IBDP Theory of Knowledge

Ways of Knowing The four TOK Ways of Knowing are: 1) Perception 2) Emotion 3) Reason 4) Language The Ways of Knowing influence how students (“knowers”) learn about the Areas of Knowledge.

Perception Do the senses deceive? Perception varies across cultures, time and peoples. Does our faith in our five senses create misunderstandings and provide incorrect information? How does this problem influence how students learn about the Areas of Knowledge?

Emotion Emotion plays a powerful role in shaping thoughts and influencing behaviour. Can emotion be an obstacle in attaining knowledge? How does emotion influence what we learn in the Areas of Knowledge?

Reason Is critical thinking important in today’s world? “Skeptical habits of thought are essential for survival, because careless thinking, flimflam and wishes disguised as facts are not restricted to magic shows and ambiguous advice on matters of the heart.” - Carl Sagan

Language What is the importance of language in our global village? If people speak more then one language, is what they know different in each language? Does each language provide a different framework for reality? “Error flies from mouth to mouth, from pen to pen, and to destroy it takes ages.” - Voltaire

Areas of Knowledge The six TOK Areas of Knowledge are: 1. The Arts (includes Languages) 2. Natural Sciences 3. Human Sciences 4. Mathematics 5. History 6. Ethics

The Arts – Linking Questions What roles do the arts play in people’s lives? To what extent might the arts be considered a representation of reality? Is explanation a goal of the arts? How do the arts compare in this regard to other Areas of Knowledge? How is “good art” recognized or decided on? What knowledge of art can be gained by focusing attention on the artist?

Natural Sciences – Linking Questions What is meant by “the scientific method”? What kind of explanations do scientists offer and how do these explanations compare with those offered in other Areas of Knowledge? How does the social context of scientific work affect the methods and findings of science? Do technological advances drive changes in values and morality?

Human Sciences – Linking Questions What are the difficulties human scientists confront when trying to provide explanations of human behaviour? What kind of explanations do human sciences offer and how do the explanations compare with those in other Areas of Knowledge? Are the conclusions of human scientists influenced by their beliefs and values?

Maths – Linking Questions What does calling mathematics a language mean? What is the foundation on which mathematical knowledge rests? Is it discovered or invented? What impact have major mathematical discoveries had on conceptions of the world? Is the formation of mathematical knowledge independent of cultural influence?

History – Linking Questions Is history the study of the past of the study of records of the past? What might be the influence on historical interpretation of the context within which historians write? Can history provide a guide to understanding contemporary affairs? To what extent is history about those who held power? What is the role of the historian?

Ethics – Linking Questions What is the difference between morality and ethics? How does the method of ethics compare with the methods in other Areas of Knowledge? In what ways might justifications for moral beliefs be influenced by views on human nature? Do established values change in the face of new knowledge? Are there universal moral codes?