The document is a TOK exhibition mock answering the question: What counts as knowledge? in detail. It compares the objects, the bible and a thermometer. The bible represents religious knowledge while the Thermometer represents knowledge from naturak sciecnes. Comparison, similarities and limitation...
This image is an extract from the bible explaining the creation of the world, discarding the theory
of evolution. I chose this object because it directly offers knowledge which is limited to only those
who have faith in who gives the knowledge. In TOK, knowers gain their knowledge through shared
knowledge, which is knowledge that the knower gains from knowledge around them as well as from
primary sources like the bible. To fully take in knowledge from this extract (for it to count), you
must have faith in the language and history being expressed in this extract. Faith is therefore
defined as a type of basic knowledge including a certainty that excludes doubt. This is because of
the connection faith has with emotion. Emotions are merely not feelings because they cause
changes in what our bodies feel. At the same time, they stem from quick judgments made by our
brains about the nature of the world around us.
This extract offers explanations for the reason for our existence, guidance on how we should live
our lives, explanations on what causes human behavior, as well as clarifications about the natural
world. In short, it appears that having faith in religion offers a large amount of knowledge. The
, knowledge from this extract is also backed up by experience. This religious experience is a first-hand
(often life-changing) experience of God, which, to those who’ve experienced it, constitutes
evidence for the existence with God and the knowledge given by this extract. Although this
experience will involve emotional responses, a religious experience isn’t just a feeling. It's an
experience of a religiously significant reality. A religiously significant reality is a sense of connection
to something bigger than us—it helps a person look within and understand themselves while also
figuring out the greater answer of how they fit in to the rest of the world. In other words: It helps
people gain knowledge on the meaning of life. The experience with God, makes faith stronger in
terms of believing this extract. People have knowledge on the bible is also based on their emotions,
emotions may lead us to knowledge which other ways of knowing cannot reveal. With the
combination of faith and experience, knowledge must be considered real. We know this because
knowledge alone can be rendered useless without the accompanying power of experience.
Experience provides the practical application of knowledge, enabling individuals to truly understand
and master something.
There’s also a quote (Hebrews 11:3) from the bible stating: “By faith we understand that the
universe was created by the word of God, so that what's seen wasn’t made of things that are
visible.” This shows that things that we see/prove physically don’t count as knowledge, but faith
does. The quote suggests that visible, concrete evidence can be deceiving. Whereas faith,
something that is strong and ongoing (created by experience) presents true knowledge. It’s
knowledge you can depend on, faith is knowledge within the heart, beyond the reach of proof.
A limitation of religion is the language in which it’s conveyed. Much religious knowledge is second-
hand knowledge, that has been passed down through the generations. This is often in the written
form, although it can also happen orally. Given that many religions are old, it is sometimes difficult
to interpret the original meaning of religious texts. Language evolves over time and some languages
have even disappeared. On top of that, religions have spread around the globe and with that, we
are also faced with the problem of language in translation. Sometimes "corrupted versions" of
religious texts have been appropriated and built upon.
As stated before, this extract is shared knowledge. Shared knowledge from popular primary
sources can be also classified as common knowledge. Common knowledge is defined as general
knowledge that is known by everyone or almost everyone, and most people know what the bible
advocates. The extract helps a knower understand complicated concepts; therefore, this extract
counts as knowledge that’s beneficial to a community (Christians). Whether or not it has proof
doesn’t matter, what matters is that this knowledge is helpful, strengthens their faith and gives
meaning to life (as many people often wonder why/how they were put on this Earth). To conclude,
anything that can simplify life and is backed up by faith/experience counts as knowledge, even if it
has a slight possibility of being wrong. Knowledge is something that can be true, and is strongly
believed in.
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