Research

As the national university, we champion and support innovative research that addresses the country’s most pressing challenges.

10 Jul 2026

Paper looks into Crozat’s Gettier-type case that supposedly shows how pain-beliefs are not Gettier-proof proof and thus subject to fallibility

In this paper, “Are Pain-Beliefs Gettier Proof,” we respond to an argument presented by Eliott Crozat. In ‘The Case of...

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09 Jul 2026

The levels of radioactive gas in three well-known caves in Bohol are higher than international safety standards

Caves are popular tourist spots in the Philippines, especially in places like Bohol Island. But while they attract visitors with...

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08 Jul 2026

Using eucalyptus oil to modify a renewable carbon paste electrode creates an effective tool for detecting toxic lead ions

Heavy metals are one of the most serious environmental pollutants and contaminants due to their toxicity. They are nonbiodegradable and...

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07 Jul 2026

To afford medicine, families in a low-income municipality often turn to alternative or cheaper treatments, borrow money, or use their savings

The World Health Organization identifies non-communicable diseases (NCDs)—also referred to as chronic diseases—as the leading cause of global mortality, accounting...

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06 Jul 2026

Pigmented rice holds strong potential to improve the technological, nutritional, and sensory properties of bakery products and snacks

Rice is a vital global crop, supplying 60–70% of the daily caloric intake for more than two billion people across...

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03 Jul 2026

At the turn of the twenty-first century, labor history declined as the indigenization movement, specifically Pantayong Pananaw, shifted academic focus to Philippine language and culture

Between 1959 and 1985, only seven studies on the Philippine labor movement were made due to security risks under the...

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02 Jul 2026

Researchers have discovered four new fault zones beneath the sea west of Luzon, branching out from the main Philippine Fault Zone

The Philippine Fault Zone (PFZ) is a major fault system linked to earthquakes and crustal movement across the Philippines. Understanding...

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01 Jul 2026

Believing others expect perfection increases Filipino students’ vulnerability to poor well-being and unhealthy coping

Perfectionism is an important characteristic among university students, given its associations with their well-being and coping. One approach to studying...

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30 Jun 2026

Resident dropouts and fellow resignations are often driven by mental health issues, unmet expectations, specialty changes, and illness

Attrition in the medical training programs not only affects the specialty but also the hospital, the trainee’s career path, and...

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26 Jun 2026

A new “virtual forest” simulation models how changing forest management impacts ecosystems, economies, and communities

The Philippines has lost much of its natural forest due to decades of logging and land conversion, creating a shortage...

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25 Jun 2026

Measuring the Goos-Hänchen shift distinguishes silicon from gallium arsenide

An immediate analogy for our study can be found in a familiar sight: a straw in a glass of water...

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24 Jun 2026

Using higher-resolution sea surface temperature data enhances typhoon rainfall simulations

The most extreme rainfall that we experience in the Philippines are that from tropical cyclones. The more intense a tropical...

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Research

In this paper, “Are Pain-Beliefs Gettier Proof,” we respond to an argument presented by Eliott Crozat. In ‘The Case of Patient Smith: Pain-Belief, Epistemic Luck, and Acquaintance,’ Elliott Crozat challenged the infallibility of the belief that “I feel pain” by providing a Gettier-type example that shows that such a pain-belief can be fallibly justified and luckily true. Gettier-type cases originated from Edmund Gettier’s work, which challenged the conceptual definition of knowledge. We claim that this move is problematic given that the case is not the Gettier sort. To demonstrate this, we first question the causal relation or lack thereof between the subject’s pain-belief and the pain he felt. We argue that this leads us to a dilemma. Either the pain-belief and the pain are causally connected or not. If there is a causal connection, the subject’s true belief is justified, not epistemically lucky, and therefore qualifies as knowledge. If we grant no causal connection, we show that this leads to either an unjustified pain-belief or a justified false one. The result of both horns shows that Crozat’s Gettier-type example does not qualify as a bona fide Gettier case.

The work is significant because it contributes to the long-standing debate regarding the analysis of knowledge. Since 1963, philosophers and epistemologists have been trying to define knowledge. These discussions were ignited by Edmund Gettier’s brief but monumental paper, which challenged the tripartite analysis of knowledge, which claims that knowledge is conceptually defined as a justified and true belief. Our work extends these discussions to our beliefs about pain. Multiple epistemological works on knowledge and pain show that our beliefs about pain are self-presenting. That is, we cannot be wrong about knowing them. More recently, Crozat offered an argument against this, showing that we can apply Gettier’s argument to pain-beliefs. In addition, this work is significant because it touches on multiple facets of discussions related to psychology, neuroscience, philosophy of mind, epistemology, and others.

Authors: Mark Anthony L. Dacela (De La Salle University) and Kurt Christian B. Tubera (Department of Philosophy, University of the Philippines Diliman)

Read the full paper: https://doi.org/10.5840/logos-episteme202516216

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