TOK Glossary

assumption:

A belief that we may not even be consciously aware of holding because it seems so obvious to us that we are unaware that others may think differently. In reasoning, we may attempt to pin down exactly what we are taking as ‘assumed’ or ‘given’ in order to give an explicit and understood starting point for further reasoning, as in the axioms of mathematics. Source: Kognity

certainty:

what distinguishes knowledge from mere belief ; When you know something, you are certain if is true without a doubt or definitely known; if something is certain, it must be believed, justified and universally true. If you state "It is certain that...." then you must justify your claim.

confirmation bias:

A major cognitive bias which inclines us to notice and accept whatever accords with our beliefs and confirm them, and to screen out whatever does not. This built-in bias makes it harder to have an open mind. Source: Kognity

cultural context:

The norms of a society and the way in which these impact behaviours and thinking. Source: Kognity

echo chamber:

Just as you will only hear your own voice in a real echo chamber, a digital echo chamber is an environment where the beliefs and opinions that you find always coincide with your own, reinforcing your own views and preventing you from the advantage of considering the perspectives of others. Source: Kognity

evidence:

Evidence consists of observable objects or observational statements about them in language or mathematics. It is used to justify knowledge claims and support arguments, to build knowledge that can be demonstrated, publicly examined and shared communally. The degree to which it is convincing depends on its quantity and quality, which in turn depend on the methods of the areas of knowledge.In a historical context, this is the facts, artifacts or sources used to produce a historical narrative or explanation. Source: Kognity

explanation:

giving reasons for or causes of something; a mutual discussion designed to correct a misunderstanding or reconcile differences; showing the logical development of relationships

ideology:

The doctrines or beliefs which are shared by the members of a social group and which form the basis of a political (or other) system. Source: Kognity

inductive logic or reasoning:

The process of drawing a general conclusion from particular instances, from specific evidence to a broad premise or axiom. The more extensive the particular observations, the better the conclusion. However, exceptions and counter-examples can overthrow a conclusion reached inductively. Source: Kognity

interpretation:

an explanation of the meaning of something in light of individual belief, judgment, or circumstance- can happen on an unconscious level

justification:

Justifying a knowledge claim means providing good reasons for accepting and asserting it. What qualifies as a good reason depends on the nature of the knowledge claim, its context, and the people doing the evaluating. The following, for example, have all been offered as justifications for believing a knowledge claim: faith, intuition, dreams and visions, emotion, observation, memory, reasoning, authority, evidence, consensus. Not all of them would be accepted as convincing in all contexts or in all areas of knowledge. Source: Kognity

knowledge:

The IB Theory of Knowledge course does not put tight definitional boundaries around this absolutely central idea. Instead, it prompts you to consider what ‘knowledge’ means in different parts of your life, in different social contexts and from different perspectives. It encourages you to examine how knowledge is constructed in diverse areas of knowledge with their different methods and tools. It also invites you to consider whether you have any responsibility yourself to gain knowledge with an open and critical mind, and to use it ethically in the world. Source: Kognity

knowledge acquisition:

This is the act of "acquiring knowledge" and while that may seem straightforward enough, this term really places an emphasis on the "individual knower" and the process of acquiring knowledge as the knower moves through the world. Source: Kognity

knowledge claims:

Statements that are considered to be true by whom that states them. Source: Kognity

knowledge production:

Knowledge production is the process of producing knowledge. The context in which any given process of knowledge production occurs can affect the resulting knowledge both in form as well as in the degree to which it is accepted by other knowers. As a TOK student, it is important to pay critical attention to the process of knowledge production and seek to understand how knowledge is changed as methods of production are changed. Source: Kognity

objectivity:

The act of not being influenced by personal feelings or opinions in considering and representing facts

perspective:

a particular attitude toward or way of regarding something; a point of view

power:

the capacity or ability to direct or influence the behavior of others or the course of events; political or social authority or control, especially that exercised by a government

responsibility:

the state or fact of being accountable or to blame for something

theory:

A scientific explanation about phenomena based on the scientific method. Source: Kognity

truth: An abstract concept that guides us in our search for knowledge. The goal of truth-seeking is to eliminate error and falsehood, to understand reality as it is and ourselves as we are. In different contexts, people seek the truth in different ways and often claim to have found it.

Source: Kognity

values: Our beliefs about what is better; for instance, more beautiful, more effective, more moral, more important or higher priority. As individuals and communities, we state or imply scales from most negative (worst) to most positive (best) for what we observe, do, think or plan. They are ideas not only about how things are but how they should be. They cannot be proved right. Source: Kognity

verify: The act or process of attempting to make sure that a theory or idea is true, or to check if a scientific claim is accurate. Source: Kognity