LEARNING ACTIVITY SHEET FOR

Name: Date: Score:

Subject: Introduction to Philosophy Grade Level: 12
Lesson Title: Knowledge and Truth
Lesson Competency with Code: First Semester
F11PT-Ib-85 - Explains the concept of epistemology and its significance in understanding knowledge,
truth, opinion, and belief.
Enabling Objectives:
1. Define and explain the key concepts in epistemology, including knowledge, truth, belief, and
justification, using appropriate examples.
2. Differentiate between the three domains of truth—objective, social, and personal—by analyzing
real-life or situational examples.
3. Evaluate the validity of a given claim by applying the concepts of justification and evidence from
different truth domains.
References:
K-to-12-MELCS-with-CG-Codes.pdf, https://lrmdsnegor.net/flexied-module/
CONCEPT NOTES: (Brief discussion of the lesson, if possible, cite examples)
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)
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
How Do We Acquire Knowledge?
1. We can acquire knowledge using our senses (Empiricism)

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

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.
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)”
4. Proposition
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 Statements about the world or reality are called propositions

 Propositions may or may not carry the truth.
a. Facts-propositions or statements observed to be real and truthful
b. Claim-proposition that requires further examination; can be contested
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.
Example: “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)

DOMAINS OF TRUTH
a. Objective domain
 related to scientific truths; pertains to the natural world that maintains relative independence from the perspective
and attitude of human beings that perceived them.
 Example: TYPHOON SEASON, WATER’S BOILING POINT (100 DEGREES CELSIUS)
b. 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)
 Example: 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.
c. Personal Domain
 Truth is related to “SINCERITY”; consistent to inner thoughts and intentions needs to establish “trust”
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.
 Each domain of truth has a corresponding justification or has a different criteria for truth:
a. SCIENTIFIC/ OBJECTIVE DOMAIN- Truths are tested against empirical evidence
b. SOCIAL DOMAIN- Truths are tested against their acceptability to a particular group in a particular time in history
c. PERSONAL DOMAIN- Truths are tested against the consistency and authenticity of the person who claims it
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
TRUTH VS. OPINION
✖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.
✖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.
✖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.
✖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.
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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

EXCERCISES/ DEVELOPMENTAL ACTIVITIES:

E1. Instructions: Choose the letter of the correct answer. Write only the letter of your answer on
your activity notebook.
1. What is the main goal of epistemology?
a. To memorize philosophical terms
b. To understand cultural differences
c. To discover how knowledge is acquired and validated
d. To debate moral values
2. Which of the following is an example of knowledge?
a. "I think the sky is blue because I feel happy."
b. "Water boils at 100°C at sea level."
c. "Roses are the most beautiful flowers."
d. "Pineapple on pizza is the best."
3. What do empiricists believe about knowledge?
a. It is acquired through logic and reasoning.
b. It is a gift from divine forces.
c. It comes from sensory experience.
d. It cannot be trusted.
4. Rationalists emphasize the role of __________ in acquiring knowledge.
a. Feelings
b. Emotions
c. Senses
d. Reason
5. Who among the following is NOT a rationalist philosopher?
a. Rene Descartes
b. Baruch Spinoza
c. Gottfried Leibniz
d. John Locke
6. What is a “proposition” in epistemology?
a. A plan of action
b. An emotional statement
c. A statement about reality that may be true or false
d. A fictional statement
7. Which domain of truth relies on empirical evidence?
a. Personal Domain
b. Social Domain
c. Objective Domain
d. Fictional Domain
8. Which domain tests truth based on group consensus?
a. Objective
b. Social
c. Personal
d. Emotional
9. Truth in the personal domain is validated by:
a. Scientific facts
b. Sincerity and consistency
c. Popularity
d. Legal documents
10. What does "justification" mean in relation to truth?
a. Explaining personal feelings
b. Making a guess
c. Proving the validity of a statement
d. Writing a poem
11. A belief is considered true if:
a. It feels right
b. Many people say it is
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c. It can be proven through facts or senses

d. It cannot be argued
12. Which of the following is a fact?
a. Chocolate ice cream is better than vanilla
b. The Philippines is an archipelago
c. The president should resign
d. I love classical music
13. Which is an opinion?
a. Water freezes at 0°C
b. The Earth revolves around the Sun
c. Dogs are better than cats
d. The moon orbits the Earth
14. What kind of statement is: “I think online classes are more effective”?
a. Fact
b. Proposition
c. Truth
d. Opinion
15. What is an argument in epistemology?
a. A conflict between people
b. A story told to persuade
c. A group of statements supporting a conclusion
d. A legal debate
16. A claim requires:
a. No explanation
b. Further examination and justification
c. Emotional validation
d. Absolute truth
17. According to Richard Rorty, a statement becomes true if:
a. It is logical
b. It feels correct
c. It passes procedures of justification
d. It has emotional impact
18. “The Earth is flat” is an example of a:
a. Proven fact
b. Scientific claim
c. Disproven belief
d. Valid truth
19. Beliefs that cannot easily be explained by facts are:
a. Opinions
b. Facts
c. Beliefs
d. Propositions
20. Which is NOT a characteristic of truth?
a. Can be confirmed
b. Based on emotion
c. Independent of personal bias
d. Based on reality

E2. Instructions: Identify the correct answer for each item. Write your answers clearly on your activity
notebook.
1. The branch of philosophy that studies knowledge.
2. The philosopher who said “I think, therefore I am.”
3. The theory that knowledge comes from sensory experience.
4. The theory that knowledge comes from reason.
5. Our first and only contact with reality.
6. A generalized idea from specific experiences.
7. A statement that can be either true or false.
8. A proposition that is yet to be validated.
9. A proposition proven to be true and based on reality.
10. A group of statements that support a conclusion.
11. The domain of truth based on evidence and observation.
12. The domain of truth based on societal norms.
13. The domain of truth based on inner sincerity.
14. The process of proving the truth or validity of a claim.
15. A belief not easily explained by facts.
16. A personal judgment or view needing justification.
17. A statement confirmed by other sources.
18. An interpretation of facts that may reveal bias.
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19. A statement accepted by a group during a time in history.

20. Statements that assume a claim is true and provide reasons for it.
Instructions: Read each situation carefully and identify the correct domain of truth it belongs to.
Write the letter of your answer only. Choose from the options below:
A. SCIENTIFIC / OBJECTIVE DOMAIN
B. SOCIAL DOMAIN
C. PERSONAL DOMAIN

1. Maria believes that prayer helps her overcome anxiety.

2. Boiling point of water is 100°C at sea level.
3. Standing during the national anthem in school events.
4. A doctor uses a thermometer to measure body temperature.
5. You always greet your parents before leaving the house.
6. People observe silence inside the library.
7. Your friend thinks journaling improves mental health.
E3.
8. Newton’s law of gravity explains falling objects.
9. Children believe in Santa Claus during Christmas.
10. Washing hands before eating is promoted in health campaigns.
11. “I believe in destiny”
12. Earth rotates around its axis every 24 hours.
13. Taking shoes off before entering a house in some cultures.
14. You write in your diary daily to relieve stress.
15. Thunderstorms occur due to atmospheric conditions.
16. Wearing white during funerals in some Asian cultures.
17. “I feel confident after doing yoga.”
18. The freezing point of water is 0°C.
19. Clapping after a performance.
20. “I don’t eat meat because I feel better without it.”
RUBRICS FOR SCORING:
RAW SCORES INDICATORS
5 Write the essay nicely and it has appropriate content related to the topic.
4 Correct and appropriate but lack of neatness.
3 Wrong use of capitalization, punctuation marks, indention, etc.
2 Incomplete work
1 Obviously copied the work of others
0 Not submitting any work
RUBRICS FOR WRITTEN WORK (Essay)

REFLECTIONS:
Answer in 3–5 sentences.
1. Why is it important to understand the difference between knowledge and belief?
2. Can personal truths be considered valid? Why or why not?
3. In your own experience, how do you decide whether something you read or hear is true?

TEACHER’S COMMENTS AND SUGGESTIONS:

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Prepared by:

RHOSSEL MAE L. MADELOZO, T-II

Subject Teacher

Checked by:

LODY JAEL T. GALLEGO, MT-II

Team Leader