Theory of Knowledge

Theory of Knowledge (TOK) is a required course for IB Diploma students, but any student interested in a discussion based class with a philosophical trend is welcome to take the class.  For IB Diploma students, the course runs during the junior year, with a lunch seminar during the senior year.  A non-IB Diploma student can take the course during their junior or senior year and it does not include the secondary lunch seminar.

So what is Theory of Knowledge?  It is a discussion based class that asks students to examine how they know what they know.  In class, students examine the types of knowledge and knowledge issues in several areas .

Knowledge Themes: 

Knowledge and the Knower

How does who we are affect what and how we know things? For example, how might age, culture, or group affiliation affect how we come to knowledge?

Language

What is the role of language in producing, acquiring, and disseminating knowledge? For example, what knowledge might be gained or lost if the world spoke one language?

Technology

How does technology affect the production and dissemination of knowledge? For example, does technology allow knowledge to reside outside of human knowers?

Areas of Knowledge:

Natural Sciences

An exploration of knowledge in the scientific exploration in the natural world (physics, chemistry, geology, astronomy, etc.).  For example, is prediction the primary purpose of scientific knowledge?

Human Sciences

An exploration of knowledge about human behaviors (psychology, economics, anthropology, sociology, etc.) For example, what are the main difficulties that human sciences encounter when trying to provide explanations of human behavior?

History

How is historical knowledge constructed? For example, what are the roles of selection and bias when creating history?

The Arts

What constitutes knowledge in/of the arts? For example, are the arts best seen as a system of knowledge, a type of knowledge, or a means of expressing knowledge?

Mathematics

What is the fundamental nature of mathematical knowledge? For example, does mathematics only yield knowledge about the real world when it is combined with other areas of knowledge?

Students engage in discussion, activities, reading and writing about Knowledge Issues throughout the course.  They are encouraged to reflect on their own roles in investigating knowledge claims.

Here are some sample questions students may encounter in TOK

Can there be knowledge that is independent of culture? Discuss with reference to mathematics and one other area of knowledge.

If we conclude that there is some knowledge we should not pursue on ethical grounds, how can we determine the boundaries of acceptable investigation within an area of knowledge? 

In what sense, if any, can a machine be said to know something?

Should we hold people responsible for the applications of technology they develop/create?

What criteria can we use to distinguish between knowledge, belief, and opinion?