Theory of Knowledge
Talk about Theory of Knowledge.
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If you want help with prescribed TOK Essay titles, check this thread to see if your title has an existing thread first. Only when a thread does not already exist for your title can you start a new thread about TOK prescribed titles. Put the exam session and the title number in the thread title (e.g Nov09/May10 Title 5)
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2,043 topics in this forum
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hi all, i am planning to my TOK essay on "There are no absolute distinctions between what is true and what is false. Discuss this claim" but i am struggling with the intro... where can i start??? please help
Last reply by Jordz16, -
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So I got the question today "is zero necessary?" or something like that. I forget. We have to debate about it on Monday and I got the side "not necessary". So I'm thinking one point to argue is that while it is necessary for conventional expression, ie. 205, it is not necessarily necessary. It more of an artificial construct of modern convention and not a "real" concept, if you know what I mean. Like you can express 205 as 25x4x2 +5 , and there no zeros. So like, it's important for our mode of expression but it's not a part of the world. 'Cause our mathematical system isn't a real thing- you can't "find math" everywhere, it's merely our interpretation of how things are. L…
Last reply by JoeG, -
- 1 reply
- 4.1k views
Hey guys, I have my TOK presentation coming up in a bit and I needed some help. The knowledge issue I'm approaching with is : "To What Extent Can Emotion Influence Ethical Decisions?" I'm thinking about how one's personal ethical models can be shaped or even justified by the emotions that one feels. Eg. Sarah may think killing her neighbor's dog is wrong because it would make her neighbors sad. She may also feel guilty. Therefore to her it is unethical to kill the dog. But see here, I feel like theres a missing bridge in the gap in my thinking... Except I can't quite pinpoint it. It would be great if you guys could help me out here! PS. if you guys have any relevant real …
Last reply by JoeG, -
- 1 reply
- 1.9k views
Is it proper to put sources in the Bibliography for the TOK essay if you did not cite them in the body of the essay? The reason I'm saying this is because I read a book that influenced an example I used, but I made it entirely my own. The example was completely my own idea, but I still worry lol. So there really isn't a direct correlation between the two sources, so it wouldn't be counted as plagiarism, but I still worry lol.
Last reply by BronxNerd, -
- 1 reply
- 1.3k views
I chose a topic but im not sure whether it is good topic or not...... Can anyone tell me that it is good or not and... give me some guides (knowledge issues, real-life examples like that) for what I'm going to tell in the presentation....? Pleaz......
Last reply by JoeG, -
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Hello everyone, in my TOK essay I addressed History implicitly in an example I used for Mathematics. The title (below) says that I can only address two areas of knowledge. While the example was developed enough to where I found it satisfactory (I hope it is. ),I really didn't explicitly discuss the History aspect of it, but rather the Mathematical portion. The example is meant to be one for Mathematics, yet I labeled it as "History" Would the IB kill me for having more than two AOK's in my essay for the title below? I know it's different for every title, I'm just asking for a general rule. Oh, if necessary, my example concerned "doubt in the History of [somewhere]/c…
Last reply by JoeG, -
Presentation How can beliefs affect our capacity to reason well and recognize valid arguments?
by slexx- 0 replies
- 2.6k views
Again, How can beliefs affect our capacity to reason well and to recognize valid arguments? Can they affect a person's capacity to distinguish between fallacy, good argument and rationalization? What is the difference between a rational argument and a rationalization?
Last reply by slexx, -
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This topic will be done as a group. I want to know some ideas about this topic. I heard that lots of people did this topic and scored good grades. I personally believe that Ghost exist and i want to know what others think. I appreciate each and everyone's suggestion. Thank You
Last reply by JoeG, -
Nov10/May11 #2 How important are the opinions of experts in the search of knowledge? 1 2
by Glory seeker- 23 replies
- 18.2k views
for whom that chose to do the second prescribed TOK ESSAY Title: How important are the opinions of experts in the search of knowledge? we can certainly do a brain stroming here, what do you guys think ? what is the knowledge issue here? which areas of knowledge we can link to ? Cheers IB Bros!
Last reply by Artoth, -
- 2 replies
- 5k views
Hello, Could anyone help me thinking of an issue for my presentation? any suggestions?
Last reply by fan, -
OK, so I decided to do this title. I know that I have to compare ethics to another area of knowledge (math, science, etc.) So what I ask for is..how do I analyze this? In my practice essays, I score super low (to the point where I cry) because of things like not "analyzing it" or putting examples and not showing how it supports my claim. PLEASE HELP. I'm really yucky with ToK essays and I need some pointers on how to score high on this thing! My diploma depends on it!! xP
Last reply by dessskris, -
- 4 replies
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Seeing as how I've played violin for as long as I can remember ( 12 years), viola and cello for 3 years, and piano for 6 years, I always try to use music as my broad topic for all things IB. How could I possibly do my presentation in music? maybe "what is good music?" as clichéd as that sounds... and like, why is some music acceptable (ie, baroque style) while other music isn't... how did stalin control the music produced during his rule in russia? What are some other music related topics which have been done? and how do you find knowledge issues which relate to music? I'm really lost on this one...
Last reply by JoeG, -
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- 1.6k views
I'm doing my ToK presentation on euthanasia and whether the doctors should have the right to administer it. I don't know whether this is a good topic to talk about or not. Is it right to ever end the life of a terminally ill patient who is undergoing severe pain and suffering? Under what circumstance can euthanasia justifiable if at all? Is there moral difference between killing someone and letting them die? Should the family have the right to choose for the patient whether they will live or not? these are the questions i'm gonna be answering and also of course i'm going to use real life examples. any suggestions about this topic or advice
Last reply by iMedic, -
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Does any one know? I didn't write it down...
Last reply by Mahuta ♥, -
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Hey, I am writing about vocabulary, and I am wondering if linguistics is language or human science. I want to take an example of a same word in different languages.
Last reply by fan, -
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We've been discussing this topic in my TOK class and we've come up with a synopsis that yes a machine can know, because man has programmed it to do various things e.g. the light in a fridge will come on if you open the fridge. But, machines do not have any understanding about this knowledge that man has programmed into them. What are your toughts on this discussion?
Last reply by smiley, -
- 2 replies
- 683 views
Hey, It's a possible knowledge issue i can use for my TOK essay...I was hoping if you could help outline the process of its reconstruction ie what the architects studied, discovered etc. Thanks heaps. ) x
Last reply by EveCh, -
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- 914 views
Ok so what I was thinking was that I could use the Westboro Baptist church protest at Elizabeth Edward's funeral or the protest they are planning in Arizon as my real life situation. Then my knowledge issue would be something with the first amendment. However, I am unsure of how to word it... Then I would go into other examples of the first amendment being taken away and how others have used the first amendment. Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated. Thanks!
Last reply by Tay Jay 2011, -
- 7 replies
- 1.6k views
If i'm using examples from the new testament - people and events mentioned in the bible etc. - will i then cite the bible as a source? Or no source at all? I just kind of find it ...strange
Last reply by frankinafishtank, -
- 3 replies
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I'm finishing off TOK for this semester (I'll do the rest next year, grade 12, with the "real" papers and such) and I have to do a paper that will *not* be sent into IB, and will serve as our mark for this portion of the TOK class... The only problem is that I don't know how to write a Theory of Knowledge paper! We've been told about including "knowledge issues" and resolving them etc, etc and my brain is just being overwhelmed at the moment. I was wondering if someone could just give me some tips on writing this, or anything at all you can offer regarding this paper? Personal experience? Anything? Thank you so much! - Ellen.
Last reply by thesunsetglow, -
- 3 replies
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Im doing my presentation on how do we know if a word is innapropiate or not. So far the brainstorming and reserch i've done comes to the following: Social Reactions Parenting Social Influnce Personal morals Culture Religon Real Life situations: In Germany, teachers use the f-word often during class. If you say "two" in Chinese it means stupid You too means "your stupid"Culture DifferencesPossibility of offending someone when speaking your native languageSense perception As young adults age they seem to lose their habit of swearing if they had one.As pre-teens age into teenagers, they swear more. Conforming to social norms A court case where a teacher gets in trouble for…
Last reply by Austin Glau, -
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I'm aiming for 25 points for the essay since i already got a good grade for my presentation. How easy or difficult is it to get 25 points and above? If you have graduated, what did you get and how much time and effort did you spend on it? or what do most people get?
Last reply by frankinafishtank, -
- 9 replies
- 1.3k views
How do i use personal examples in the TOK essay? I don't quite understand how it works. The two AOK i have for my essay are the human sciences (psychology) and ethics (religion). How do i intergrate personal examples and how do i do it? For example do i say...once i met a person that said this...and that made me think that.. or how? Help please?
Last reply by frankinafishtank, -
- 5 replies
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So my teacher told us to pick something of interest to us, and to be honest, the only interest I have that can be used for a TOK presentation is something about animals or gaming, the latter being overdone. Therefore, I want to do a topic about animals. I was thinking along the lines of Shark Fin eating or Seal hunting, but I don't really understand how I can link it to a knowledge issue. I guess I can talk about different cultures, but I would only have Western culture and Asian cultures to compare, and it's not really a knowledge issue. Any help is much appreciated! @@ TOK
Last reply by Sandwich, -
- 4 replies
- 1.5k views
hello guys, maybe Im going a little bit offtopic on this one but my tok teacher is not able to give me a decent feedback on my tok essay, is there anyone with some experience who could have a look at in and give me some feedback? Please pm me, any help appreciated. My topic: Title #6 "There are no absolute distinctions between what is true and what is false". Discuss this claim. Thanks guys
Last reply by Sandwich, -
- 1 reply
- 590 views
Hey, So i am just beginning to write my essay... and observing couple of titles i see the phrase 'search for knowledge' repeated. I would appreciate any input as i myself am lost on what exactly should one include for the search of knowledge. What aspects does this phrase cover ??
Last reply by Sandwich, -
- 2 replies
- 1.3k views
Hey guys, i'm planning to discuss something like "what do girls(or guys) look for in a guy(or a girl)" , i found this question on one of the websites and I trust that this might be quite interesting and easy to understand since relationships is one of the things that people at our age pay great attention to. So i was thinking.... this topic is pertained with [Feelings, emotions and intuition] and the [Paradigms and Culture] chapters. This question does not look very TOK-ish, can any of you give me a better worded version? or a better question? please? Thank you so much!!!
Last reply by wombat123, -
- 2 replies
- 1k views
I have my ToK presentation in about 1 month, but I have absolutely no clue what to do it on. I'd rather stay away from generic topics, but if that's what works, I'll do that. One thing my teacher mentioned is that for students from different countries, he loves to see topics/thoughts originating from that country. This is applicable for me as I was born in Switzerland, and now live in the U.S. So could anyone give me an idea for a topic? Thanks in advance.
Last reply by Julie, -
- 1 reply
- 912 views
Hi. I'm planning my TOK presentation but am clueless. My KI is: What role does language play in how we gain knowledge and my RLS how is langauge used by the media to influence our perception of Guantanomo? Any ideas on what I cn speak about or how i can change this?!!!! PLEASE!!!!!
Last reply by Sandwich, -
- 2 replies
- 824 views
I am doing topic 3 " Doubt is the key to knowledge" I think i need to define what is "key to knowledge", so can i say that "key to knowledge" is the way to know what is truth???
Last reply by ∫ Jorge δx, -
- 3 replies
- 10.9k views
I have two (overall) questions about the TOK essay. To what extent can we talk in the first person in the essay? Is it limited only to personal examples/real world situations? I know to use it responsibly, but I still want some kind of clarification lol. Also, do personal examples have to be directly related to our AOK's? What would "qualify" as a personal example, something we actually went through, or something we perceived about the world? I'm sorry for all of the questions, I just wanted to get some advice on this aspect of the essay. Thanks for helping me.
Last reply by meh, -
I'm starting my TOK essay and I chose topic #10: A model is a simplified representation of some aspect of the world. In what ways may models help of hinder the search for knowledge? Has anyone else written theirs on this topic before? I just need some general ideas and help on where to start with this whole essay. If you have any advice to offer or sample papers I would love to see them! Thanks in advance --Renee
Last reply by reneetheresa, -
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What exactly is the difference between Pseudo-Sciences and the "real" sciences? I know the real world differences between the two, but not the TOK concepts of the differences. I encountered this problem while thinking about Nov 2010/May 2011 #3 "Doubt is the Key to Knowledge. To what extent is this true in two areas of knowledge. I'm at the point where I'm discussing the Natural Sciences but I'm having difficulty differentiating Pseudo-Science from the Natural sciences without inserting too much of my Western mindset. I don't want to offend any examiners, or loose points. For example, take Astrology. I don't want to step on anyones beliefs by saying it is a Pseudo S…
Last reply by JoeG, -
- 2 replies
- 2.8k views
Hi, I'm in my 2nd year of the IB but i found when starting my TOK essay i really don't understand TOK. I really don't now what TOK is about , i understand that the main question TOK s concerned with is "How do we know? " . But in the essay requirements i don't understand what is meant by transcending AOK's and WOK's .EEEeeks!!! can anybody explain TOK to me in simple english? : /
Last reply by Sandwich, -
- 0 replies
- 992 views
Hey I'm working on my TOK presentation, and I'm torn between making a video or a powerpoint presentation. I know we're not allowed to 'read an essay to the class', and I'm worried a powerpoint would come across as this, which is why one of the reasons I'm considering the video. I've got all of my information to make either in a short space of time, but I need to know if powerpoint is okay. I'm also considering bringing in my non-IB friend to do a small 'role-play' towards the end where we round everything up (basically she'll play an expert in the field so what she says won't count, and I'll be rounding everything up to try and impress her). My teacher told me this would …
Last reply by AGBellamy, -
- 6 replies
- 1.7k views
topic #4 When should we discard explanations that are intuitively appealing? or topic #5 What is it about theories in the human sciences and natural sciences that makes convincing?
Last reply by Candidate 2011, -
- 9 replies
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I'm writing my ToK Essay as a dialogue. The thing is I still need some sort of introduction. I'm trying to find sample dialogue-essays online to see how other poeple have structured them. What do I need to write in my introduction that I can't include in the dialogue? I would be thankful for a little help because I'm lost... x)
Last reply by infinite, -
- 1 reply
- 1.8k views
it is still blurry! but! this is my first TOk presentation and as our awful teacher gave us no guide lines or brief explanation on how to do it, well.. i have to relate ethics and i am lately researching about cannibalism/death penalty cases I encountered this Shocking case if this Japanese man Issei Sagawa, who after murdering a german woman in france got out of it because of his wealthy daddy and (very very shocking) became a Celebrity in Japan (author, guest in programs, porn star) vs. Unfair case of a woman executed in a muslim country because left husban who have beaten her up.. now! Knowledge issue: (still blurry) - How do we know that ethics is applied in mode…
Last reply by brinley, -
- 3 replies
- 19k views
I am writing something in TOK and need help on limitations of reasoning. just examples.
Last reply by Sandwich, -
- 2 replies
- 1.3k views
Our teacher assigned us a presentation to do, but im kind of lost. Does this question count as a knowledge issue? " How do we differentiate between legitimate facts and false claims" Im planning to use the doomsday phenomenon as an example. What are some knowledge issues involved with it? Im not sure of what to talk about in the powerpoint.
Last reply by Sandwich, -
- 1 reply
- 3k views
I am wondering if somebody can tell me some of the limitations of Language, emotion, reasoning and Perception? I am writing a small essay in TOK and we need to state some limitations on each of the four points, so if somebody could please help me with that? I don't need a long text just some points on some limitations that'll just get me started.
Last reply by Drake Glau, -
- 4 replies
- 3.5k views
What is a good way to structure the tok presentation? Are you using overheads/powerpoint etc? I will be using a powerpoint slide & was thinking something like this: 1)present the real life situation 2)explain your knowledge issue 3) ...... 4) ....... 5) ....... 6) conclusion any ideas??
Last reply by Mahuta ♥, -
- 3 replies
- 2.4k views
I haven't had much guidance from my teacher about the paper, and as a result I'm not sure how much I should be talking about the AOK's. Should you have (a) paragraph(s) dedicated specifically to talking about how your question topic relates to certain AOK's? Or is it fine to simply have examples from subjects such as sciences and history dispersed throughout your paper to support your arguments? The question I'm doing is "How important are the opinions of experts in the search for knowledge?" and my draft is taking the form of the latter, but I'm not sure if that will work well. Also, I'm not sure if I should focus on using examples from say, just 2 AOK's, or if it wou…
Last reply by Sandwich, -
- 2 replies
- 1.3k views
I got so many different comments that I'm now confused what exactly does a student have to do in a presentation in order to score 20/20..? all of you guys out there are so experienced on IB SURVIVAL that I thought that some of you at least would be able to help me clear out the confusion.. I'm in the state of hypertension.... please help thanks in advance..
Last reply by icdiik, -
- 2 replies
- 1.1k views
Hi everyone, My teacher told my class that we need to have two knowledge issues in our TOK essay. After turning in my first draft, he told me that my second knowledge issue seemed irrelevant and out of place. The final draft is due today and I was wondering whether anybody knows whether we actually need two knowledge issues in our essay or if that was just a suggestion by my teacher. Thanks, Tina
Last reply by Drake Glau, -
- 3 replies
- 1.4k views
My teachers have tried.The TOK companion has tried but I am still confused. What is a knowledge issue? How does it tie into the presentation? what should come first?Real life situation or the knowledge issue? I'm very confused
Last reply by JoeG, -
- 2 replies
- 3.7k views
So my ToK teacher doesn't really know what he actually is supposed to do (and I can't blame him, considering they just gave him the job this year and he didn't want it in the first place). So, he doesn't know much about the forms required for the presenters. I know that there is a presentation marking form, a candidate self-evaluation form, and a presentation planning document. Are those the only ones? Are there more? Can anyone give me any more information? Also, if we work in groups, does each candidate have to fill out an individual form? I'm pretty sure the answer yes, but I want to make sure. Thank you for any help you may lend.
Last reply by Deluxe489, -
- 1 reply
- 13.9k views
My knowledge issue for my presentation is: How can we use reason to determine who can be considered as a knower? Hence, i need to define the term "knower". I can't find it on wikipedia and i need some suggestions. How would you define it?
Last reply by lds88, -
- 3 replies
- 1.9k views
Why is it so freaking difficult writing it? I'm sitting here with my outline and a blank word doc and for the last two hours I've written 300 words. And my teacher just told me like half of that is crap. Help!
Last reply by lds88, -
- 4 replies
- 1.3k views
My teacher gave me the rubric that has four areas for the presentation. 1. Identification of Knowledge Issue 2. Treatment of Knowledge Issues 3. Knower's Perspective 4. Connections Can anyone explain these things in depth for me? I have to include implications and personal connection (I guess it's the reason why I chose this topic), too. Thank you
Last reply by IBVeryStressed,
