1. What is TaK? Looking back … Looking forward …
What do we know, and how do we know it?
Looking forward …
How can enquiry be conducted so that it will lead towards truth and knowledge rather than error and ignorance?

2. TaK

3. ? The Raw Material Belief Opinion Fact Prejudice Information Evidence
TaK
The Raw Material
Belief
Opinion
Fact ?
Prejudice
Information
Evidence
Truth
Knowledge

4. What is a Knowledge Claim? Examples … TaK
Claims
1. (I know that) the sky is blue
2. (I know that) = 4
3. (I know that) it is wrong to murder a person
4. (I know that) I have a fear of spiders
5. (I know that) I went out for a run yesterday
6. (I know that) what the doctor said is true
7. (I know that) women are more emotional than men
8. I know exactly what God wants of me
9. I know that I am going to heaven
10. (I know that) the fjord is more beautiful than a rubbish tip
11. (I know that) I love my brother
What is a
Knowledge Claim?
Examples …

5. TaK
Knowledge Claims
‘Good’ reasons you might have for what you claim to know, and choose to believe, may include:
perception
Self-awareness
logic
intuition
memory
faith
consensus
authority

6. TaK
Knowledge Claims
Here is a list of things that I might claim to know,
and another list of reasons I might give to support these claims.
Claims
1. I know that the sky is blue
2. I know that = 4
3. I know that it is wrong to murder a person
4. I know that I have a fear of spiders
5. I know that I went out for a run yesterday
6. I know that what the doctor said is true
7. I know that women are more emotional than men
8. I know exactly what God wants of me
9. I know that I am going to heaven
10. I know that the fjord is more beautiful than a rubbish tip
11. I know that I love my brother
Justification
Value judgement
Faith
Memory
Authority
Intuition
Revelation
Sense perception
Logic
Self-awareness
Common knowledge
Instinct

7. (You should have received this as a handout)
TaK
(You should have received this as a handout)

8. What is a Knowledge Issue?
TaK
What is a Knowledge Issue?

9. Questions which may help us to obtain knowledge …
TaK
Questions which may help us to obtain knowledge …
What…?
Who…?
Where…?
When…?
Why…?
How…?

10. TaK
… and a partial list of factors which may help or hinder* our ability to obtain the truth…..
Age
Gender
Ethnicity
Assumptions
Beliefs
Emotions
Education
Prejudice
Experience
Nationality
*hinder: to prevent, cause delay, get in the way

11. What is a Knowledge Issue? Examples …
TaK
What is a Knowledge Issue?
Examples …

12. Real-life situation: Knowledge Issues: TaK
Claim that alternative medical practices such as acupuncture are effective in treating certain conditions
Knowledge Issues:
Question of language: what exactly do we mean by ‘effective’?
How do we test whether a treatment is effective?
What constitutes a positive result?
Would statistical likelihood of a positive result serve as justifying the claim – or do we insist on absolute 100% positive results?
If we accept a statistically likely result as being positive evidence for the claim – what precisely do we mean by ‘statistically likely’?
If we accept the claim how can we explain that two different systems of knowledge with quite different assumptions, concepts, and methodologies can apply to medical conditions?

13. TaK
The Presentation
Real-life situation
Contemporary problem

14. 1 4 2 3 The structure and vocabulary of a ToK Presentation
TaK
The structure and vocabulary of a ToK Presentation 1
Real-life situation.
Identify some central conflict revolving around a knowledge issue
Tentative resolution of the central conflict in the real-life situation 4
Vocabulary of
real-life situation
Abstraction
Implications
ToK vocabulary 2 3
Underlying knowledge issues
Branching Arguments
Evaluation of
Knowledge Issues
from Ric Sims

15. TaK
The Presentation
Examples…? In groups, brainstorm possible Presentation topics and approaches to the topics.

16. TaK
The Essay

17. abstract ToK vocabulary
TaK
The structure and vocabulary of a ToK Essay 2 3
Choose real examples from different Areas of Knowledge to make sense of the Prescribed Title and highlight knowledge issues. Examples will generate possible arguments.
Exploration of the tensions between examples and abstract ToK vocabulary. Arguments will show the limits of our assumptions.
Branching Arguments
Vocabulary of
examples linked to
abstract ToK vocabulary
Generalisation
Make concrete
ToK vocabulary 1 4
Prescribed
Title
Evaluation of
Knowledge Issues
from Ric Sims

18. Some Prescribed Titles:
TaK
Some Prescribed Titles:
Evaluate the role of intuition in different areas of knowledge.
Does language play roles of equal importance in different areas of knowledge?
Are some ways of knowing more likely than others to lead to truth?
In groups, brainstorm possible knowledge issues that are raised by these titles. Think of examples.