Knowledge & Language

TOK Optional Theme

Description

Language is an essential part of our daily lives, with most of our knowledge coming to us linguistically encoded. It plays an important role in communicating and sharing knowledge and has a significant impact on the way that we experience the world. However, some see language as having an even more central role, arguing that language doesn’t just describe our experiences of the world but, in fact, actually structures those experiences, limiting and shaping what we know.

This theme provides an opportunity for students to reflect on the role that language plays in our lives, and the influence it has on thought and behavior. It also encourages students to draw on their personal experience of language-learning as part of their DP studies. For example, students could reflect on:

what knowledge of a language consists of, and how that is similar to, or different from, other forms of knowledge.
the extent to which how we know and what we know is dependent on, and differs according to, the language that we use.
the role of language in allowing knowledge to be shared with--as well as scrutinized, debated, confirmed or refuted by--others.
the relationship between language and social, economic, or political power.

(Adapted from the IB Theory of Knowledge Subject Guide)

Key Vocabulary

language
structuralism
concept

schema
metaphor/analogy
translation

sign/symbol/semiotics

Knowledge Framework

Scope

Can all knowledge be expressed in words or symbols?
Is it possible to think or know without language?
Is being able to speak a language an example of “knowing how” to do something?
What role does language play in allowing knowledge to be shared with future generations?
Are there differences in how knowledge itself is conceived of, or presented, in different languages?
Is it the case that if we cannot express something, we don’t know it?
To what extent does language allow us to make our private experiences public?
How does language allow humans to pool resources and share knowledge?

Perspectives

Does the transmission of knowledge from one person or generation to another depend on language?
What knowledge might be lost if the whole world shared one common language?
If a language dies, does knowledge die with it?
How do our values and assumptions influence the language in which we express our ideas?
Is ambiguity a shortcoming of language that must be eliminated, or can it also be seen as making a positive contribution to knowledge and knowing?
Do all people share some innate linguistic knowledge? If the categories that we use necessarily empower or marginalize, is it ever possible to produce knowledge that does not either reflect or challenge existing power structures?

Methods & Tools

How are metaphors used in the construction of knowledge?
If language works according to sets of rules and conventions, how much scope do we have as individuals to break the rules or challenge these conventions?
In what ways do values affect our representations of the world, for example, in language, maps or visual images?
To what extent do the classification systems we use in the pursuit of knowledge affect the conclusions that we reach?
In what ways can language be used to influence, persuade or manipulate people’s emotions?
To what extent do the names and labels that we use help or hinder the acquisition of knowledge?

Ethics

Does ethical language differ in any significant way from other types of language?
How can we know if language is intended to deceive or manipulate us?
Do ethical statements simply convey our feelings/emotions rather than making claims?
If ethical terms and concepts cannot be easily defined, does this mean that they are meaningless?
Can we define words such as good and bad in terms of objective features of the world?
Do professional interpreters and translators have any special ethical obligations?

Connections to the Core Theme

If you speak more than one language, is what you know different in each language? (scope)
Do people from different linguistic or cultural backgrounds live, in some sense, in different worlds? (perspectives)
What are the implications if we do not produce knowledge in language that respects people’s preferred modes of self-identification? (methods and tools)
Who decides whether language should be censored in films and TV shows, and using what criteria? (ethics)

Quotes about Knowledge & Language

Coming Soon!

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