

Methods of Philosophizing: Socratic

Objectives
At the end of this lesson, you should be able to:

 Define and explain the Socratic method of philosophizing,

 Analyze expressions and statements that show the differences of opinion, fact, and truth, and
 Justify the validity of the statement “The Socratic method of philosophizing leads to wisdom and truth.”
Socratic questioning−a type of interrogative statement that clarifies points through understanding the deeper
meaning of a claim.
Methods of Philosophizing
A method of philosophizing is a process of determining the truth or drawing a conclusion from a statement
using various philosophical methods, such as:

 Socratic,
 Dialectic,
 Scientific, and
 Historical

Socratic Method of Philosophizing

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.
Opinion, Fact, and Truth
In using the Socratic method, it is important to analyze expressions and statements that show the differences of
opinion, fact, and truth.

Opinion
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 Filipino boxer.

Fact
A fact is a statement that can be checked and backed up with evidence. It is often used in conjunction with
research and study.

Examples:

 Based on the Miss World Organization records, Megan Young was the first Filipina to be crowned as
Miss World. She won the title in 2013 in Bali, Indonesia.
 According to the Philippine Statistics Authority, the country's total population is 92,337,852. It is based
on the recent May 2010 census.

Truth
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)
 The Philippines, as proven in geographical and anthropological properties, is a country in Southeast
Asia. (factual)

Opinion is what someone believes or thinks. A fact is firmly planted in the material world, while truth extends to
the spiritual realm.

Socratic Method Leads to Wisdom and Truth

The Socratic method has been emphasized to use statement deconstructions and creative questioning to delve
deeper into an issue. It is a systematic process whereby random and ambiguous ideas are eliminated to reach a
sound conclusion. Reaching an endpoint, therefore, would only mean that truth has been realized, and new
knowledge has been acquired.

Tip

 Regardless of how deep the probing process has been, the primary area of focus during the Socratic
method would be the first statement. All succeeding statements are brought about to support or refute
the claim of the initial argument.

Keypoints

 A method of philosophizing is a process of determining a truth or conclusion from a statement

through the use of various philosophical methods such as Socratic, dialectic, historical, and scientific.
 Socrates was a Greek philosopher and teacher who laid the groundwork for Western systems of
philosophy and logic.
 Socratic questioning is a type of interrogative process that clarifies points through understanding the
deeper meaning of a claim.
 The process of deconstructing or questioning statements to come up with the actual truth is called
the Socratic Method.
 Opinion is what someone believes or thinks. A fact is firmly planted in the material world,
while truthextends to the spiritual realm.
 The Socratic method of philosophizing leads to wisdom and truth.

NOTES:
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