Areas of knowledge are structures within which much human knowledge is organized. In these areas there are often socially established methods for producing knowledge, as well as norms for what counts as a fact or a good explanation. Students are required to study all five of the following areas of knowledge.
Within their discussions, students should be encouraged to think about, and draw examples from, specific individual academic disciplines that are included within the different areas of knowledge. The following sections contain guidance and examples of knowledge questions for each of these five compulsory areas of knowledge. These are suggestions only and should not be taken as prescriptive or exhaustive. However, teachers must ensure that the focus remains clearly on knowledge in that area, and that they engage with the four compulsory elements required in every part of the syllabus: scope, perspectives, methods and tools and ethics.
Making comparisons across areas of knowledge TOK discussions should explore the different areas of knowledge to deepen students’ understanding of what it is that gives each area its character. Crucially, a key focus should then also be on encouraging students to make comparisons and connections across the areas of knowledge.
The “knowledge framework” is intended to help support comparisons across areas of knowledge. These four elements provide a useful vocabulary for making effective comparisons. For example, within “perspectives” students could compare how knowledge changes over time in the different areas of knowledge. Although knowledge in these areas is often highly structured and systematic in nature, it also changes and evolves over time. These changes may be slow and incremental, as areas of knowledge often possess a certain stability.
However, changes can also be more sudden and dramatic shifts as an area of knowledge responds to, for example, new experimental results, advances in underlying theories or changes in technology. It is important to note that comparing and contrasting the various areas of knowledge involves not only exploring features that they have in common, but also examining their differences. Comparison of different areas of knowledge is also an evaluative task, as opposed to being simply descriptive. It involves critical appraisal of similarities and differences between the areas of knowledge, rather than simply their identification
International Baccalaureate Organisation. Theory of Knowledge First Assessment 2022. Wales, International Baccalaureate Organization, Feb. 2020, p 27.