IB Theory of Knowledge Core Theme and 3 Additional Themes Study Notes
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Course
Theory of Knowledge
Institution
N/A
The complete notes for TOK (Theory of Knowledge) Year One. This document includes notes on the Core Theme (Knowledge and the Knower) and three additional themes (Knowledge and Politics, Knowledge and Indigenous Societies, Knowledge and Technologies) and also some bonus notes on Areas of Knowledge. ...
KNOWLEDGE AND THE KNOWER - CORE THEME
Introduction
• What is knowledge?
◦Plato: Knowledge is a justified, true belief
• Belief
◦A psychological certainty
◦A mental state (frame of mind)
• Truth
◦Epistemically (validated through knowledge) certainty
◦Knowledge based on reality
• Procedural knowledge is easy to demonstrate
◦But how do we demonstrate propositional knowledge?
‣ Examine using knowledge concepts
• Evidence
• Certainty
• Truth
• Interpretation
• Power
• Justification
• Explanation
• Objectivity
• Perspective
• Culture
• Values
• Responsibility
• Emotion
• Sense Perception
• Language
• Reason
• Memory
• Imagination
• Intuition
• Faith
Belief VS Truth
• If there is no belief, can it be knowledge?
◦Not a necessary condition because we can believe false claims
• Belief does not equal knowledge BUT it cannot be knowledge if we do not believe it
◦Two people can believe contradictory claims
• Belief: state of mind
• Truth: objective and public
◦What is true for me is true for everyone
◦Eternal and unchanging
◦What is true will forever be true
• Truth is independent from belief
• Does not matter if everyone or no one believes the truth BUT knowledge must be believed and
must be true
, • Tests for truth
◦Correspondence test
‣ True because it matches the real world
• (ex. Saw something with your own eyes)
◦Coherence test
‣ True because it fits the other truths
• (ex. If A > B, B > C, then A > C)
◦Pragmatic test
‣ Truth in practice
• (ex. I know the sky is blue because I know the color of blue look like on other
objects)
• Evaluating knowledge claims
◦Observation (evidence)
‣ Subject to perception differences, selection issues
◦Confirmation Bias
‣ Does it make more sense given what we know? Is it confirming our previous
knowledge?
◦Popularity Bias
‣ The greater majority agrees it is true
◦Matches reality
◦Authority Fallacy
‣ Based on authority/experts
Personal VS Shared Knowledge
• Personal knowledge
◦Knowledge we personally have
‣ Is experiential, innate
• Community of knowers
◦Tribalism: behaviour and attitudes exhibited as a result of belonging to tribes or groups
◦Can be any group of knowers an individual may associate with
• Shared knowledge
◦All knowledge that can be communicated between people
◦Much of general knowledge comes from knowledge communities, particularly academic
knowledge communities
◦Also includes new knowledge passed on when discovered or created
◦We are reliant on shared knowledge
◦Everything is the product of the collective knowledge of many people
• Personal identity
◦How we define ourselves
‣ Is contingent on environment and changeable as we constantly challenge what we
know
Knowledge Questions
• Knowledge questions
◦Questions about knowledge
◦About how knowledge is produced, acquired, shared and used
◦We have to know what knowledge is vs is not
◦Who has it vs who does not
◦Who decides the answers
◦Focus on on how knowledge is constructed and evaluated
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