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Titel
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Knowledge and the knower
TOK: KNOWLEDGE AND THE KNOWER
DP year 1, unit 1
UNIT DESCRIPTION
This unit introduces students to the TOK course and asks them to evaluate themselves as knowers and thinkers in a complex world.
Our first reflection on TOK is on its key aims, central elements, assessment, as well as the links between knowledge claims and knowledge questions. Additionally, students explore the nature of knowledge and truth, and how various kinds of justifications are used to support knowledge claims.
The introductory part is followed by a critical examination of students both as individual knowers, and as members of different knowledge communities. Students evaluate how their personal and cultural affiliations influence the way they make sense of the world, the values they hold, and their perspective as knowers.
UNIT ASSESSMENTS
Oral presentation, class activities, mock exhibition
TRANSFER GOALS
The following are the transfer goals of this unit:
• To understand the different elements of TOK, what knowledge questions are, and why they are central to TOK
• To be able to critically analyse the nature of knowledge and truth
• To develop intellectual humility and question what they hold to be true
• To understand the interpretive nature of knowledge that results from people’s personal and cultural biases, including their own
UNIT OBJECTIVES
It is expected that by the end of this unit, students will be able to:
• Distinguish between first- and second-order knowledge.
• Identify knowledge questions underlying their own knowledge claims
• Identify and analyse various kinds of justifications used to support knowledge claims
• Formulate, evaluate and attempt to answer knowledge questions.
• Explore real-life/contemporary resources from a TOK perspective
• Critically analyse the nature of knowledge and truth
• Demonstrate an awareness and understanding of different perspectives and be able to relate these to one’s own perspective.
• Draw links and make effective comparisons between different approaches to knowledge issues that derive from theoretical positions, cultural values and areas of knowledge
UNIT CONTENT, SKILLS AND CENTRAL CONCEPTS
Students will know the following content:
• The importance and purpose of TOK.
• Second-order knowledge questions as questions about knowledge that should be phrased using general rather than subject specific terminology, and that they should be contestable questions that have a number of plausible answers.
• The details, strengths and limitations of four different conceptions of truth, “the correspondence theory of truth”, “the pragmatic theory of truth”, “the coherence theory of truth” and “the consensus theory of truth”.
• The nature of knowledge, including: The difference between knowledge and belief, knowledge as justified, true belief and knowledge as a map.
• Theoretical positions relating to knowledge acquisition, including absolutism, scepticism and the rationalist and empiricist approaches, represented by René Descartes and David Hume.
Students will develop the following skills:
• Describe the purpose of TOK and the “TOK way of thinking”
• Define and identify "knowledge claims” and “knowledge questions”
• Explain how knowledge claims are justified
• Research resources relevant to TOK and extract the knowledge questions
• Make counterclaims
• Self-evaluate as a “knower”
• Describe and investigate perspectives
• Draw connections to other subjects
• Communicate effectively and respectfully
Students will grasp the following concepts:
• Elements of TOK (Core theme, optional themes and Areas of knowledge (AOK’s), The knowledge framework, The 12 concepts, TOK assessment: The essay and exhibition)
• First- and second order knowledge claims & questions.
• Plato’s ‘Justified true belief’ definition of knowledge
• The Gettier problem (with JTB)
• Knowledge as a map, including concepts such as usefulness/purpose, good/bad maps, errors of scale and accuracy of detail, methods for map construction.
• Truth as correspondence, pragmatic use, coherence and consensus
• Absolutism
• Moral and epistemological relativism
• Descartes’ rationalism, including methodological doubt, criticism of sensory experience, innate ideas, the dream argument, the evil demon argument
• John Locke's empirism, including his criticism of rationalism,
• Other central concepts are: fallacious reasoning, inductive/deductive reasoning, certainty, reliability, coherence, evidence, open-mindedness, context, confirmation bias, culture
UNIT QUESTIONS
• What are the different elements of TOK and how is TOK assessed? Is TOK assessed in a meaningful way?
• What is a knowledge question and what role do they play in TOK?
• What is the value of knowledge?
• What is the difference between knowledge and belief? What counts as knowledge?
• What are the justifications of knowledge?
• What distinguishes a good justification from a poor one?
• What is "truth"?
• Can we ever be certain of the truth?
• Where do our values come from?
• How does being a member of given knowledge communities influence us as knowers?
• To what extent do our personal and cultural values influence our judgements?
• To what extent can we overcome our biases by applying reason?
• What tools and methods are available to help us make sense of the world?
• What are the implications of knowledge? - of having and not having it?
TEACHING STRATEGIES
• PowerPoint lecture
• Small group/pair work
• Individual presentations
• Group presentations
• Class discussions
Creative activities
RESOURCES
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