tok essay topics 2021

IB ToK Essay Titles and Topics: May 2021

Here are links to ideas and suggestions relating to the the six May 2021 IB ToK Essay topics:

Topic 1. "Accepting knowledge claims always involves an element of trust." Discuss this claim with reference to two areas of knowledge.
Topic 2. Within areas of knowledge, how can we differentiate between change and progress? Answer with reference to two areas of knowledge.
Topic 3. "Labels are a necessity in the organization of knowledge, but they also constrain our understanding." Discuss this statement with reference to two areas of knowledge.
Topic 4. "Statistics conceal as much as they reveal." Discuss this claim with reference to two areas of knowledge.
Topic 5. "Areas of knowledge are most useful in combination with each other." Discuss this claim with reference to two areas of knowledge.
Topic 6. " Avoiding bias seems a commendable goal, but this fails to recognize the positive role that bias can play in the pursuit of knowledge." Discuss this statement with reference to two areas of knowledge.

Title 1: "Accepting knowledge claims always involves an element of trust." Discuss this claim with reference to two areas of knowledge.

Thoughts to consider with essay 1 include:

is trust simply the same as the WOK faith?
what is the difference between trusting oneself and trusting others?
are self-evident truths taken on trust?

Title 2: Within areas of knowledge, how can we differentiate between change and progress? Answer with reference to two areas of knowledge.

Thoughts to consider with essay 2 include:

the role of truth in distinguishing change and progress
the functions or uses of knowledge
the role of rational justification in defending knowledge claims

Title 3: "Labels are a necessity in the organization of knowledge, but they also constrain our understanding." Discuss this statement with reference to two areas of knowledge.

Thoughts to consider with essay 3 include:

are mental concepts labels?
the role of the imagination in pushing the boundaries of unconstrained knowledge
the difference between analysing something and labelling it

Title 4: "Statistics conceal as much as they reveal." Discuss this claim with reference to two areas of knowledge.

Thoughts to consider with essay 4 include:

the difference between descriptive and inferential statistics
the difference between subjective and objective probability
what is the difference between appearance and reality?

Title 5: "Areas of knowledge are most useful in combination with each other." Discuss this claim with reference to two areas of knowledge.

Thoughts to consider with essay 5 include:

the way different questions are asked in different AOKs
the different methods that each AOK uses to answer its distinctive questions
how can AOKs combine without merging and losing their identity?

Title 6: " Avoiding bias seems a commendable goal, but this fails to recognize the positive role that bias can play in the pursuit of knowledge." Discuss this statement with reference to two areas of knowledge.

Thoughts to consider with essay 6 include:

can we ever see the world, as it is, without using concepts?
do we need bias to form hypotheses in the imagination?
what is the difference between an objective and a subjective judgement?
1. "Accepting knowledge claims always involves an element of trust." Discuss this claim with reference to two areas of knowledge.
2. Within areas of knowledge, how can we differentiate between change and progress? Answer with reference to two areas of knowledge.
3. "Labels are a necessity in the organization of knowledge, but they also constrain our understanding." Discuss this statement with reference to two areas of knowledge.
4. "Statistics conceal as much as they reveal." Discuss this claim with reference to two areas of knowledge.
5. "Areas of knowledge are most useful in combination with each other." Discuss this claim with reference to two areas of knowledge.
6. " Avoiding bias seems a commendable goal, but this fails to recognize the positive role that bias can play in the pursuit of knowledge." Discuss this statement with reference to two areas of knowledge.
About Dr Phil Joyce
Standard of Service
Terms of Engagement

Philosophy Degrees by Distance Learning
Critical Thinking Tutor
Oxbridge Application Tutor
Logic Tutor
University Philosophy Application Advice

Theory of Knowledge: An Alternative Approach

Why is an alternative approach necessary?

TOK Essay Titles November 2021

TOK Essay Titles for Nov. 2021

The TOK essay provides you with an opportunity to become engaged in thinking and reflection. What are outlined below are strategies and suggestions, prompts and prods, questions and possible responses only for deconstructing the TOK titles as they have been given. They should be used alongside the discussions that you will carry out with your peers and teachers during the process of constructing your essay. The TOK essay is a challenging assignment at any time but especially now given the worldwide Covid-19 pandemic.

The notes here are intended to guide you towards a thoughtful, personal response to the prescribed titles posed. They are not to be considered as an answer let alone the answer to the question(s) posed by the title and they should only be used to help provide you with another perspective to the ones given to you in the titles and from your own TOK class discussions and research. You need to remember that most of your examiners have been educated in the logical positivist schools of Anglo-America and this education pre-determines their predilection to view the world as they do and to understand the basic concepts as they do. The TOK course itself is a product of this logical positivism though efforts are being made to make it more universally embracing.

There is no substitute for your own personal thought and reflection, and these notes are not intended as a cut and paste substitute to the hard work that thinking requires. Some of the comments on one title may be useful to you in the approach you are taking in the title that you have personally chosen, so it may be useful to read all the comments and give them some reflection on how they might be of some use to you towards the title you have chosen.

My experience has been that candidates whose examples match those to be found on TOK “help” sites (and this is another of those TOK help sites) struggle to demonstrate a mastery of the knowledge claims and knowledge questions contained in the examples. The best essays carry a trace of the struggle that is the journey on the path to thinking. Many examiners state that in the very best essays they read, they can visualize the individual who has thought through them sitting opposite to them. To reflect this struggle in your essay is your goal.

Remember to include sufficient TOK content in your essay. When you have completed your essay, ask yourself if it could have been written by someone who had not participated in the TOK course. If the answer to that question is “yes”, then you do not have sufficient TOK content in your essay.

Here is a link to a PowerPoint that contains recommendations and a flow chart outlining the steps to writing a TOK essay. Some of you may need to get your network administrator to make a few tweaks in order for you to access it. Comments, observations and discussions are most welcome. Contact me at [email protected] or directly through this website.

https://drive.google.com/open?id=0B-8nWwYRUyV6bDdXZ01POFFqVlU

A sine qua non : the opinions expressed here are entirely my own and do not represent any organization or collective of any kind.

The November 2021 Titles

1. Why is it so difficult to identify a clear line between accepted and disputed knowledge within a discipline ? Answer with reference to two disciplines, each taken from a different area of knowledge.

Title #1 offers many key concepts which must be identified (deconstructed) in order to proceed. The initial question “why” asks us to provide reasons as to why there are disputes and agreements within various disciplines as to what may be called knowledge within those disciplines. What type of reasons are to be considered and what type of knowledge is meant in the question? To answer the question “why” is necessary because the principle of reason dominates the majority of disciplines and this principle demands the rendering of sufficient reasons: “be-cause”, “the cause is”. So, what is the “cause” of the disputes over what is to be considered knowledge within the various disciplines that you have chosen? This will require some research.

The rendering of sufficient reasons requires evidence which grounds and supplies the base for the assertions being made regarding knowledge in the discipline. Each discipline requires different kinds of evidence. In the natural and human sciences, this evidence will be in the form of mathematical equations which, due to their accuracy and correctness, provide the basis for making statements of “fact”. We believe “numbers don’t lie” and are the surest way in establishing the “truth” of an assertion or a proposition. Numbers, it is believed, are more “certain” than words in identifying and communicating statements regarding knowledge for “words strain, crack and sometimes break, under the burden, under the tension, slip, slide, perish, decay with imprecision, will not stay in place, will not stay still” to quote T.S. Eliot. Could this be because languages are living things while numbers are not and we have chosen to place our faith in numbers? Is it necessary that in order to “know” things we must, in some way, “kill” them first? The philosopher Nietzsche constantly railed against the “mummification” of knowledge.

The “difficulty” we have in “establishing clear lines” is that in the establishment of “lines” we are attempting to set the limits (horizons) of what something is and in so doing define what that thing is. To de-fine is to set the limits of something, to say it is this and not that. The philosopher Nietzsche once wrote: “Only that which has no history can be defined”. This setting of limits is to “frame” something so that the something may be brought to presence before us in time and space, given its horizons. In order to do so, time and space must be measured in units (seconds and metres, for instance) and this is why we are so keen to use numbers when we bring something to presence. Bringing something to presence is to reveal the thing for what it is; this we call knowledge. In making the assertion of what the thing is, we are saying “truth” about the thing and revealing the thing for what it is. The problem is that things are not revealed in their whole truth but only partially. The search for the whole truth regarding things is what the journey toward knowledge is all about and it is because things are only partially revealed that we have “disputed” and “accepted” knowledge regarding them. What we call knowledge is how the things are brought to stand in their presence before us. Do things come to a greater illumination before us with the assertions made by others regarding them?

In the Arts, for instance, a basic question is “Is it Art”? Whether or not something is art or is to be considered art depends, of course, on how art is defined, on the limits established for a work (a thing) to be considered art. These preliminary definitions or limits establish the breath of the scope of the seeing for what that some thing (the work) is. Can other animals, other than human beings, make a work of art? When an elephant swashes a brush across a piece of paper and fills it with colorful strokes, is this a work of art? How one defines art will determine whether or not something is art. Because it is a product of the 20th century, Political Science has had difficulty defining fascism as a modern political phenomenon and is helpless in stating whether corporate capitalism, liberal socialism, or historical fascism is a superior form for establishing and running a state. Here the difficulty lies in the adherence to the “fact/value” distinction and the belief that judgements of value are not useful in describing something as it is.

In the Physical or Natural Sciences, one could question whether the tree the botanist views is illuminated in its truth, its presence, to a brighter stage than the tree beheld by the poet. The nature of the beholding is the key to how a thing is defined and, therefore, made one’s own while it itself remains its own. (If beauty is in the eye of the beholder, what then is the beholding?) The accepted viewing and the challenging of this viewing occurs on the theoretical, not the experimental level. In the history of the viewing that is Physics, we could not have the paradigm shifts of Galileo/Newton or Einstein/Heisenberg (quantum physics) without the challenging of the viewing that had become the “accepted” knowledge of those who worked and investigated within those fields. Physicists still attempt to challenge the findings and conclusions of quantum physics while attempting to search for evidence of the truth of Einstein’s viewing of the world.

2. “ Knowledge gained through direct experience is powerful but problematic .” To what extent do you agree with this statement ?

What is the type of “knowledge” gained through direct experience? What is “direct experience”? In your science classes you are asked to do “experiments” in order to have direct “experience” of the knowledge that has been handed over to you. We could call this “knowledge by acquaintance”: you are familiar with what is being discussed and you can claim knowledge of the topic because you have become familiar with and determined the outcomes and seen the outcomes of the experience (experiment) yourself. But is what you have gained truly “knowledge”? In order to determine whether or not it is so, it is necessary to go back to the grounds of questions that have determined how you will view the world of the experience that you are to undergo. When we touch a hot stove for the first time, the knowledge that we gain of the pain that results is not problematic. We will not touch the stove again if we are rational. We were told by our mothers “Don’t touch the stove”, but we had to find out for ourselves, right? This type of knowledge, the voices of our mothers, is knowledge from authorities or the shared knowledge given to us by the communities we happen to be members of.

The example provided may seem trite, but it contains the core of what are called “knowledge problems and issues” in TOK. You are constantly told to “Show, don’t tell” when you write your essays and make your exhibitions. “To show” means that you are required to bring to presence before others evidence for the judgements you have made regarding the experiences or situations which you have claimed to have undergone and what the things are that are to be considered. Those of us who would like to consider ourselves sane ask for evidence that our political enemies, our neighbours, are really lizard-like aliens who prey on the blood of children and worship Satan in evil cabals. Or that California wildfires are the result of Jewish space lasers in the control of the Rothchilds and George Soros. Those who make such claims are unable to provide such evidence, of course, and yet they stubbornly cling to their beliefs in the judgements that are made regarding our common experience of these things i.e. politicians and wildfires. At the root of such stubborn clinging is the desire for power, whether it be the need for “self-empowerment” by being seen as a member of some group who believe themselves to be downtrodden by history, or for political power by being seen as a member of a faction within their communities.

When we are speaking of knowledge and its problems, whether it be knowledge by acquaintance or theoretical knowledge, it is important to distinguish and determine what type of knowledge we are talking about. When we are in the science lab, it is perfectly appropriate to question the theoretical knowledge that is being handed over to us: from where are the origins that brought about the seeing in this way? The type of questions asked will determine the kind of knowledge we are seeking. If we ask the question “Why is there more crime in the United States than in Singapore?” we can hope to find an answer to this question through scientific research. We have direct knowledge or experience of the data but problems arise when and how that data is interpreted. No scientific research, however, will answer the question “Why is there something rather than nothing?” When the Jock’s intellectual girlfriend asks him “Why is there air?”, to an extent he is being correct to respond “There’s air to blow up volleyballs and basketballs; that’s why there’s air”. The Jock’s world and the world of his intellectual girlfriend clash for each requires a different viewing and interpretation of things and thus a different experience of the things.

When we ask about the knowledge gained from “direct experience”, its power and its problems, a very complex process is going on which, at most times, we are unaware of. We have direct experience of things in most waking moments of our lives. What is it that determines its importance for us so that we take possession of the experience and make it knowledge for us? All of us have different preferences for different things and place their importance in a hierarchy. Many of you have demonstrated this hierarchy of importance by your course choices for your IB program of study. But clearly, your world of being a student is only one aspect of who you are. You are also a son or a daughter, a Canadian, a Chinese, an Indonesian, an American and so on. In your virtual worlds, you may inhabit or hide under other guises. Because you inhabit a variety of worlds, various direct experiences of the overall world itself will either draw your attention or be ignored by you. Your knowledge will be limited by which worlds have been given to you and by the worlds you have chosen. How deep your knowledge of those worlds will become is something for you to determine.

3. “There is nothing more deceptive than an obvious fact ” (Arthur Conan Doyle). Discuss this claim with reference to two areas of knowledge.

The quote from the writer of the Sherlock Holmes tales expresses a deeply disturbing thought and begs us to ask the question “What is reality?”. What, in fact, is a “fact”? That today is the 5th of June, 2021 (at the time of this writing) is a supposed fact. But here in Bali, the calendar is some 78 years behind our Western traditional Gregorian calendar. Both calendars are correct; they express facts but the facts are different because the interpretation of time is different. One calendar is based on the moon; the other is based on the sun. But both are based on the motion, movement of these celestial bodies.

What is time? What is space? All of what we call “facts” are determined by an interpretation of these two phenomenon for we need to place things in the concepts of time and space and make them stand fast so that they can be defined and their limits set: “here and now”, “there and then”, “here or there next week”, etc. To make these determinations, we use “units”, numbers. Time is composed of seconds or nano-seconds, something which is measurable and calculable and these units are uniform in themselves. Space is measured in centimetres, or other units of distance which are also uniform. We use these units of measurement in order to gain some control over time and space and the things that occur within them but in order to do so we must make time and space uniform first.

When we speak about the possible “deception” of facts, we are speaking about how a thing appears , how a thing comes to stand in its presence before us. In Physics, for instance, the difference between the classical physics of Aristotle and the modern physics of Newton is that what is actually apprehended as appearing and how it is interpreted are not the same. For Aristotle, nature is the change of something into something else. How a body moves, how it relates to its place (space) has its basis in the body or thing itself. The body moves according to its nature. An earthy body moves downward; a fiery body moves upward. Why? Because each body has its place according to its kind and moves towards that place. The motion of bodies occurs in a straight line and is incomplete. The motion of the stars and the heavens, however, is circular. Linear motion is incomplete; circular motion is complete and eternal. Thus Plato can say: “Time is the moving image of eternity” and we can construct our calendars according to the movements of the sun or moon.

In Newton’s First Law of Motion, all natural bodies are of the same kind (mass) and celestial bodies are not superior ones. There is no priority of circular motion over linear motion. Linear motion is decisive. Every body can be in any place; place is no longer where the body belongs according to its nature but only a position in relation to other positions. Why the moon moves in a circular motion and not a linear motion is what must be accounted for. Newton’s answer is gravity. With the experiments of Galileo in Pisa, both Galileo and his opponents saw the same “facts”, but they interpreted those facts differently and made the same “direct experience” visible to themselves in different ways. This viewing, as quantum physics shows us, impacts the how of the thing that is under observation comes to presence for us; our viewing has an impact on the thing. What Galileo thought in advance about motion was the determination that the motion of every body is uniform and rectilinear when every obstacle is eliminated from hindering it. Such an occurrence as a lack of hindering does not occur in “reality”; it is not a “fact”. But the conclusions arrived at are: all bodies are alike; no motion is special; every place is like every other place; every moment is like every other moment; every force is calculable only by the change of motion it causes and results in change of place. Nature is everywhere uniform and becomes subject to a mathematical calculation that is itself uniform.

It is clear from the above example that the “deception” regarding “facts” lies in the viewing and how this viewing determines their interpretation and how they are and will be interpreted. There are no “alternative facts”; there are only alternative interpretations of the facts that are given to us. When a USA senator states that the events of January 6, 2021 were not an insurrection but an ordinary day in the life of the American government, when he himself is shown cowering in fear when these “tourists” were attempting to storm the floor of the Senate, then we as sane people must reject this interpretation of the facts in light of the evidence given to us, and as “tourists” avoid putting a visit to the US Capital on our itineraries. In the Human Sciences, the use of statistical data is an area where “deception” regarding facts comes to the fore. In political polls in the USA, it appears that reliability is an issue because many respondents are lying and their words and actions are not congruent. The world of social media is also one where deception, lies and fraud necessitate the condition of anonymity and a healthy skepticism with regard to the assertions made by other people in those various communities. This begs the further question: why is truth under such a great attack at the present time?

Facts and their interpretations rely on their contexts and on the prevailing viewing that dominates the community where those facts and their interpretations predominate. This is what is meant by the word ethos. In our everyday worlds, we move about within an opinion of the way things are. We go along with the way that the world shows itself. We orientate ourselves to others that we are with within the world through holding opinions, but we demand from ourselves and from others evidence that the opinions that we and they hold are justified and true. Opinion motivates us to speak to each other and express an opinion, and it is in expressing these opinions that our humanity is revealed and it is this that distinguishes us from other animals.

4. “Areas of knowledge always rely on a systematic process of trial and error to aid the production of knowledge .” Discuss this claim with reference to two areas of knowledge.

What is “the production of knowledge”? Production is a “showing forth”, a “bringing forth into presence” of some thing. In other blogs on this site, I have tried to show that this “showing” and “bringing forth” is what the ancient Greeks referred to as “truth”, aletheia. The “process of production” attempts to achieve “perfection”, a state of being complete and correct in every way. This bringing forth that attempts to achieve an end of completion and correctness results in a “work” whether it be a work of art, a drama production, an experiment, an algorithm or app, an essay or an exhibition. Help with the “production” of this “work” is probably why you are consulting this blog at the moment. You have a number of ideas, materials, and resources ready-to-hand that you will use to carry out this “work”. If you are wise, you will use a process of trial and error (that is, drafts) to achieve a level of completeness and correctness that will bring the work to the highest degree of completeness and correctness of which you are capable.

You will notice, though, that prior to your going forward and proceeding to bring your work into view, you will already have an end in view, a purpose which will pre-determine how you will view the ideas, materials and resources that you will gather or have gathered in order to “systematically” bring this end about. This systematic process of trial and error is what has been called “technology” in the Optional Themes for TOK on this blog. ( https://mytok.blog/2019/09/30/ot2-knowledge-and-technology/ ). It is the “knowing” ( logos ) and “making” ( techne ) that is grounded in the principle of reason that determines the methodology necessary to bring about the kind of end or work which you wish to bring about. The principle of reason (“nothing is without (a) reason”), particularly the principles of causation and contradiction, are the grounds of all those concepts that we can call “systematic”.

The title states areas of knowledge “always rely on” the systematic methodology of trial and error in order to produce knowledge. Of course, when we hear the words “always rely on” we are skeptical of the truth of the statements that contain them. We try to find exceptions to this “always”. Certainly, there is no problem in the Natural Sciences. They rely on the trial and error method of experimentation in order to prove their hypotheses, propositions and premises to be true. The discoveries and disclosures of the results will be handed over to others in the form of mathematical calculations. The experiments must be repeatable for others in order for the evidence shown to be seen and verified by others and demonstrated to be true. The experiment follows the viewing and the viewing determines how the experiment will be set up and what procedures will be followed.

The great revolutions in the Natural Sciences occur when a change of viewing occurs. From Plato and Aristotle to Galileo and Newton to Einstein and Heisenberg, it is the change of viewing in relation to the things that are which brings about a fundamental change in what human beings conceive themselves and knowledge to be. Charles Darwin’s viewing of the priority of modification and natural selection brought about a great upheaval in how human beings viewed themselves and the other species surrounding them in the natural world. These changes of viewing the world were the result of a prior “systematic process of trial and error” in order to account for the things as they were beheld by these great scientists. From the viewing of these great scientists, vast amounts of knowledge have been produced by others.

In the Arts in most cases, there is a “systematic process of trial and error” that the artist goes through in order to bring forth the work that she has in mind in all of its completeness and correctness. Many artists are not satisfied with their work once it is finished because it lacks this completeness and correctness that they originally envisioned in their minds when the work is finally brought forth. If you “work out” in the weight room or on the practice pitch, on the basketball court or in rehearsals for the school drama production, you are constantly going through a process of trial and error in order to develop your knowledge and skills in order to bring your body to its highest level of perfection that you are capable of in order to bring about the end that you have in view so that this end can be the best that it can be.

In terms of looking for an exception to the “always rely on” in the Arts, we might look to the example of Mozart and his music. Mozart claimed that he received his music “all in one look”, complete, correct and perfect. His manuscripts which have come down to us show no corrections or edits, which is a remarkable achievement. His “viewing” allowed him to compose the overture for the opera Don Giovanni in one night at one sitting, or so we are told. In considering this example of Mozart, we might want to reflect on and consider the manner in which we view the world. Mozart’s viewing is a “receptive” viewing by an individual of eminent knowledge and skill. Its reception requires an acceptance of what is received, the gift given. His only freedom is to choose to accept or reject the gift. Many artists claim that their art does not come from them but is given to them. In their works, they are “makers”, not creators. The creating belongs elsewhere.

5. “If all knowledg e is provisional , when can we have confidence in what we claim to know?” Answer with reference to two areas of knowledge.

Why and when is all knowledge considered provisional? Or is it? The word “if” is a subordinate conjunction in English grammar. A subordinate conjunction is an incomplete thought and the use of the clause “if all knowledge is provisional” indicates that the clause is dependent and provides further information to add to the sentence’s main idea “confidence in what we claim to know”, signaling a cause-and-effect relationship (“if…then”) or a shift in time and place (“if…when”) between the two clauses. That all knowledge should be considered provisional and conditional creates a disturbing situation for our understanding of our being-in-the-world which would be made clearer by our changing the subordinator “if” to “when” so that the dependent clause becomes “when all knowledge is considered provisional”. When all knowledge is considered provisional, what then? So an appropriate response to this title will consider the if and the when in its response. Is all knowledge provisional? Is reason provisional? If so, then when did this occur and why did it occur? What becomes of our “confidence” in such “knowledge” and from where does this confidence arise? Certainly, the current attack on truth founds itself upon the “provisionality” of what we think knowledge to be.

Knowledge is sometimes considered provisional because it is part of a whole and we cannot gain knowledge of the whole because we ourselves are part of it. The word “provisional” arrives into the English language around the 1600s. This was around the same time as the new discoveries in the modern sciences by Galileo and Newton, and in the philosophy of the German philosopher Gottfried Leibniz. Leibniz is considered to be the creator of finite calculus in mathematics and what is known as the modern insurance industry. Why are these two creations of Leibniz not co-incidental but related in their grounds?

The word “provisional” comes from the Latin root provisionem , “a foreseeing, foresight, preparation, or prevention.” Our modern viewing of the world is a mathematical projection of that world (algebraic calculation) developed from a plan initiated beforehand to commandeer and control the objects of the world (by understanding the cause-effect relations of objects and their forces) and to overcome any contingencies that would hinder that domination and control. This mathematical projection is what is known as transcendentalism. It is the projection of human thought over and beyond the objects of the world so that the thought creates the object and “knows” it. We know more about the things we make than those that we do not make. The human mind makes the object. (Kant) Or as the German physicist Werner Heisenberg, one of the founders of quantum physics, said: “What we observe is not nature in itself but nature exposed to our method of questioning. Our scientific work in physics consists in asking questions about nature in the language that we possess and trying to get an answer from experiment by the means that are at our disposal.” The development of the plan or system (which is mathematical in nature) helps us to maintain “confidence” in what we feel we can claim to know. We can see here the connection between the creation of finite calculus and the creation of the insurance industry. Insurance is the foreseeing and preparation in case of contingencies and allows one to have “confidence” in their willing and actions in the world.

In modern Physics, for example, we know that there is a gap between the macro-physics of Newton and the sub-atomic physics of relativity and quantum physics. The discoveries of sub-atomic physics overturn the findings of Newtonian physics yet we know that they both operate on the micro and macro levels. We see the principles of quantum physics explain the behaviours of celestial bodies within the vastness of the galaxies and their movements through space in astrophysics, and we see the operation of the principles of Newtonian physics in every waking moment of our lives. At the moment, we are unable to determine where these two views of the world meet so that their truths will illuminate and not contradict each other.

Titles #5 and #6 are really the same. From certainty comes confidence and while we may rarely be certain from a theoretical perspective and view our theoretical knowledge “provisionally”, we act with surety and confidence from a common sense perspective. In our day-to-day lives we could not act and plan without some sort of confidence in our knowledge that the sun will come up tomorrow. We know how to get to school, to find our classrooms, to find our way to the library or the gymnasium. We know these things because we are able to distinguish between things, and we can distinguish between them because we already have knowledge of them beforehand.

As we have been discussing in the other titles here, the modern view of knowledge is that it is dependent upon the social and historical contexts in which it appears or occurs. Such a view is known as historicism. The word “provisional” indicates that social and historical contexts change. The type of knowledge that we are speaking about here is dependent upon the manner of the “vision” or seeing that is prevalent at the time and is subject to change due to various contingencies or chance. The if of the “if all knowledge…” is a very big “if” indeed. The position taken in the quote is that all knowledge is provisional and therefore disposable. What are the grounds of such disposable knowledge so that it may be called knowledge in the first place? Is not the statement nothing more than nihilism when the if becomes when and do we not already act as if the if were when ? Is not such action, in many cases, irrational?

6. “We are rarely completely certain , but we are frequently certain enough .” Discuss this statement with reference to two areas of knowledge.

From where does the desire and need for “certainty” arise and at what type of knowledge is it directed? We need to go back to the 16th century to find some background; and then, we need to make a few observations of what, where and when “we are frequently certain enough”.

The desire for “certainty” arises from two main sources in Western historical and philosophical thinking: 1. the need to ground the mathematical project which was briefly discussed in title #5; and 2. the Christian dogma and doctrine prevalent before and during the 1600s that required the certainty and security of the individual’s salvation. How Protestant Christianity came to accept the account of Nature that was given in the new natural sciences resulted in that phenomenon that we call humanism where human beings are seen as the centre of the world that was seen as a created thing. The new sciences exalted “freedom” and it was in their freedom that human beings would find the certainty of their salvation.

The first thinker to address the problem of certainty in depth was the French philosopher Rene Descartes whose answers to the questions he posed resulted in the beginning of what is called modern philosophy. Descartes began by doubting everything. Descartes does not doubt because he is a skeptic; he doubts because he posits the mathematical project as the ground of all knowledge and seeks for a foundation that will be in agreement with it. This foundation turns out to be the reason expressed in the axioms and principles of mathematical calculation itself. Cogito ergo sum: “I think, therefore I am”. For Descartes, thinking and reason are the same and constitute the very being of a human being. The “I think” of Descartes becomes the ground upon which all certainty and truth becomes based. Descartes inverts the traditional subjectum or what the classical thinkers saw the things in the world to be (a subject with predicates: a book that is green, heavy, on the table, a new book, etc.) into a special subject and so arose the subject/object distinction of Cartesianism. Historically, we call this period The Age of Reason and from this age we proceed to The Age of Enlightenment. These Ages culminate in The Modern Age. In our Age, the only knowledge that deserves to be called knowledge is that achieved through algebraic or mathematical calculation.

In our common sense world of day-to-day activities, this reason also operates. When we deny the facts of reason and the reality that is revealed through the use of reason, we become less than what we truly are as human beings. The European Holocaust, the genocide conducted by the Khmer Rouge, and the endless list of many other human atrocities throughout history were first preceded by a loss of faith and trust in reason and the disappearance of the recognition of the otherness of human beings. As Plato showed, the disappearance of Otherness leads to political tyranny. Shakespeare’s Macbeth is the best example we have of this in the English language.

As was mentioned, this title is really the same as title #5. When we cross San Francisco Bay, we cannot be certain that an earthquake of sufficient size to take down the bridge will not occur as we are doing so, yet we are certain enough that we proceed to do so. We all know that accidents can happen and we try to minimize our risks against them. If we are wise, we look both ways before we cross the street. We could not live if we did not do so. Those who are motivated to take risks usually do so because they find their lives too secure and boring to begin with and the element of risk makes them feel more alive. What is being said about human being here?

In reflecting on this question and referring it to the areas of knowledge, you should first discuss the type of knowledge that you are dealing with and the specific examples from the areas of knowledge that address the question.

Author: John R. Butler

Retired Teacher View all posts by John R. Butler

Breaking Down TOK Essay Titles 2021 | Part 2

Time for the second round of Breaking Down 2021 TOK Essay Titles! These are 3 great titles to consider when choosing which 2021 TOK essay you’ll write. All of them feel extremely relevant in today’s day and age so read on to get some top tips about how to approach them!

Note: Following these suggestions will not guarantee you a good score on your TOK Essay! These are our thoughts on the best ways to consider the questions, but ultimately it’s the quality of your arguments that will make or break your essay!

https://lanterna.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/10/imageedit_7_2628174372-300×300.png

Get Support from a Top Tutor Today

At Lanterna we have hundreds of tutors who smashed TOK. They know exactly how to get an A in your Essay and Presentation and can give you tips and tricks on how you can do the same. What are you waiting for? Get your own tutor today!

Get Your Tutor Today

“Statistics conceal as much as they reveal.” Discuss this claim with reference to two areas of knowledge.

This is an extremely pertinent statement to the situation that we’re living through right now. In a world of misinformation, alternative facts, and statistics being carefully selected to put one’s own argument forward can often lead to people being misled. It’s important to unpack this statement and its key words before diving into discussing your Real Life Examples (RLE) and Areas of Knowledge (AoK). Conceal typically has a negative connotation, implying hiding something intentionally whilst reveal has a more positive connotation as you are ‘discovering’ or ‘making clearer’. By the phrasing that they conceal ‘as much as’ they reveal, the statement is implying that all statistics will carry with them the same, or larger, amount of misinformation as it does information. Is this true? Can you find situations in which it definitely is not true?

Pivoting to consider which types of RLEs to bring up in this situation, one might naturally gravitate towards those that naturally have a tie to statistics. Don’t think that these are the only AOKs you can discuss in relation to this question, though! By coming up with a RLE from a different AoK you may separate yourself from the pack, not guaranteeing that you’ll score higher but at least giving you a chance to differentiate yourself from the rest.

A great example of how statistics can be used to mislead is explained in the following TED Talk by Mark Liddell where the usage of two separate statistics to explain the effectiveness of a hospital paint two very different pictures! Similarly, in the age of Corona, one could look at the death rate as a percentage of population in the US and conclude that they are one of the worst affected countries in the world, while when you look at the death rate as a percentage of cases their situation looks much more promising as they’ve conducted so many tests that the proportion of those diagnosed with Corona that actually die is lower than many other countries! We don’t recommend that you use Corona as one of your RLEs for multiple reasons, primarily because it will be the go-to example for so many students all around the world, but this RLE exhibits just how much statistics can conceal as well as reveal!

An interesting RLE to consider is what the Soviet economy reportedly looked like during the 20th century. Many graphs coming out of the Soviet Union at the time showed an extremely prosperous, growing economy while many who were living there reported that the truth was nothing like it. This study conducted by the CIA looked into the validity of Soviet Economic Statistics during the 20th century and how the falsification of statistics may have concealed what life was really like.

https://lanterna.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/04/IB-TOK-Guide-Front-Page-212×300.jpg

Grab Free TOK Resources!

“Avoiding bias seems a commendable goal, but this fails to recognize the positive role that bias can play in the pursuit of knowledge.” Discuss this statement with reference to two areas of knowledge.

We think this is one of the most interesting of the 2021 TOK essay titles, but perhaps one of the most difficult to establish a clear argument in which you address multiple AoKs, WoKs, and RLEs. As with all titles, a lot of work will need to be put into breaking down what the statement is actually implying. First of all, what is bias and why does it typically have a negative connotation? We must also address why avoiding it is a commendable goal and if that truly is always the case. For example, when polling voters, who are naturally biased towards their top candidate, we wouldn’t want to avoid bias in the poll because we’d end up with irrelevant statistics! In fact, polls are an example in which we’re actively trying to measure the level of bias. However, you can of course make the argument that we want to avoid other forms of bias, such as selection bias, when polling. If you’re conducting a poll to get a clearer picture of who’s the front-runner for an election, it’s important to poll a large enough cohort with diverse enough backgrounds such that the results aren’t skewed by the sample chosen.

If we choose the Human Sciences as our first AoK, exploring the Pollyanna Principle becomes a natural RLE. The Pollyanna Principle is a so-called ‘positivity bias’ allowing us to be happier, healthier and feel part of a community. People suffering from depression typically tend to focus on the negative more than the positive, while those who are not suffering from depression tend to do the opposite. What ensues is that they are more prone to remembering positive memories than negative ones! Read more about the Pollyanna Principle here .

Another RLE is looking at how bias can help in the business world! An interesting Economics paper published at the esteemed Wharton College at the University of Pennsylvania explores how a worker who overestimates their own ability might actually make everyone else in their organisation better off! Take a second to think about it – if a peer of yours set their target grade in the IB at a 45 they might inspire other people in their class to go for the same! Even if that target is far above what they could conceivably achieve, the overestimation, or biased self-perception, can lead to a positive effect on other students! We highly recommend you read the following paper to explore it further!

So there we have it, the final three of the six 2021 TOK essay titles broken down! Still feeling unsure? We’ve got elite IB tutors ready and able to help you do yourself justice…

Missed Part 1? Read it Now!

Share article links

IB Theory of Knowledge
Most Popular

Theory of Knowledge IB Guide | Part 4

Pt. 4 – The Ways of Knowing: Language, Senses, Emotion and Reason What are the Ways of Knowing? All knowledge comes from somewhere. Even if we say it is innate (comes from within us) we still have to say how that knowledge appears. The Ways of Knowing are what they sound like, the methods through which knowledge becomes […]

How to Ace your TOK Presentation

But first, what is the TOK presentation and what does it actually involve? The presentation is one of two compulsory TOK assignments. The TOK presentation is meant to test your understanding of TOK concepts in relation to a real-life situation. The real-life scenario can be based on a situation in your local community or an issue […]

Breaking Down TOK Essay Titles 2020 | Part 2

Looking for the 20/21 titles? Click here! Here we go! Here are our ideas for the second half of the May 2020 TOK Essay Titles. Read on to be inspired! “The role of analogy is to aid understanding rather than to provide justification.” To what extent do you agree with this statement? This question, […]

Take a look at three of this year's TOK essay titles for May 2021 IBDP students.

This article is provided by Lanterna Education for Kognity users. Lanterna is an online tutoring organisation that specialises in the IB and IGCSE. You can access their other free resources including Part 2 of this TOK series here .

The TOK Essay is something we all dread… Many of us feel like we’ve learned nothing in TOK up until this point and now we’re expected to write an essay!? What makes matters worse is that the Titles are usually ridiculously confusing as well – so you have no idea which way to tackle the question. Luckily, we’re here to help you out. Today we’re breaking down the first 3 2021 TOK Essay titles to get your creative juices flowing!

“Accepting knowledge claims always involves an element of trust.” Discuss this claim with reference to two areas of knowledge.

We deem this to be a relatively difficult question to answer, specifically because the element of ‘trust’ is crucial to this question. A natural first step will be to define what an element of trust really is in this context. Who needs to trust whom, and what degree of trust can represent an ‘element’ of trust. Only when that is established, or at least explored, can we dive further into the question.

The prompt also asks you to discuss the claim with reference to 2 specific areas of knowledge. Typically establishing the areas of knowledge that you wish to explore will give you much more guidance into how to craft your core arguments. It would, for example, be interesting to compare and contrast the areas of knowledge of mathematics and history, or perhaps contrasting natural sciences and religious knowledge systems .

If we choose mathematics and history as our two areas of knowledge, one could make an argument that ‘trust’ does not play a part in the acceptance of mathematical knowledge claims as the knowledge can be considered verifiable. Meanwhile, within history we must believe the words of those who documented the historical events – our whole understanding of history is shaped by the words of others. Naturally, then, in order to accept historical knowledge we need a greater element of trust.

The quote states that “accepting knowledge claims always involves an element of trust”, thus with our approach this claim appears not to be true! But perhaps you reach a different conclusion based on your arguments and examples.

A potential structure for this essay could be:

Examine the wording of the claim, defining ‘knowledge claims’, ‘accepting’, and ‘an element of trust’. Be sure to specifically consider the importance of ‘trust’ in this context.

Discuss the importance, or lack thereof, of ‘trust’ within AoK #1

Discuss the importance, or lack thereof, of ‘trust’ within AoK #2

Explain the differences in the role of trust within the two AoK’s and why they lead to us accepting knowledge claims differently.

Circle back to the original claim, verifying or denying the validity of it!

Within areas of knowledge, how can we differentiate between change and progress? Answer with reference to two areas of knowledge.

If prompt 1 was difficult, this one might be the most difficult of them all! It’s a very nuanced question, asking students to aptly compare and contrast the concepts of ‘change’ and ‘progress’ as it relates to knowledge. Naturally, this question can be spun a multitude of ways, but this is how you could approach this 2021 TOK essay title!

Progress could be defined as change that leads you closer to the verifiable truth, while change is simply moving from some personal/shared knowledge to some other personal/shared knowledge. According to this definition, progress would be seen when a mathematical proof is discovered allowing mathematicians to come closer to understanding and accepting the ‘truth’. However, when a religious system , such as Pope Francis modernising the Catholic Church, that may only be seen as ‘change’ and not progress, as the development is not necessarily bringing knowledge closer to some verifiable truth. Be aware, this is a difficult approach to take as the line between change and progress is very thin, so be sure that the RLEs (real life examples) you choose clearly demonstrate the difference between your definitions of change and progress.

Another approach you could take would be to define change as being a radical, larger transformation of personal or shared knowledge while progress may only be incremental. For example, one could consider the Industrial Revolution as being not progress, but change, as it so fundamentally changed the way that we live our lives today. Meanwhile, a new software update on your phone, though ‘changing’ something, might be considered to be progress rather than change. You might want to consider the AoK’s of History – allowing you to look at historical events and describe them as progress/change depending on the context, as well as Natural Sciences – considering the impact that discoveries had on the progression of knowledge and whether they would thus be considered a ‘change’ or simply ‘progress’ of scientific knowledge.

Last, you may define the difference between change and progress according to the following – change in knowledge implies that previous knowledge is now falsified or rejected in favour of new knowledge, whilst progress implies that the previous knowledge is still intact, just improved. With this approach you could quite clearly focus on the development of theories within the Natural or Human sciences and how, historically, we have had changes in theories or progression of theories leading us to the shared knowledge today.

“Labels are a necessity in the organization of knowledge, but they also constrain our understanding.” Discuss this statement with reference to two areas of knowledge.

This might be our favourite 2021 TOK essay prompt! Although not an easy one, it’s one that I think a lot of people have thought about even outside of TOK class. We as humans are constantly labelling, judging, and assigning personal beliefs/ideals when attempting to understand or absorb new knowledge. To what extent does assigning these labels help us in our day-to-day and to what extent does it distort the world that we live in? It’s an interesting thought!

When looking at this question, our minds go directly to the area of knowledge of Art . Take music as an example. We are very quick to place musicians and music in boxes “Bach was a baroque musician”, “ Miles Davis was a jazz musician”, “Taylor Swift’s latest album was pop” – and thus our perception of the music is skewed accordingly. Although it may be true that largely Miles Davis was a jazz musician, and there is nothing wrong with categorising him as such, we might become blind to understanding the true depth of his art when looking at it in this 2D way. Miles Davis’ music was influenced by Jazz, Blues, Bebop, elements of Bossa Nova, and much more! Similarly, taking visual art as an example, all artwork made by Picasso are instantly labelled as masterpieces, whether they were actually that or not! By labelling his works as such, it may dissuade people from actually questioning the true intent of the artist, and whether they achieved their goal! Labels, although useful, can largely skew how we would otherwise perceive the art.

Another AoK to consider with this prompt would be with regards to history . When considering historical claims, we are always acutely aware of the potential biases associated with their knowledge. We might blindly disregard knowledge from a seemingly biased source because we label it as ‘false facts’ automatically! Although labelling certain knowledge as biased may help us to quickly make decisions as to the truth of the facts stated, it may also lead us to incorrectly judge other knowledge. It might be that some of the knowledge we classify as incorrect due to bias is in fact correct, but by labelling we hampered our understanding!

This is just one approach to take with regards to this question – we think there is massive scope for discussing this prompt within all 8 AoK’s! Just pick the one you think you have the strongest RLEs for.

So there we have it, three of the 2021 TOK essay titles broken down! Still feeling unsure? We’ve got elite IB tutors ready and able to help you put your best foot forward…

Liam studied Geography at the London School of Economics. Since graduation, he has been part of the Lanterna team where he travels to 100s of schools per year around the world to inspire and help IB and IGCSE students. He is also one of the many online tutors at Lanterna that together support 1000s of IB students. More info on how Lanterna’s online tutoring can help boost IB grades can be found here .

ToKTutor - The Worldwide Tutor

ToK Essay Titles Nov 2021 Prompts 5 & 6: Part 1

Certainty & confidence: a key distinction.

As you dig into the definitions of these two key terms in these prompts – ‘confidence’ and ‘certainty’ – you’ll start to see that they appear to overlap in meaning. At times, you might even think they’re synonymous and can be used interchangeably. But take a step back. There is a relationship between the concepts but they are not the same.

In this post, we take a look at the nuances of meaning that show some similarities and, importantly, differences between ‘confidence’ and ‘certainty’ that might enable you to adapt your responses to each title more carefully.

Before we begin, let’s take a couple of Shorter OED definitions to see if we can construct a working sense of a distinction between the two concepts.

a/ ‘certainty’: ‘1. The quality of being objectively certain… 4. An undoubted fact; an indubitable prospect; a thing or person which may be relied on (to do)’.

b/ ‘confidence’: ‘1. Firm trust, reliance, faith (in); 2. Assurance arising from reliance on oneself, circumstances etc…’; 3. ‘A source of trust‘.

A first impression is that ‘certainty’ and ‘confidence’ seem to be different in that the former concept deals in ‘objectivity’ when it comes to knowledge whereas the latter deals in ‘subjectivity’ (‘reliance on oneself’).

Certainty might be a property of knowledge itself, existing independently of what we personally think or feel; a property that makes knowledge ‘reliable’ or ‘robust’; a property we might refer to as ‘truth’ or ‘falsity’. As definition a/ implies, we can know something with certainty, by establishing its truth value objectively by means of reason. Different AOKs do this in different ways, using different methods and conceptual tools and frameworks to achieve a level of ‘objectivity’. Some common ideas here are how experts ‘justify’, ‘prove’ or ‘support’ knowledge by means of different types of ‘evidence’ in establishing the truth or certainty of knowledge. We achieve a level of certainty by means of a rational approach when, as implied by the Latin root ratio, we proportion our belief in a knowledge claim according to the available evidence. We’ll come back to this later.

Confidence seems to be a property of human minds; a property that is fundamental to the way we emotionally experience the world of knowledge; a property like ‘trust’ or ‘faith’ on which we rely to give us a personal connection to the world of knowledge; a property which might also feel like ‘truth’ or ‘falsity’ to us. As definition b/ suggests, we can have an implicit confidence in knowledge, to the point at which we’re convinced of its true or false nature, when we are personally invested in it. Quite, often reason or evidence or proof have nothing to do with our sense of confidence in what we claim to know. In fact, to others, our level of confidence may appear downright exaggerated and irrational. There are studies which suggest that we have a strong tendency to underestimate or overestimate our confidence in knowledge. We’ll touch on such studies later.

In a broad sense, the two terms seem to fit neatly into the TOK conception of shared and personal knowledge. Shared knowledge brings with it the quality of certainty, established by experts through reasoned handling of evidence. Personal knowledge generates different levels of confidence, shaped by our varying experiences and emotional exposure to different ideas in different cultural contexts. Neat and tidy distinction, yes?

Now let’s go back to the OED definitions. We deliberately left out a couple of entries for each definition, because this is where the overlaps between the two concepts are signalled and could cause confusion (bold font ours):

a/ ‘certainty’: ‘2. The quality or state of being subjectively certain ; assurance, confidence; certitude.’ !

b/ ‘confidence’: ‘4. Assured expectation; the state of feeling certain (of)’ !

Doesn’t this just mess up the distinctions we outlined above? This is often the source of much of the confusion around the two concepts. The bamboozling effect is intensified if we read further down the column in the entries on ‘confidence’ and see that statisticians often analyse data in terms of ‘confidence coefficients’. Just a second, surely statisticians are renowned for the ‘objective’ presentation of data, so shouldn’t this be called a ‘certainty coefficient’? It seems that even the experts use ‘certainty’ and ‘confidence’ interchangeably. Or do they…?

ToK Essay Prescribed Titles May 2024 Prompt 4

ToK Essay Prescribed Titles May 2024 Prompt 3

ToK Essay Prescribed Titles May 2024 Prompt 1

ToK Essay Prescribed Titles May 2024 Prompt 5

ToK Essay Titles May 2023 Prompt 3

ToK Essay Titles May 2023 Prompt 5

ToK Essay Titles May 2023 Prompt 1

ToK Essay Titles Nov 2021 Prompts 5 & 6: Part 4

if all knowledge is provisional, confidence, completely certain, certain enough

ToK Essay Titles Nov 2021 Prompts 5 & 6: Part 3

Terms and Conditions | Privacy Policy | Copyright Notice | Website Usage

Contact: [email protected]

Last Updated: 17 Mar 2024

How To Write A ToK Essay - Updated 2023

Ace your ToK Essay with our expert tips & tricks! Get the latest and greatest techniques on "How To Write A ToK Essay" and impress the IB examiners.📝💡

Table of content

Introduction

Purpose Of ToK

Assessment of tok, the game plan, execution of the gameplan, planning for tok essay, structure of tok essay, conclusions, bibliography.

Introduce your topic accurately and state your thesis statement for the essay carefully. A thesis statement is like a teaser to your entire essay wherein you define your key terms and introduce your interpretation of the question. Make sure that you do not reword the prescribed title in your thesis. Instead, it needs to, as the word says, INTRODUCE your readers to what your essay is about. A strong introduction allows the reader to deduce what knowledge question(s) you are trying to answer.

So, in a nutshell

Write interesting things about the given TOK essay title .
Define key terms
Narrow in on the particularly interesting aspect
State your thesis statement . This will be your short answer to your given title if you don't know how to write a killer thesis statement check out this blog from SparkNotes .
State your Roadmap. This will help the readers in understanding the direction of your essay.

How to write a TOK Essay?

To answer that, you must familiarise yourself with what a TOK Essay is about.

Before you start reading this article, Amanda has some excellent TOK tips for you!

Theory of Knowledge is one of the most meta subjects that IB offers. Despite its complexity, TOK helps in providing a base for holistic learning and allows students to have a multidisciplinary experience.

To understand TOK is to understand the essence of IB, a task that most people consider unattainable.

But not for you!

Thank your lucky stars who made you land on Nail IB. How exactly will Nail IB help you?

Well, nailing International Baccalaureate is something we will discuss later.

Let's focus on cracking your TOK essay, shall we?

TOK demonstrates how students can apply their knowledge with greater awareness and credibility .

Big words, huh?

Now that we know that we cannot just slide through the Theory of Knowledge, let's understand how we can conquer this battle all guns blazing.

ToK essay’s primary objective is to answer the why behind our studies.

It makes one aware of the real-life implications of their subjects. The students gain greater awareness of their personal and ideological assumptions and appreciate the diversity of different perspectives. It helps the students find their unique perception, a prerequisite for excelling in the IB TOK essays.

Before we dive into our gameplan, let’s overview the rules of the game.

There are two assessment tasks in the TOK: an essay and a presentation . While a presentation encourages students to explore a real-life situation through the lens of TOK, an essay is written on the basis of the various questions provided by the International Baccalaureate Organisation.

The presentation is to assess a student’s ability to apply TOK thinking to a real-life situation whereas IB TOK essay is more conceptual.
The essay is externally assessed by IB and must be on any one of the prescribed TOK essay titles issued by the IB for each examination session.
Word limit of a TOK essay is 1600 words ( excludes extended notes, footnotes, bibliography).

Now that we have unleashed the game, let’s move ahead towards the gameplan of acing both, your presentation and your essay.

One of the fundamental tasks of TOK is to examine different areas of knowledge and find out their similarities and differences.

The TOK essay requires the students to investigate two Areas of Knowledge (AOK) and two Ways of Knowing (WOK) . AOKs and WOKs are investigated via questions such as:

How do we know what we know? (WOK)
What counts as evidence for X? (AOK)
How do we judge which is the best model of Y? (WOK)
What does theory Z mean in the real world? (AOK + WOK)

The aforementioned are Knowledge Questions which help combine the Areas of Knowledge and the Ways of Knowing that they are using. This eliminates the superficial way of learning and makes an individual sensitive to the nature of the information. Our acquisition of Knowledge can be broadly divided into Shared Knowledge and Personal Knowledge.

Shared knowledge: What WE know It is the product of more than one individual. Although individuals contribute to it, shared knowledge does not solely depend upon the contributions of a particular individual—there are possibilities for others to check and amend individual contributions and add to the body of knowledge that already exists.

Personal knowledge: What I know It is essentially dependent on the experiences of a particular individual. Also known as procedural knowledge, it is gained through experience, practice and personal involvement and is intimately bound up with the particular local circumstances of the individual such as biography, interests, values, and so on.

The best hack to ace TOK essay is to develop a habit of making connections between the construction of knowledge, its acquisition and its relevance in the real world.

After that one needs to develop an interest in understanding the difference between diversity and cultural perspectives and personal assumptions.

One also needs to critically reflect on their own beliefs and assumptions, leading to more thoughtful, responsible and purposeful lives.

Yes, this is what you signed up for. It may sound a little intimidating but once you get the hang of it you will be able to see the matrix and understand this beautiful world a little better.

Understand that to provide the best version of your writing, it will take you more than one or two drafts. First and foremost, you need to pick your essay topic diligently. Try to choose an essay topic that best interests you. The topic should also allow you to explore the Areas of Knowledge towards which you are naturally inclined. Here are a few sample questions:

a) 'Ways of knowing are a check on our instinctive judgments.' To what extend do you agree with this statement?

b) With reference to two areas of knowledge discuss the way in which shared knowledge can shape their personal knowledge.

c) How can we know if knowledge is produced more through 'Passive Observation' or 'Active-Experiment' within the Human and Natural-sciences under a Mathematical-Perspective?

d) "The whole point of knowledge is to produce both meaning and purpose in our personal lives". Assess the validity of this statement.

Great things take time. It took me more than a couple of weeks to finalize this TOK essay guide. It is completely okay if the first few drafts may not look pleasing or award-winning to you. You will require sharpening your perspective towards the topic each time you polish your draft. Your writing journey from a dull draft to a masterpiece will be a whole process that you will have to be patient with. Have faith in yourself and proceed stepwise.

You need to consider the opinions of others who have devoted hours of research and a lifetime of dedicated studying the topic that surrounds your writing. Unravelling the realms of your mind palace is so Sherlock but let’s not deny the fact that at times, Watson is the one whose expertise helps Sherlock through pretty difficult times. I mean even Batman needs a Robin. In support of my awesome sauce examples, the point I am trying to make is that finding support for our claims and counterclaims through research is a good thing .

Use real-life examples to support your claims and counterclaims. These examples need to be documented researched examples like studies, experiments, articles, presentations by well-known people, etc. Examples that stem from your diploma subjects are highly encouraged, but those will need to be supported by research as well.

It is suggested that you choose a title, stick to it, tackle it and not be afraid. Do not change your mind unless there is a good reason. Also, try choosing Areas of knowledge that you truly enjoy. You know slaying a known devil is much easier than an unknown one. Allot a TIMELINE to your essay. Start with creating an outline of your essay. This will help you to track your progress and accomplish your goals

You can use tools like Trello to organize your ideas and plan your TOK essay.

Areas of Knowledge (AOKs): TOK distinguishes between eight areas of knowledge. They are mathematics, the natural sciences, the human sciences, the arts, history, ethics, religious knowledge systems, and indigenous knowledge systems. It is suggested that students study and explore six of these eight.

Ways of knowing (WOKs): TOK identifies eight specific WOKs- language, sense perception, emotion, reason, imagination, faith, intuition, and memory. It is suggested that studying four of these eight in-depth would be appropriate. WOKs underlie the methodology of the areas of knowledge and provide a basis for personal knowledge.

Moving ahead, let us discuss the structure of your TOK essay.

Your essay will consist of 4 broad segregations

Before breaking down further on the pillars, keep the following in mind

Please note what the TOK essay title is asking you. (Read it a couple of times. We highly recommend that you brainstorm ideas with your TOK coordinator)
Make sure you understand the command term and the question it is asking.
What kind of knowledge is being elicited?
When choosing your areas of knowledge (AoK) and ways of knowing (WoK) make sure that you are able to draw contrasts and comparisons, that is, you are able to find evidence that supports as well as challenges your claims.
Identify key terms in your TOK essay title. Make sure you define them. Your essay will gravitate around them. Key terms/words in your titles are your essay anchors. Your response should be built around them.
Your writing skills come in handy while you work on your IB TOK essay. Like any other essay make sure you have proper thesis statements and topic sentences to guide the evaluator through your work.
Respect the TOK essay title. Rephrasing the topic is not encouraged . Your main job is to address the title.

The body can be mainly divided into 3 segments.

Body (1st Segment)

AoK Claim: Here you investigate your first Area of Knowledge and draw parallels between your AoK and the question. This is done by stating your claim. Claims can be general in nature and need not reference a particular area of knowledge. They help you shape your essay and investigate the question further.
Evidence: Example of a real-life situation, describe thoroughly and accurately, which supports your stated claim. (AoK)
Counter-Claim: State your counter-claim: like claims, those can be general and need not reference a particular area of knowledge. Counterclaim helps you show the other side the coin and gives your essay a holistic nature.
Evidence: A referenced real-life situation/example. Describe thoroughly and accurately, show how this supports your counterclaim (AoK ).
Don’t forget to weave in your WoKs: You need to take into account the source of your knowledge. Here you can also investigate if your nature of acquiring the knowledge has, in any way, affected it. It is good practice to question if your knowledge would be different had it been acquired through a different source/method
Mini-conclusion: Here you analyze your examples in reference to your claims and counterclaims. You must connect to your thesis statement and the prescribed title. How does your proposed argument, in this particular part of the body, connect to the prescribed title and the knowledge questions you are trying to answer?

Body (2): Follow the above process for your second AOK.

Use this part of your essay to compare and contrast your varying AoKs. You need to connect them to your thesis and your prescribed title clearly showing how your arguments respond to the PT.

Your conclusion section will make your essay come together. It is the glue that will make your essay stick together. Herein, you need to

Reiterate your thesis (initial response).
Use your mini conclusions to write a final conclusion.
Tell the reader what the significance is for knowing what we know in this particular PT.
Discuss implications as well.
Offer another perspective, how will the perspective of a different person affect the claims/counterclaims you make in the essay?
Don’t forget to make the end strong.

We recommend all the ib students use the citation machine (It's FREE) to organize or generate a bibliography for your TOK essay. Please go through this extensive guide provided by the IB before you start working on your citations.

If you are still struggling heaps with your TOK essay feel free to subscribe to our tok notes bundles or get access to more than 500+ IBDP notes and past papers here .

Nail IB is your virtual companion that helps you hustle through your diploma and provide you with the right resources at the right time. To know more about acing IB, click here .

I hope this article will become the foundation for figuring out how to write a TOK Essay.

Remember to have faith in yourself.

I hope you NAIL your TOK essay!

Quoting the great Napolean Hill

"Whatever the mind of a man can conceive and believe, it can achieve."

IB Resources you will love!

Theory of Knowledge

Welcome to the TOK blog for students around the world. We are sure that you have many questions and queries concerning your TOK essays and presentations and this blog gives you the space to engage with them alongside like-minded, thoughtful people.

Precepts to use in everyday life

Tok essay titles nov 2024, sunday, september 6, 2020.

ToK Essay Titles May 2021

Here are the titles for students sitting the May 2021 Exams courtesy of 'TOK Tips':

1. Accepting knowledge claims and trust.

2. Differentiating between change and progress in AOKs.

3. Labels, the organization of knowledge & constraint on understanding.

4. Statistics dual role of concealing and revealing.

5. Usefulness of AOKs combining with each other.

6. Bias and its negative and positive roles in pursuing knowledge.

Best wishes with your studies!

No comments:

Search This Blog

Nov 2024 TOK ESSAY GUIDES @ TOKTUTOR.NET

Tok tutorials @ toktutor.net, extended essay help at toktutor, sos emergency help at toktutor.net, toktutor.net.

assumptions (3)
Bibliography (2)
Consciousness (8)
Democracy (1)
Economics (2)
Education (8)
Emotion (1)
Essay/Presentation Structure (16)
Ethics (27)
Events (10)
Evidence (6)
Evolution (1)
Examples (34)
Footnotes (1)
gut feelings (1)
H Science (1)
H Sciences (1)
Happiness (1)
History (9)
Human Sciences (35)
Identity (1)
Indigenous Knowledge Systems (1)
Intuition (1)
Knowledge Issues (11)
knowlege and ethical responsibility; Examples; Ethics' ToK Essays May 2013 (1)
Language (4)
Mathematics (4)
meaning and purpose (1)
metaphor (1)
Natural Sciences (25)
natural selction (1)
order and chaos (2)
paradigms (1)
paradox (1)
Perception (2)
Personal vs Shared Knowledge (2)
prediction (1)
progress (1)
pseudo-science (1)
Questions (1)
reason vs emotion (3)
reductionism vs holism (1)
Reliabilism (1)
Religion (5)
Religious Knowledge Systems (1)
Scientific Method (2)
Skepticism (2)
statistics (1)
Technology (2)
testing (1)
tok curriculum 2022 (1)
TOK Essay Prescribed Titles May 2013 (2)
TOK Essay Prescribed Titles May 2019 (1)
TOK Essay Prescribed Titles May 2021 (1)
TOK Essay Prescribed Titles May 2022 (1)
TOK Essay Prescribed Titles May 2023 (1)
TOK Essay Prescribed Titles Nov 2012/May 2013 (5)
TOK Essay Prescribed Titles Nov 2019 (1)
TOK Essay Prescribed Titles Nov 2021 (1)
TOK Essay Prescribed Titles Nov 2022 (1)
TOK Essay Prescribed Titles Nov 2023 (1)
TOK Essay Prescribed Titles Nov 2024 (1)
ToK Essay Prompts May 2018 (1)
ToK Essay Prompts May 2020 (1)
ToK Essay Prompts May 2021 (1)
ToK Essay Prompts May 2022 (1)
ToK Essay Prompts May 2023 (1)
ToK Essay Prompts Nov 2018 (1)
ToK Essay Prompts Nov 2019 (1)
ToK Essay Prompts Nov 2021 (1)
ToK Essay Prompts Nov 2022 (1)
ToK Essay Prompts Nov 2023 (1)
ToK Essay Prompts Nov 2024 (1)
ToK Essay Titles May 2018 (1)
ToK Essay Titles May 2019 (1)
ToK Essay Titles May 2023 (1)
tok essay titles nov 2018 explained (1)
ToK Essay Titles Nov 2019 (1)
ToK Essay Titles Nov 2020 (1)
ToK Essay Titles Nov 2024 (1)
ToK Essay Titles November 2018 (1)
ToK Essays 2009 (5)
ToK Essays 2010 (7)
ToK Essays 2011 (2)
ToK Essays 2012 (6)
ToK Essays 2022 (1)
ToK Essays 2023 (1)
ToK Essays May 2013 (1)
ToK Essays May 2014 (7)
ToK Essays May 2015 (7)
ToK Essays May 2016 (2)
ToK Essays May 2017 (1)
ToK Essays May 2018 (1)
ToK Essays May 2019 (1)
ToK Essays May 2020 (1)
ToK Essays May 2021 (1)
ToK Essays May 2022 (1)
ToK Essays May 2023 (1)
TOK Essays Nov 2013 (4)
ToK Essays Nov 2014 (4)
ToK Essays Nov 2015 (4)
ToK Essays Nov 2016 (1)
ToK Essays Nov 2017 (1)
ToK Essays Nov 2019 (1)
ToK Essays Nov 2020 (1)
ToK Essays Nov 2021 (1)
ToK Essays Nov 2022 (1)
ToK Essays Nov 2023 (1)
ToK Essays Nov 2024 (1)
TOK Essays November 2013 (5)
ToK Prescribed Titles May 2020 (1)
ToK Prescribed Titles Nov 2020 (1)
ToK Presentations (6)
TOK Results (1)
TOK Websites (17)
ToKEssay TItles May 2020 (1)
virtual reality (1)

Blog Archive

► March (1)
► September (1)
► December (1)
► July (1)
► May (1)
► April (2)
► November (2)
► October (1)
► September (4)
► June (1)
► January (1)
► September (3)
► August (3)
► March (3)
► February (1)
► April (1)
► August (1)
► December (3)
► November (4)
► April (3)
► March (2)
► February (4)
► January (4)
► December (9)
► November (6)
► October (7)
► September (2)
► August (4)
► July (9)
► June (9)
► May (10)
► December (5)
► November (3)
► July (2)

Essay Guides
Exhibition Guides
SOS Same Day Support
For Teachers
Tips & Resources

Tips & Resources

Check out our latest tips and resources

Tips & Resources

Tok november 2024 essay title 6 breakdown.

In the pursuit of knowledge, what is gained by the artist adopting the lens of the scientist and the scientist adopting the lens of the artist? Discuss with reference to the arts and the natural sciences. This title stands out for its unique focus on the intersection of the Arts and Natural Sciences. It challenges […]

ToK November 2024 Essay Title 5 Breakdown

“In the production of knowledge, are we too quick to dismiss anomalies? Discuss with reference to two areas of knowledge” This question invites us to explore how we handle anomalies – those observations, data points, or events that significantly differ from established patterns and trends or contradict our general understanding of a topic. Understanding the […]

ToK November 2024 Essay Title 4 Breakdown

To what extent do you agree that there is no significant difference between hypothesis and speculation? Discuss with reference to the human sciences and one other area of knowledge. This prompt challenges you to examine the nuances of hypothesis and speculation. While both explore the unknown, they have distinct roles in different areas of knowledge […]

ToK November 2024 Essay Title 3 Breakdown

How might it benefit an area of knowledge to sever ties with its past? Discuss with reference to two areas of knowledge. This title invites you to explore the potential advantages of leaving behind outdated perspectives, methodologies, and paradigms in various areas of knowledge (AOKs). This topic is particularly relevant in our rapidly changing world, […]

ToK November 2024 Essay Title 2 Breakdown

In the production of knowledge, is ingenuity always needed but never enough? Discuss with reference to mathematics and one other area of knowledge. This question focuses on the role of originality and innovation, suggesting that while ingenuity might be crucial, it may not be sufficient on its own. Understanding Ingenuity in Knowledge Production First, let’s […]

ToK November 2024 Essay Title 1 Breakdown

Does our responsibility to acquire knowledge vary according to the area of knowledge? Discuss with reference to history and one other area of knowledge. Title 1 from the November 2024 ToK essay questions prompts you to think about the nature of our responsibility to seek and understand knowledge and how this responsibility might differ across […]

Latest tips

Breaking down the TOK Exhibition

TOK Exhibition Prompts

How to make an effective TOK Knowledge Question

TOK Presentation: How to pick a great Real Life Example

May 2021 TOK Essay Title Tips 1

What NOT to do in a TOK essay

Top TOK essay tips

TOK Essay Titles May 2020: BREAKDOWN & TIPS

What are you interested in? Online tutoring Essay / Exhibition Script Feedback Other Country

Upload file

This will close in 0 seconds

¿En qué estás interesado? Tutoria online Ensayo / Feedback de borrador Otros País

Subir archivo

IB TOK Essay examples

Type a search phrase to find the most relevant TOK Essay examples for you

Not sure what to search for? You can always look through our example Theory of Knowledge coursework below for inspiration.

All TOK Essay Examples

Filter exemplars, is replicability necessary in the production of knowledge discuss with reference to two areas of knowledge., are visual representations always helpful in the communication of knowledge discuss with reference to the human sciences and mathematics., want to get full marks for your tok essay allow us to review it for you 🎯, for artists and natural scientists, which is more important: what can be explained or what cannot be explained discuss with reference to the arts and the natural sciences., does it matter if our acquisition of knowledge happens in "bubbles" where some information and voices are excluded discuss with reference to two areas of knowledge., fast track your coursework with mark schemes moderated by ib examiners. upgrade now 🚀, to what extent is the knowledge we produce determined by the methodologies we use discuss with reference to history and one area of knowledge., tok essay: 5. “how can we distinguish between good and bad interpretations discuss with reference to the arts and one other area of knowledge”, if “the mathematician’s patterns, like the painter’s and the poet’s, must be beautiful” (g. h. hardy), how might this impact the production of knowledge discuss with reference to mathematics and the arts., in the acquisition of knowledge, is following experts unquestioningly as dangerous as ignoring them completely discuss with reference to the human sciences and one other area of knowledge., is it problematic that knowledge is so often shaped by the values of those who produce it discuss with reference to any two areas of knowledge., is it always the case that “the world isn’t just the way i is, it is how we understand it – and in understanding something, we bring something to it” (adapted from life of pi by yann martel) discuss with reference to history and the natural sciences., does it matter if our acquisition of knowledge happens in “bubbles” where some information and voices are excluded discuss with reference to two areas of knowledge., is replication necessary in the production of knowledge discuss with reference to two aoks., for artists and natural scientists which is more important: what can be explained or what cannot be explained, are visual representations always useful in communication of knowledge discuss with reference to the human sciences and mathematics., is replicability necessary in the production of knowledge discuss with reference to two area of knowledge, est-il important que notre acquisition des connaissances se fasse dans des « bulles » où certaines informations et certaines voix sont exclues discutez cette question en faisant référence à deux domaines de la connaissance., to what extent is the knowledge we produce determined by the methodologies we use discuss with reference to history and one other area of knowledge., are visual representations always helpful in communicating knowledge discuss with reference to the human sciences and mathematics., is replicability necessary in the production of knowledge, êtes-vous d'accord qu'il est "étonnant que si peu de connaissance puissent nous donner autant de pouvoir" (bertrand russell) - discutez cette question en faisant référence aux sciences naturelles et à un autre domaine de la connaissance, for artists and natural scientists, which is more important: what can be explained or what cannot be explained discuss with reference to the arts and natural science., to what extent is the knowledge weproduce determined by the methodologieswe use, is replicability necessary in the production of knowledge discuss with reference to two areas of knowledge, does it matter if our knowledge acquisition happens in "bubbles" where some information and voices are excluded discuss with reference to two areas of knowledge., 如果我们是在排除某些信息和声音的“信息同温层”里获取知识，这有关系吗请参考两个知识领域展开你的应答。, do you agree that it is “astonishing that so little knowledge can give us so much power” (bertrand russell) discuss with reference to the natural sciences and one other area of knowledge..

Customer Reviews
Extended Essays
IB Internal Assessment
Theory of Knowledge
Literature Review
Dissertations
Essay Writing
Research Writing
Assignment Help
Capstone Projects
College Application
Online Class

How to Choose the Right Topic for Your TOK Essay Presentation

by Antony W

December 12, 2021

Writing TOK essays or preparing for the presentation is not a fun process, but we can help make it better by showing you how to choose the most suitable TOK topics for the assignment.

In general, theory of knowledge in IB is one of the key pillars through which students learn critical thinking, open-mindedness, and how to explore the world and themselves. These noble goals are achieved in a two-part assessment consisting of an essay and presentation.

Choosing the right topics for your theory of knowledge presentation is the foundation of passing the IB TOK part of the assessment.

Help for Assessment IB experts have composed this useful step by step guide to help you choose the best topic for your IB TOK, but we also do more than that. If you need a reliable, expert, and experienced TOK specialist to write your essay for you, then you can simply skip the tedium of explanations ahead and order our TOK essay writing service .

Of course, that doesn’t mean you can’t do it yourself if you put in the many hours of work and refinement required. Let’s get started on how to choose the most relevant topics for your theory of knowledge essay and/or presentation.

How to Choose a TOK Essay Topic

Each year, IB provides a list of 6 topics called prescribed titles, or PTs, from which candidates have to choose one to base their essay. The prescribed title should be used as-is, with no changes in wording or format.

Prescribed titles cover various topics and are multi-disciplinary. They are quite general and open-ended, as befits a good title. When you first read the six titles, you will notice that they sound abstract. That is a result of generalization, so you need to make them more real and transform them into something people can understand.

These steps will help you choose good TOK topics for your essay and presentation.

Write all the six titles on a blank page, leaving plenty of space between them.
Read the titles individually, and think about each of them for a few minutes. Underline the keywords in the title, note down any inspirations you have, and identify at least two perspectives or viewpoints that you can use.
Check for personal affiliation. One thing you will need is real life situation, which comes easier if you can associate the title to something, which happened/happens to you. For example, for 2019's November TOK 3rd title " do good explanations have to be true ?", one student drew parallels to how he solves math problems and counter-checks with answers at the back of the book.
Choose a title that you understand well or one for which you can easily acquire background knowledge. You can do this by picking a title whose areas of knowledge and ways of knowing interact with what you are currently studying.

These are simple guidelines designed to help you pick the right TOK essay titles. They are only meant to help the student with the process rather than being cut-and-dry rules.

With that, it's time to have a peek at the prescribed titles for the May 2020 and November 2019 TOK essays.

TOK Prescribed Titles November 2019

IB Prescribed Titles May 2020

The student must thoroughly understand the prescribed topic and break it down into parts that are easier to digest. This is called unpacking the prescribed title.

How to Unpack TOK Essay Title in 9 Steps

Step 1

Underline the terms that you’ll need to define or explain. You must never assume that the reader/person marking your essay knows what you mean, because definitions can be subjective. For example, in the title do explanations have to be true question, what is the definition of “explanation” and “true”?

Step 2

List and note the assumptions made in the title, if any. For example, the assumptions are clear in this title given in the November 2019 session.

Decide whether you will need to challenge the assumption made. In this case, you will not as the title commands you to assume it to be true.

Pick out any explicit requirements in the title and list them out. For example, in the following May 2020 title, can you pick out any explicit requirements?

From preliminary investigation, we can see we will need to explore Picasso as a person and his art to understand not so much what he saw, but how. Then we will be able to make a case for or against his claim.

Step 4

Underline or list the action words in the title. These are words that direct or command you to do something. Such action words include analyze, compare, explore, and many others.

Identify alternative angles and approaches to the title. You will already have a few ideas from when you were choosing the title. Each unique approach is a new opportunity to explore the title afresh.

Step 6

Create and write down your thesis, clearly identifying your position in relation to the essay title. If you don’t know how to do this, explore our definitive guide on how to write a TOK essay .

Step 7

With your perspective of choice, select the relevant AOKs and WOKs, which you will base your essay on.

Step 8

Pick out claims and counterclaims, and write them down in general terms. At this point, you are essentially writing down an outline for your essay, which gives you the chance to back off a particular title if it doesn't provide enough reference material.

Step 9

Finally, come up with germane examples you will use. They must have a strong correlation to the title with clear links. The best places to draw them would be your coursework, global events, or personal experiences.

That is how you select and deconstruct IB TOK essay titles. However, that is only 67% of the work. You will also have to come up with a TOK presentation.

The fact that you also have to tie a chosen topic with real-life situations as well as AOKs and WOKs is not fun at all, at least for most non-nerdy students.

How to Choose TOK Presentation Topics, With Examples

The TOK presentation does not give you the luxury of having 6 titles to choose. Without some inspiration, you will be flying blind. Here is what you can do to make sure you come up with the perfect TOK topics.

The topic has to be something you are interested in or passionate about. Remember, you will be presenting it for at least 10 minutes to a room packed with people, so you had better have enough motivation. You need to be knowledgeable, confident, and autonomous with it.

Make it a topic that you can relate to some part of your life. This will give you plenty of real-life situations (RLS) with which to support it. At the very least, make sure to have a wealth of global events or historical evidence to run with.

The topic should be presented as a question that is not easily answered with a Yes/No statement. In other words, the goal is not to find answers but to evoke more questions before you can get the answer. They usually start with "to what extent …" and invoke one or more WOK or AOK.

The topic should be a debatable one. That means it should have at least two compelling arguments or facets, and will naturally raise questions about the knowledge question you will be exploring.

It also has to be specific and concise. You will only have 10 minutes to present your case, and a wide-angled approach will not give you enough time to conclude or explore in-depth. Your theory of knowledge presentation topic needs to be relevant. Ultimately, it needs to be applicable to a wide range of situations in real life within the same context.

Examples of Topics for IB TOK Presentation

To help you understand what is meant by these steps, here are 10 examples with relevant RLS. They are given here as inspiration, not to be copied word-for-word. If you do that, you won't have the required organic thinking required to defend your presentation.

To what extent does emotion play a part in buying products online? RLS: Purchase of overpriced designer clothes that have no corresponding practical value.
To what extent does social hierarchy affect interpersonal relations and how we treat others? RLS: How older kids, prefects, team captains, and class monitors bully those perceived to be lesser than them.
How much information is needed to make a theory credible? RLS: The various conspiracy theories about 5G, the Coronavirus, aliens, etc.
What role do celebrity persons play in influencing culture, fashion, and morality? RLS: Teenagers who take drugs because their favorite rap artists do.
To what extent can mathematics be trusted as a credible source of actionable knowledge? RLS: The math-based models and predictions used to map and predict the spread of the Coronavirus, and their results.
To what extent does language shape the mental acuity of children? RLS: Intelligence of native tribes compared to supposedly “civilized” invaders in the past two centuries in America.
The cost of knowing: to what extent does exploring one part of knowledge blind us from the rest, which is not necessarily insignificant? RLS: Religious leaders refuse to acknowledge scientific proof about the effects and spread of the Coronavirus because of their faith.
Ethically speaking, what effect has the legalization of marijuana in various states had in society? RLS: increase in the use of hard drugs for which marijuana is a gateway drug in teens and young adults.
To what extent does social media infringe on privacy and personal safety? RLS: Zuckerberg’s admission to Congress that Facebook infringes on privacy on the grounds that “people want to share information so long as they can control how it spreads.”
To what extent should freedom be allowed to undisciplined individuals if overall good for the society is to be maintained? RLS: Guns and gun safety in the US in relation to the concept of freedom embedded in the US constitution, as compared to dictatorial governments such as China or Korea.

Help With TOK Titles and Essays

Having chosen the right TOK topic is only the beginning of a long and intensive process. It is meant to be highly rewarding and revealing to the student, but in the end, it's the marks you get that matter.

The net effect of that in education is a topic you can discuss in your presentation. In the meantime, let Help for Assessment get you top marks in your TOK essay.

Our IB TOK experts are highly experienced in both the essay and presentation sections of the IBDP assessments.

If you need help with writing your IB essay, order the TOK writing service now and get huge discounts of up to 25% on your first order. As always, you can trust us to deliver top quality, reliability, and 100% unique and well-researched work.

About the author

Antony W is a professional writer and coach at Help for Assessment. He spends countless hours every day researching and writing great content filled with expert advice on how to write engaging essays, research papers, and assignments.

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

May 2021 TOK essay Prescribed title #5 – fundamental knowledge questions

Published by author on september 17, 2020 september 17, 2020.

The knowledge questions below are some basic knowledge questions derived from each prescribed title. Consider these basic knowledge questions the starting point for developing knowledge questions for a TOK essay.

Many of the knowledge questions on this page are quite broad and can be rephrased in a more focused way later on in the essay development process. Make sure you look extensively at past sample TOK essays to get a better idea of what kinds of TOK questions are suitable.

5. “Areas of knowledge are most useful in combination with each other.” Discuss this claim with reference to two areas of knowledge.

To what extent are ________ (AOK) and ________ (AOK) most useful in combination with each other?
To what extent is ________ (AOK) most useful in on its own?
How does ________ (WOK) help ________ (AOK) be the most useful on its own?
How does ________ (WOK) help ________ (AOK) and ________ (AOK) be the most useful in combination with each other?

May 2023 tok essay prescribed title #3 specific example – indigenous people of northern japan.

Article: “Japan’s forgotten indigenous people” http://www.bbc.com/travel/story/20200519-japans-forgotten-indigenous-people In the Japanese school curriculum (set by the central government in Tokyo) there is very little time and space spent on the Ainu, an indigenous group that has almost Read more…

May 2023 Prescribed Title #1

May 2023 tok essay prescribed title #1 specific example – japanese myth on the birth of japan..

The extract below is a translated Japanese creation myth in an ancient text named Kojiki. The original text is written in an type of writing that the vast majority of modern Japanese people cannot read. Read more…

May 2023 TOK essay prescribed title #4 specific example – photo of an execution during the Vietnam War.

Eddie Adams’ iconic Vietnam War photo: What happened next https://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-42864421 Consider the different aspects where is there “a little knowledge” regarding the photo and the actual incident. Then look into the larger question that is Read more…

Privacy Overview

Ray Kurzweil on how AI will transform the physical world

The changes will be particularly profound in energy, manufacturing and medicine, says the futurist

B Y THE TIME children born today are in kindergarten, artificial intelligence ( AI ) will probably have surpassed humans at all cognitive tasks, from science to creativity. When I first predicted in 1999 that we would have such artificial general intelligence ( AGI ) by 2029, most experts thought I’d switched to writing fiction. But since the spectacular breakthroughs of the past few years, many experts think we will have AGI even sooner—so I’ve technically gone from being an optimist to a pessimist, without changing my prediction at all.

After working in the field for 61 years—longer than anyone else alive—I am gratified to see AI at the heart of global conversation. Yet most commentary misses how large language models like Chat GPT and Gemini fit into an even larger story. AI is about to make the leap from revolutionising just the digital world to transforming the physical world as well. This will bring countless benefits, but three areas have especially profound implications: energy, manufacturing and medicine.

Sources of energy are among civilisation’s most fundamental resources. For two centuries the world has needed dirty, non-renewable fossil fuels. Yet harvesting just 0.01% of the sunlight the Earth receives would cover all human energy consumption. Since 1975, solar cells have become 99.7% cheaper per watt of capacity, allowing worldwide capacity to increase by around 2m times. So why doesn’t solar energy dominate yet?

The problem is two-fold. First, photovoltaic materials remain too expensive and inefficient to replace coal and gas completely. Second, because solar generation varies on both diurnal (day/night) and annual (summer/winter) scales, huge amounts of energy need to be stored until needed—and today’s battery technology isn’t quite cost-effective enough. The laws of physics suggest that massive improvements are possible, but the range of chemical possibilities to explore is so enormous that scientists have made achingly slow progress.

By contrast, AI can rapidly sift through billions of chemistries in simulation, and is already driving innovations in both photovoltaics and batteries. This is poised to accelerate dramatically. In all of history until November 2023, humans had discovered about 20,000 stable inorganic compounds for use across all technologies. Then, Google’s GN o ME AI discovered far more, increasing that figure overnight to 421,000. Yet this barely scratches the surface of materials-science applications. Once vastly smarter AGI finds fully optimal materials, photovoltaic megaprojects will become viable and solar energy can be so abundant as to be almost free.

Energy abundance enables another revolution: in manufacturing. The costs of almost all goods—from food and clothing to electronics and cars—come largely from a few common factors such as energy, labour (including cognitive labour like R & D and design) and raw materials. AI is on course to vastly lower all these costs.

After cheap, abundant solar energy, the next component is human labour, which is often backbreaking and dangerous. AI is making big strides in robotics that can greatly reduce labour costs. Robotics will also reduce raw-material extraction costs, and AI is finding ways to replace expensive rare-earth elements with common ones like zirconium, silicon and carbon-based graphene. Together, this means that most kinds of goods will become amazingly cheap and abundant.

These advanced manufacturing capabilities will allow the price-performance of computing to maintain the exponential trajectory of the past century—a 75-quadrillion-fold improvement since 1939. This is due to a feedback loop: today’s cutting-edge AI chips are used to optimise designs for next-generation chips. In terms of calculations per second per constant dollar, the best hardware available last November could do 48bn. Nvidia’s new B 200 GPU s exceed 500bn.

As we build the titanic computing power needed to simulate biology, we’ll unlock the third physical revolution from AI : medicine. Despite 200 years of dramatic progress, our understanding of the human body is still built on messy approximations that are usually mostly right for most patients, but probably aren’t totally right for you . Tens of thousands of Americans a year die from reactions to drugs that studies said should help them.

Yet AI is starting to turn medicine into an exact science. Instead of painstaking trial-and-error in an experimental lab, molecular biosimulation—precise computer modelling that aids the study of the human body and how drugs work—can quickly assess billions of options to find the most promising medicines. Last summer the first drug designed end-to-end by AI entered phase-2 trials for treating idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis, a lung disease. Dozens of other AI -designed drugs are now entering trials.

Both the drug-discovery and trial pipelines will be supercharged as simulations incorporate the immensely richer data that AI makes possible. In all of history until 2022, science had determined the shapes of around 190,000 proteins. That year DeepMind’s AlphaFold 2 discovered over 200m, which have been released free of charge to researchers to help develop new treatments.

Much more laboratory research is needed to populate larger simulations accurately, but the roadmap is clear. Next, AI will simulate protein complexes, then organelles, cells, tissues, organs and—eventually—the whole body.

This will ultimately replace today’s clinical trials, which are expensive, risky, slow and statistically underpowered. Even in a phase-3 trial, there’s probably not one single subject who matches you on every relevant factor of genetics, lifestyle, comorbidities, drug interactions and disease variation.

Digital trials will let us tailor medicines to each individual patient. The potential is breathtaking: to cure not just diseases like cancer and Alzheimer’s, but the harmful effects of ageing itself.

Today, scientific progress gives the average American or Briton an extra six to seven weeks of life expectancy each year. When AGI gives us full mastery over cellular biology, these gains will sharply accelerate. Once annual increases in life expectancy reach 12 months, we’ll achieve “longevity escape velocity”. For people diligent about healthy habits and using new therapies, I believe this will happen between 2029 and 2035—at which point ageing will not increase their annual chance of dying. And thanks to exponential price-performance improvement in computing, AI -driven therapies that are expensive at first will quickly become widely available.

This is AI ’s most transformative promise: longer, healthier lives unbounded by the scarcity and frailty that have limited humanity since its beginnings. ■

Ray Kurzweil is a computer scientist, inventor and the author of books including “The Age of Intelligent Machines” (1990), “The Age of Spiritual Machines” (1999) and “The Singularity is Near” (2005). His new book, “The Singularity is Nearer: When We Merge with AI”, will be published on June 25th.

Explore more

By invitation june 22nd 2024.

Vladimir Putin’s war against Ukraine is part of his revolution against the West

From the June 22nd 2024 edition

Discover stories from this section and more in the list of contents

More from By Invitation

The West’s values are important, but so is realism, says Finland’s president

The Global South must be courted, even if that means compromising interests, argues Alexander Stubb

This needn’t be France’s Brexit moment, says its business envoy

Pascal Cagni explains why foreign investors should not panic

NATO must tackle instability in the Balkans, says an ex-head

Russia and China are up to old tricks in the region, argue George Robertson and Andi Hoxhaj

A business leader on why he’s backing Donald Trump

The Biden administration has played dirty and shown staggering incompetence, argues Joe Lonsdale

A hard-right government might disrupt France’s relations with Europe

Or it could try to change the EU from within—which would be worse, reckons Jean Pisani-Ferry

Harriet Harman on how Parliament has changed over four decades

It is more in touch with voters, says the longest-serving female MP—but there is more work to do

COMMENTS

The May 2021 TOK Essay Titles
Here are the TOK Essay prescribed titles (for the May 2021 session). I've created an in-depth May 2021 TOK Essay Titles Analysis, which you can watch inside IBMastery. It will help you understand how to approach each of the titles (i.e. things to avoid, things to consider and some tips for each title). I know you'll really benefit from the video.
IB ToK Essay Titles and Topics: May 2021
Here are links to ideas and suggestions relating to the the six May 2021 IB ToK Essay topics: Topic 1. "Accepting knowledge claims always involves an element of trust." Discuss this claim with reference to two areas of knowledge. Topic 2.
IB ToK Essay Titles and Topics: November 2021
the pragmatic theory of knowledge. If you're considering addressing topic 5 of the November 2021 ToK essay titles, then by all means email me and I'll send you details of my services and fees: Title 6: "We are rarely completely certain, but we are frequently certain enough." Discuss this statement with reference to two areas of knowledge.
Breaking Down TOK Essay Titles 2021
Today we're breaking down the first 3 2021 TOK Essay titles to get your creative juices flowing! Note: Following these suggestions will not guarantee you a good score on your TOK Essay! These are our thoughts on the best ways to consider the questions, but ultimately it's the quality of your arguments that will make or break your essay ...
May 2021 TOK essay Prescribed Titles
Look carefully at the knowledge framework for each AOK for this Prescribed Title. Evaluate how different parts of the knowledge framework are linked to change and progress. 3. "Labels are a necessity in the organization of knowledge, but they also constrain our understanding.". Discuss this statement with reference to two areas of knowledge.
Example essays
To what extent do you agree with this statement?". "There is no such thing as a neutral question. Evaluate this statement with reference to two areas of knowledge.". "'The task of history is the discovering of the constant and universal principles of human nature.'. To what extent are history and one other area of knowledge successful ...
TOK Essay Titles November 2021
Δ. TOK Essay Titles for Nov. 2021 The TOK essay provides you with an opportunity to become engaged in thinking and reflection. What are outlined below are strategies and suggestions, prompts and prods, questions and possible responses only for deconstructing the TOK titles as they have been given. They should be used alongside the discussions ...
Breaking Down TOK Essay Titles 2021
Breaking Down TOK Essay Titles 2021 | Part 2. Time for the second round of Breaking Down 2021 TOK Essay Titles! These are 3 great titles to consider when choosing which 2021 TOK essay you'll write. All of them feel extremely relevant in today's day and age so read on to get some top tips about how to approach them!
Breaking Down TOK Essay Titles 2021
It's a very nuanced question, asking students to aptly compare and contrast the concepts of 'change' and 'progress' as it relates to knowledge. Naturally, this question can be spun a multitude of ways, but this is how you could approach this 2021 TOK essay title! Progress could be defined as change that leads you closer to the ...
Overview of the TOK essay (first assessment 2022)
Overview of the TOK essay (first assessment 2022) There have been some important changes to the TOK with the new curriculum (first assessment 2022). Overall, the "heart" of the essay remains the same but there are some key differences. When searching for resources online about the TOK essay, pay careful attention to whether or not they are ...
IB ToK Essay Titles and Topics: November 2021
The November 2021 ToK essay titles will not be released until March of 2021. If you email me via my contact page, I'll put your details on my alert list. Alternatively, the following social media will post immediate news of the November 2021 TOK titles when they become available.
Theory of knowledge
Theory of knowledge (TOK) is assessed through an exhibition and a 1,600 word essay. It asks students to reflect on the nature of knowledge, and on how we know what we claim to know. TOK is part of the International Baccalaureate® (IB) Diploma Programme (DP) core, and is mandatory for all students. Learn more about theory of knowledge.
ToK Essay Titles Nov 2021 Prompts 5 & 6: Part 1
The quality of being objectively certain…. 4. An undoubted fact; an indubitable prospect; a thing or person which may be relied on (to do)'. b/ 'confidence': '1. Firm trust, reliance, faith (in); 2. Assurance arising from reliance on oneself, circumstances etc…'; 3. 'A source of trust'.
The November 2021 TOK Essay Titles
The November 2021 TOK Essay Titles. Here are the TOK Essay prescribed titles (for the November 2021 session). I've created an in-depth November 2021 TOK Essay Titles Analysis, which you can watch inside IBMastery. It will help you understand how to approach each of the titles (i.e. things to avoid, things to consider and some tips for each title).
How To Write A ToK Essay
Introduce your topic accurately and state your thesis statement for the essay carefully. A thesis statement is like a teaser to your entire essay wherein you define your key terms and introduce your interpretation of the question. Make sure that you do not reword the prescribed title in your thesis. Instead, it needs to, as the word says ...
Theory of Knowledge: ToK Essay Titles May 2021
ToK Essay Titles May 2021 Here are the titles for students sitting the May 2021 Exams courtesy of 'TOK Tips': 1. Accepting knowledge claims and trust. 2. Differentiating between change and progress in AOKs. 3. Labels, the organization of knowledge & constraint on understanding. 4. Statistics dual role of concealing and revealing.
November 2021 TOK essay Prescribed Titles
Check with your TOK teacher / coordinator for the official set of November 2021 TOK essay Prescribed Titles. 1. Why is it so difficult to identify a clear line between accepted and disputed knowledge…
Tips & Resources
May 2021 TOK Essay Title Tips 1 . In this post, I unpack some key terms from the May 2021 essay titles and suggest some ideas to consider when structuring your argument. Please note that the following points simply serve as a guide to help you understand the questions, they are not complete essay plans. 1.
IB TOK Essay examples
High scoring IB Theory of Knowledge Essay examples. See what past students did and make your TOK Essay perfect by learning from examiner commented examples! ... May 2025 May 2024 November 2023 May 2023 November 2022 May 2022 November 2021 May 2021 November 2020 May 2020 Other. Apply. Filter exemplars. IB College. Category. Subject. Type a ...
TOK Course
TOK Essay Titles. The essay titles will require discussion of two Areas of Knowledge, as we have seen already in this year's 2021 titles. From 2022 onward, the titles may also stipulate specific AOKs, now that all AOKs are required. The titles are already clearer, more accessible and get to the heart of concepts we are already teaching and ...
May 2021 TOK essay Prescribed Titles
Make sure you look extensively at past sample TOK essays to get a better idea of what kinds of TOK questions are suitable. More knowledge questions that are closer to essay-ready knowledge questions will be posted at a later date. 1. "Accepting knowledge claims always involves an element of trust.". Discuss this claim with reference to two ...
Good TOK Essay Presentation Topics, Examples and Ideas
Step 5. Identify alternative angles and approaches to the title. You will already have a few ideas from when you were choosing the title. Each unique approach is a new opportunity to explore the title afresh. Step 6. Create and write down your thesis, clearly identifying your position in relation to the essay title.
Meet the incels and anti-feminists of Asia
According to one survey in 2021, 79% of South Korean men in their 20s believe they are victims of "reverse discrimination". In neighbouring Japan, a survey the same year found that 43% of men ...
May 2021 TOK essay Prescribed title #5
The knowledge questions below are some basic knowledge questions derived from each prescribed title. Consider these basic knowledge questions the starting point for developing knowledge questions for a TOK essay. 5. "Areas of knowledge are most useful in combination with each other.". Discuss this claim with reference to two areas of knowledge.
Ray Kurzweil on how AI will transform the physical world
The changes will be particularly profound in energy, manufacturing and medicine, says the futurist

IB ToK Essay Titles and Topics: May 2021

Title 1: "Accepting knowledge claims always involves an element of trust." Discuss this claim with reference to two areas of knowledge.

Title 2: Within areas of knowledge, how can we differentiate between change and progress? Answer with reference to two areas of knowledge.

Title 3: "Labels are a necessity in the organization of knowledge, but they also constrain our understanding." Discuss this statement with reference to two areas of knowledge.

Title 4: "Statistics conceal as much as they reveal." Discuss this claim with reference to two areas of knowledge.

Title 5: "Areas of knowledge are most useful in combination with each other." Discuss this claim with reference to two areas of knowledge.

Title 6: " Avoiding bias seems a commendable goal, but this fails to recognize the positive role that bias can play in the pursuit of knowledge." Discuss this statement with reference to two areas of knowledge.

TOK Essay Titles November 2021

Share this:

Author: John R. Butler

Leave a comment Cancel reply

Breaking Down TOK Essay Titles 2021 | Part 2

“Statistics conceal as much as they reveal.” Discuss this claim with reference to two areas of knowledge.

“Avoiding bias seems a commendable goal, but this fails to recognize the positive role that bias can play in the pursuit of knowledge.” Discuss this statement with reference to two areas of knowledge.

Related Articles

Theory of Knowledge IB Guide | Part 4

How to Ace your TOK Presentation

Breaking Down TOK Essay Titles 2020 | Part 2

“Accepting knowledge claims always involves an element of trust.” Discuss this claim with reference to two areas of knowledge.

Within areas of knowledge, how can we differentiate between change and progress? Answer with reference to two areas of knowledge.

“Labels are a necessity in the organization of knowledge, but they also constrain our understanding.” Discuss this statement with reference to two areas of knowledge.

ToK Essay Titles Nov 2021 Prompts 5 & 6: Part 1

ToK Essay Prescribed Titles May 2024 Prompt 4

ToK Essay Prescribed Titles May 2024 Prompt 3

ToK Essay Prescribed Titles May 2024 Prompt 1

ToK Essay Prescribed Titles May 2024 Prompt 5

ToK Essay Titles May 2023 Prompt 3

ToK Essay Titles May 2023 Prompt 5

ToK Essay Titles May 2023 Prompt 1

ToK Essay Titles Nov 2021 Prompts 5 & 6: Part 4

ToK Essay Titles Nov 2021 Prompts 5 & 6: Part 3

Contact: [email protected]

How To Write A ToK Essay - Updated 2023

Table of content

Purpose Of ToK

IB Resources you will love!

Theory of Knowledge

Precepts to use in everyday life

No comments:

Search This Blog

Nov 2024 TOK ESSAY GUIDES @ TOKTUTOR.NET

Blog Archive

Sites to Visit

Tips & Resources

Tips & Resources

ToK November 2024 Essay Title 5 Breakdown

ToK November 2024 Essay Title 4 Breakdown

ToK November 2024 Essay Title 3 Breakdown

ToK November 2024 Essay Title 2 Breakdown

ToK November 2024 Essay Title 1 Breakdown

Latest tips

Breaking down the TOK Exhibition

TOK Exhibition Prompts

How to make an effective TOK Knowledge Question

TOK Presentation: How to pick a great Real Life Example

May 2021 TOK Essay Title Tips 1

What NOT to do in a TOK essay

Top TOK essay tips

TOK Essay Titles May 2020: BREAKDOWN & TIPS

IB TOK Essay examples

Not sure what to search for? You can always look through our example Theory of Knowledge coursework below for inspiration.

All TOK Essay Examples

How to Choose the Right Topic for Your TOK Essay Presentation

How to Choose a TOK Essay Topic

TOK Prescribed Titles November 2019

IB Prescribed Titles May 2020

How to Unpack TOK Essay Title in 9 Steps

How to Choose TOK Presentation Topics, With Examples

Examples of Topics for IB TOK Presentation

Help With TOK Titles and Essays

Leave a Reply

May 2021 TOK essay Prescribed title #5 – fundamental knowledge questions

Related Posts

May 2023 Prescribed Title #1

May 2023 TOK essay prescribed title #4 specific example – photo of an execution during the Vietnam War.

Privacy Overview

The changes will be particularly profound in energy, manufacturing and medicine, says the futurist

Explore more

From the June 22nd 2024 edition

More from By Invitation