tok essay title 1 2022

May 2022 TOK essay titles

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M22 prescribed essay titles

The M22 TOK prescribed essay titles are now being written by Northern Hemisphere schools, for a mid-March deadline. Check out the M22 TOK essay webinar , which models what an initial unpacking session would look like. Below you’ll find the key words to pin down in the essay introduction, links to the  BQ framework , and other consideration points.

Prescribed title 1

The ideas you see here roughly correspond to the initial unpacking session you will have with your TOK teacher. You’ll then go on to have three face-to-face interactions with your teacher, in which you’ll discuss your progress in writing the essay , working through any difficulties and challenges you experience.

Make sure you pin down…

• I ndependent of culture

relates to…

• Perspectives (BQ4) – think about how knowledge is subject to interpretation, and whether that interpretation is culturally-driven.
• Creativity (BQ5) – think about the development of knowledge, and the role culture plays in this.

BEAR IN MIND…

• Knowledge itself will require a definition
• Can knowledge be produced without a cultural background?
• Mathematics – the assumption is that this is independent from culture – is that true?
• See culture in our key concept resource

Prescribed title 2

Make sure you pin down….

• World of difference

RELATES TO…

• Foundations (BQ1) – think about the nature of truth, role of facts, etc. – and come up with your own definitions of these.
• Spin (BQ3) – facts can be used to mislead us, by presenting half-truths (“A truth that’s told with bad intent / Beats all the lies you can invent.”- Blake)
• Angelou’s full quote also refers to ‘facts can obscure the truth’ – tricky to decide whether to include this section of the quote
• Ensure it establishes (or refutes) world of difference – not just difference
• A broad question in terms of which AOKs you can select
• See truth in our key concept resource

Prescribed title 3

• Solid justification  
• More highly
• Values (BQ2) – this could be one of the bases for this essay, that highly regarded knowledge is synonymous with knowledge that helps us to improve our values
• Perspectives (BQ4) – perhaps highly regarded knowledge is that which is the most objective (and therefore least vulnerable to interpretation)?
• Experts (BQ6) – think about how do we regard knowledge with more discernment
• What does ‘solid’ justification mean (as opposed to just plain old ‘justification’)?
• Regarding something highly is vague – needs pinning down very clearly
• The purpose of knowledge needs to be considered
• See justification in our key concept resource

Prescribed title 4

• Telling of stories
• Spin (BQ3) – think about communicating ideas via means that aren’t always factually-based.
• Creativity (BQ5) – think about how we create knowledge via our imagination.
• What does ‘give knowledge meaning’ mean – and how does this happen via ‘telling stories’?
• The most prescriptive of the PTs
• There is a lot of cross-over between history and the human sciences – it could be harder to craft a contrasting essay. 
• It could also turn into a descriptive essay (it’s not “to what extent to historians and human scientists…”)
• ‘Telling stories’ really needs to be nailed down.

Prescribed title 5

• Good  
• Interpretations
• Perspectives (BQ4) – think about how our perspectives lead us to make different interpretations. When does this strengthen our claims (perhaps personal experiences)? When does this detract from our claims (perhaps when we seek to confirm our biases)?
• Experts (BQ6) – think about how experts make discerning judgements on the world – in terms of humility, evidence, an agenda that doesn’t seek to be served, etc.
• There is quite a lot for students to do with this essay – interpretations within the arts will probably be evaluated in a completely different way to other AOKs
• See interpretation in our key concept resource

Prescribed title 6

• Ethical grounds  
• Boundaries of acceptable investigation
• Values (BQ2) – clear links with this BQ. Think about how and who should decide on the ethical boundaries of knowledge?
• Creativity (BQ5) – this is about creating new knowledge, so it also links to this BQ
• “If we conclude”… but if we don’t? 
• Who is the ‘we’? Not a bad thing – this is a great way of including a consideration of perspectives in this essay. The experts? The authorities? Ordinary knowers? Etc.

M22 essay webinar $24.99 / $49.99

This webinar discusses the M22 titles, and how to begin writing the TOK essay. We look at the key words of the titles, link them to the course, and run over possible approaches. This is a great starting point for writing the essay, and works similarly to the initial unpacking session that teachers run with their students.

• Group ticket – $49.99
• Individual ticket – $24.99

Breaking Down TOK Essay Titles 2022

The TOK Essay can be a daunting task, and many of us struggle to even begin out of fear of doing something wrong. Not only are you expected to learn the philosophy of all the areas of knowledge, but now you have to write an essay about it too!?

TOK Essay Titles in Human Sciences

As difficult as this may seem, what most of us need is just a nudge in the right direction, and this is exactly what the following guide will provide. If you’re struggling to begin your essay, don’t know where to start or which title to pick, we’re here to help!

Read on for a simple breakdown of the 6 TOK titles and how to tackle them.

1. Can there be knowledge that is independent of culture? Discuss with reference to mathematics and one other area of knowledge.

The first title is very intriguing for those who are interested in the social sciences! The question posed expects you to discuss whether knowledge and culture are always connected and if knowledge can exist without culture in the first place. You’re asked to consider mathematics and another AoK of your choice. Before we consider which AoK’s are suitable, however, we must establish what it means for knowledge to be independent of culture.

Culture is a very abstract concept, and it can refer to anything ranging from a regional food dish such as Spanish Paella to the entire history, language and moral values of a society. This may seem like a lot to tackle, but a simpler way to look at it is to consider whether knowledge is always defined by culture, or if there are exceptions.

In some cases, culture certainly determines the knowledge we produce. Consider the AoK History, for instance, where the history of a country is closely connected to aspects of culture such as language and morality. Historians use language to write history and their morals (which are defined by culture) to interpret the past, such as who was right or wrong. Both language and morality are aspects of culture, and therefore we can argue that historical knowledge may not be independent of culture!

How about Mathematics, then? We must also consider if knowledge can be independent of culture. In this case, mathematics is largely independent of culture as it is mostly an objective AoK. Knowledge is factual, and facts are absolute. Mathematics has one, universal language spoken by all mathematicians, and 2 + 2 = 4 in any part of the world. Thus, we can argue that mathematical knowledge is indeed independent of culture.

Lastly, don’t forget to support your arguments with real-life examples (RLEs). For history, one option would be to look at how bias affects historical writing. Some historians may have biases, which have arisen from their morals and culture and are reflected in their historical writing. For mathematics, consider the absence of bias and how formulae such as Pythagoras’ Theorem remain universal, and no amount of cultural influence can ever change something which is a fact.

2. To what extent do you agree with the claim that “there’s a world of difference between truth and facts.” (Maya Angelou) Answer with reference to two areas of knowledge.

While prompt 1 gives you one prescribed AoK, this one offers you more choice. Hurray! Or? While this question allows you to select both AoKs, too much choice is often more detrimental than beneficial in the Theory of Knowledge. Here, you’re asked to consider the difference between truth and fact. At first glance, you may be thinking that they’re the same thing and while this is not the case, they are immensely similar. Let’s see how you can approach this…

When considering the meaning of truth and fact, it is always useful to put them into some sort of context. For instance, in the natural sciences, we can argue that there isn’t much of a difference between truth and fact. This is because when a scientific theory such as the theory of evolution is proven, it becomes widely accepted as true and factual. Thus, the definition of truth and fact are virtually inseparable in the sciences.

Another AoK to explore could be history. Here, historians never truly know the ‘truth’ of what happened in the past, and they struggle immensely to recover facts from all sources so that they may piece together accurate interpretations. Therefore, they collect facts in an attempt to reach ever closer to the ultimate truth of what happened in the past, but arguably never achieve this fully. This leads to varying interpretations in history, as historians gather the same facts but may reach different truths from them. In this view, we can argue that facts are the building blocks of truth, rather than truth itself.

3. Is there solid justification for regarding knowledge in the natural sciences more highly than other areas of knowledge? Discuss with reference to the natural sciences and one other area of knowledge.

It’s time for more science! This is probably the most straightforward TOK title this time around, and that’s good news! Not everything has to be complex, even in TOK. Here, you’re being asked to discuss if there is any good reason to regard scientific knowledge ‘more highly’ than other AoKs. In other words, is scientific knowledge ‘better’ than knowledge in other AoKs, and if so, why and how? Let’s dig in!

To make things easier, let’s consider what other AoKs would be suitable choices for this title. In this case, a social science such as history or art would be very suitable. If we consider the arts, knowledge can be defined as the creations of artists such as paintings or music, and the interpretations people have of them. In this view, we can argue that art knowledge is quite subjective as the same song may make one person feel happy and another sad. This is not necessarily a bad thing, as it also makes the arts unique.

Nevertheless, the subjectivity of the arts could also be one reason that scientific knowledge may be regarded more highly, as it is objective and factual. For instance, it is an objective fact that cells are the smallest unit of life, but it is not factual to say that a painting is ‘beautiful’, as beauty is subjective. Then again, maybe facts aren’t everything, and maybe scientific knowledge isn’t better, but simply different from art knowledge. Consider these perspectives and ultimately decide if there is enough justification for the claim.

4. How do historians and human scientists give knowledge meaning through the telling of stories? Discuss with reference to history and the human sciences.

Storytelling is a powerful tool, so much so that experts in the social sciences use it to communicate their research. If you’ve chosen this title, you should begin by considering how knowledge is defined in history and the human sciences, such as psychology.

From the lens of history, you may decide that historical knowledge is a collection of interpretations of the past. Moreover, these are the interpretations of historians who record and teach them, orally or in writing.

These interpretations give historical events meaning by communicating their significance. A potential RLE would be to consider a historical event such as World War 2, and then analyze how historical interpretations teach us to appreciate its significance and not repeat the past.

If we consider the social sciences such as psychology, things can be a bit more complicated and ambiguous. Do psychologists tell stories? Maybe not in the conventional sense, but are research papers on mental health disorders not a type of story, one which teaches us about the disorder and the experiences people have of it? Exactly!

The key here is to consider how knowledge is communicated in history and social science. Thus, your essay should focus on analyzing and discussing the methodology that historians and human scientists use to tell stories.

5. How can we distinguish between good and bad interpretations? Discuss with reference to the arts and one other area of knowledge.

This question is my personal favorite! If you’re a fan of the arts, this is the question for you. What is an interpretation, and what makes it good or bad? In title 4 we considered how historical interpretations tell us about the past, and interpretations in the art are similar. While historians can interpret the past, art critics can judge the quality of an artistic piece. But how can we tell which interpretations are ‘good’ and which are ‘bad’?

When considering this title, make sure to focus on the different types of interpretations we can have within art. Not all interpretations come from professional art critics, as art is free to view by all, and the everyday person can have their own, unique opinion on a piece of art.

A good starting point to explore would be whether one art critic has a better interpretation of a piece of art than the everyday person. Perhaps the critic has professional training and is more qualified to judge the techniques Da Vinci used to craft the Mona Lisa than a casual art enthusiast.

However, art is not only about technique but also about emotion, and the everyday person may be better able to appreciate the subjective beauty of an art piece. Thus, in the arts, it may be difficult to tell the difference between good and bad interpretations, as there are no concrete criteria for determining this.

Through the lens of another AoK, we can see a completely different perspective in the natural sciences. Here, the opinions of experts can be said to always be better than those of the general public. A good RLE could be climate change propaganda, and how scientific knowledge is necessary in order to make educated interpretations.

In the arts, it may be debatable whether the Mona Lisa is a ‘sad’ or ‘joyful’ painting, but in the sciences, global warming is a proven fact, and anything which says otherwise is a ‘bad’ interpretation. Inherently, this question is about the subjectivity of the arts and the objectivity of other AoKs. Just some food for thought!

6. If we conclude that there is some knowledge we should not pursue on ethical grounds, how can we determine the boundaries of acceptable investigation within an area of knowledge? Discuss with reference to two areas of knowledge.

The last prescribed title is one of the most difficult, as it deals with ethics. Here, you’re asked to discuss ethical boundaries within two AoKs of your choice. Some good choices could be AoKs which are very research-based, such as the natural sciences and history. Let’s break this down.

Ethics can be very tricky, as you’re essentially asked to discuss the boundaries between what is ethical and what is not. This is difficult because ethics differ as much from person to person as they do from one AoK to another.

In the sciences, ethical boundaries may refer to experiments involving human trials, for example. How can we determine when a new drug is safe for human testing and is it ethical at all to test on humans?

Similarly, in history, we may consider the issues that arise when researching sensitive topics. For instance, is it ethical to interview holocaust survivors and urge them to remember their past traumas, all for the sake of historical records?

At what point do we draw the line, and how are these ethical boundaries determined? This question is all about methodology and whether methodology within two AoKs is ethical, so if that sounds interesting, this is your go-to title!

Prescribed Essay Titles for Your TOK Essay

The prescribed essay titles above are great for tok essays as they cover ethical grounds that you can discuss with reference and solid justification. Once you have narrowed down these prescribed titles, you can conduct research based on factual knowledge and find specific examples to work with. Then the fun part begins: the essay writing process!

Do you have any questions?

Reach out to the team at Lanterna.

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TOK DISCUSSIONS

Theory of knowledge prescribed titles

May 2022 examination session

Can there be knowledge that is independent of culture? Discuss with reference to mathematics and one other area of knowledge.

To what extent do you agree with the claim that “there’s a world of difference between truth and facts” (Maya Angelou)? Answer with reference to two areas of knowledge.

Is there solid justification for regarding knowledge in the natural sciences more highly than knowledge in another area of knowledge? Discuss with reference to the natural sciences and one other area of knowledge.

How do historians and human scientists give knowledge meaning through the telling of stories? Discuss with reference to history and the human sciences.

How can we distinguish between good and bad interpretations? Discuss with reference to the arts and one other area of knowledge.

If we conclude that there is some knowledge we should not pursue on ethical grounds, how can we determine the boundaries of acceptable investigation within an area of knowledge? Discuss with reference to two areas of knowledge.

May 2022 Title #1

Can there be knowledge that is independent of culture?

Discuss with reference to mathematics and one other area of knowledge.

Well, now, for the first time, in a long time, one of the two AOKs is already chosen for you. This can give the students peace of mind not to worry about choosing two AOKs, and at the same time, restricts the student to explore the title within any AOK that he/she wants. Anyways, this is what we have.

"Can there be knowledge that is independent of culture?" The short answer is "Yes!" Mathematics, physics, and biology (to some certain extents) and many more, contain knowledge, independent of cultures. But of course, you do not want to give a direct answer to the essay title and receive a very low mark for that.

This is where it gets interesting. Now we know the reason for Mathematics to be one of the AOKs. But, what can we do with it? Should we first explore different points of view, pro and against the title, within Mathematics and then continue within another AOK? Or, we may want to compare the independence of knowledge from culture in other AOKs with Mathematics.

Well, both approaches work. You can show your clear awareness of different points of view by bringing RLEs within Mathematics in which the expert knowers (mathematicians) created knowledge depending on a culture, also independent of any culture. You will definitely face "numbers" in your research. Do numbers exist in nature independent of any culture, or did cultures invent numbers and numeral systems based on their values and needs, and can these systems be applied to/used by other cultures? And without a doubt you want to discuss the famous knowledge question "is mathematics discovered or invented?"  Platonists vs formalists .

Introduction

Define "knowledge" and explain how it can be "dependent" on or "independent" of a culture. Bringing a RLE from your personal life is a good touch. Did you always think that some knowledge, some way of living, only belonged to your culture, and then you learned that (almost) everyone in the world has that knowledge? You may also want to consider this, according to the Oxford Internet Institute, the range of cultural information that Wikipedia contains is hugely biased!

One AOK is Mathematics . The other AOK can be any of the other four. History carries knowledge dependent on cultures and independent on any culture, belonging to humanity, or shared among many cultures. You can find many interesting examples in The Human Sciences , as these sciences study human beings, who happened to have different cultures. At the same time, there is a big portion of human sciences focused on humanity itself, regardless of race or culture. The Natural Sciences sounds more like an area of knowledge independent of any culture, as it studies nature, but is it though? Does the contribution of different cultures to the advancement of physics and chemistry makes the knowledge dependent on that culture? Or not? If we find differences in biology of people belonging to different cultures, does it also mean that the knowledge depends on those cultures? Or is it just knowledge, independent of any culture? And last but not least, The Arts . The Arts is definitely an AOK totally dependent on culture, isn’t it? Not necessarily. Paintings, statues, songs, music, fashion and any artwork in general that is produced surely rely on a culture and an era. But, what about the knowledge that is extracted from them? According to Oscar Wilde, "life imitates art more than art imitates life." These days we clearly see the cultures that are formed based on art, which makes the knowledge in The Arts not only independent of culture, but a source for creating a new culture.

Base 10 in comparison with base 8 , used by the Yuki people , shows that knowledge can be cultural in Mathematics , while the value of π is the same whatever your culture!

In History , events have happened to cultures and undoubtedly, the knowledge depends on that culture, but the same events were not told by only one culture , therefore the knowledge that is produced does not depend on a culture. Moreover, in a bigger scope , the entire humanity suffered from some global events , like WWII , that happened to almost every culture and nation. Also, terrorist groups like The Taliban , Al-Qaeda , ISIS , Shining Path , IRA , Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam and many more, while forming in different culture, have one thing in common, and that is extremism , which is independent of culture .

The Human Sciences try to study human behavior in a systematic way. Therefore, sometimes, these studies produce knowledge heavily dependent on a culture, and in many cases, regardless of the culture and applicable to the entire humanity. Supply and demand is a theory in microeconomics that is free from any culture, race, nation or even belief. While, Capitalism and Marxism are dependent on respective sociocultural structures. Whether psychologists like Sigmund Freud or not, his theories are about human nature regardless of culture, while Richard Shweder focuses more on cultural psychology and anthropology.

Physics, chemistry, biology, astronomy and all The Natural Sciences in general, and knowledge produced within them, should be independent of culture. But, according to Carl Sagan , "Science is a way of thinking more than it is a body of knowledge." And as we all know, ways of thinking are highly formed by and dependent on cultures. Otto Hahn , Lise Meitner and Fritz Strassmann pioneered nuclear science , and J. Robert Oppenheimer is known as "the father of the atomic bomb ." Clearly, knowledge can be heavily influenced by culture, if not being dependent on.

The Arts are, most of the time, considered as the symbols of cultures. At the same time, especially in these modern times, we observe the appearance of cultures based on art, like hip-hop culture. So, if a culture is dependent on an AOK, does it mean that the knowledge is independent of the culture? While this point of view creates some kind of paradox, it is worthy of being explored. At the same time, while cultures (civilizations, religions and traditions) basically were the main reasons for artworks to be created, aesthetics are considered universal by some, and cultural by others.

In conclusion, some may find knowledge produced in an AOK dependent on the culture, and some may find knowledge independent of any culture and universal. You, as an IB student, explore different points of view, reflect them through RLEs and keep your strong opinions to yourself!

May 2022 Title #2

To what extent do you agree with the claim that “there’s a world of difference between truth and facts” (Maya Angelou)?

Answer with reference to two areas of knowledge.

Maya Angelou was an American poet also famous for her quote, and this title is an incomplete version of one of her quotes. The complete quote is "there’s a world of difference between truth and facts. Facts can obscure the truth." IB has removed the last part, most probably, for the students to be able to explore all the theories of truth. To write an essay on this title, you want to consider the implications of correspondence, coherence and pragmatic theories of truth within different AOKs.

Obviously, "truth," "fact" and "a world of difference" are the keywords that you are going to define. But, defining truth has always been a very hard, close to impossible, task. You do not need to worry though, as in writing a TOK essay, the students do not have to explicitly and strongly define a term/concept, and comparing a variety of common definitions shows their clear awareness of different points of views.

Correspondence theory of truth states that a proposition is true if it corresponds to a fact. "IBDP is the best educational program" is true if, and only if, IBDP is the best educational program! We usually examine the existence of a fact through sense perception, that as we all know, is not perfect.

There are three major criticisms against correspondence theory of truth, problems with facts , it is never perfect and finally, truth cannot be determined in isolation .

There are also more aspects of and criticisms to other theories of truth that you may want to consider forming your arguments based on them. In summary, the best approach to choose in writing the essay under this title, is to explore the relation between "truth" and "facts" in different AOKs.

Introduction Explain the "truth" through coherence theory and other theories of truth that you find better fit for your essay. As usual, that RLE from your personal life, that you can explain your point of view with, is useful. Your classmate told you one day that the teacher was sick and was not coming to the school that day, but he appeared right on time. There was no fact for you to validate your classmate’s truth (about the teacher being sick) but the teacher might have been sick, yet still couldn’t bear staying at home, missing the chance to teach his lovely students!

AOKs History seems like your first choice, as what AOK better than History to talk about "truth" and "facts" within. The cubist theory of truth , exploring an event from a variety of perspectives , is the one that is used to get closer to the "truth" about historical events. In history, "facts" are basically the interpretations of evidences by historians, believed by the majority of people. How different is a historical fact from the truth about history? A world, or just a country?! The clash of the "facts" and the "truth" cannot be seen anywhere better than in Law , within the AOK of The Human Sciences . Courtroom stories are filled with the "facts" that led to discovering the "truth", and missing evidences (nonexistence of the facts) that still had no effect on the existence of the "truth". In general, "fact" is a rare commodity in The Human Sciences , and "truth" hardly exists, but still, it doesn’t stop you from exploring the title statement within this AOK. On the contrary, The Natural Sciences are gold mines of "facts" and "truth." Mathematical "truth" is either an empirical generalization (empiricism), is true by definition (formalism) or give us a priori insight into the structure of the reality (Platonism). Some believe that the “truth” in Mathematics corresponds to "facts", and some argue the needlessness of such correspondence.

RLEs World War II started in 1939 and ended in 1945, approximately 6 million Jewish people died during this time, and Hiroshima and Nagasaki suffered the loss of half of their population. These are the "facts" in History that help us realize the "truth" about the evils of war. In 1994, O. J. Simpson was arrested for the murders of Brown and Ron Goldman, and in 1995 he was found "not guilty." There was a mountain of evidence against him, and the majority of people believed he was the murderer, believing in "truth" through coherence . But all these "facts" did neither prove nor deny the "truth" about the murder that had happened. You can also find more RLEs in other fields of The Human Sciences . Gerald Feinberg coined the term tachyon in 1967, based on no "facts," but the "truth" that faster-than-light speed is possible under certain circumstances, and this is an example of the relation between these two in The Natural Sciences . And finally, I hope you are all familiar with John Stuart Mill , not a very popular figure I assume, and his empirical view on Mathematics and his famous 2+2=4 example.

Conclusion In conclusion, all you should do to write your essay under this title, exploring your agreement with the quote from Maya Angelou, is to choose one AOK in which "truth" and "facts" clearly correspond, and another AOK within which the exploration of this correspondence does not result in clear conclusions. And to what extent do you agree with the statement? Of course, to some (certain) extent.

May 2022 Title #3

Is there solid justification for regarding knowledge in the natural sciences more highly than knowledge in another area of knowledge?

Discuss with reference to the natural sciences and one other area of knowledge.

And again, we have another one predetermined AOK. But this one seems fun. Let’s simplify the title first and then see what we have in front of us to work on.

" In The Natural Sciences , we justify our beliefs to produce knowledge." "This justification is more solid, and based on more reliable ways of knowing compared to other AOKs."

Can we agree with this statement (which is a question in the title)? Of course not. And if someone asks "why?" The answer is " Mathematics ."

In general, in any AOK, we should justify our findings to be certain about them and to be able to regard them as knowledge. And as we know, we justify our beliefs through the ways of knowing (not available to be taught independently anymore).

Knowledge, in The Natural Sciences , is justified by using the scientific method : observation , formulating a hypothesis , testing it by an experiment , if the results confirm the hypothesis, discovering a scientific law and finally developing a theory . It seems like a "solid justification" for considering something as knowledge. But in Mathematics , knowledge is simply just true, however you "justify" it. And in The Human Sciences , although scientists use the scientific method , there are way more problems ( the observer effect , ethical issues etc.) in and criticisms to each step compared to The Natural Sciences . History and The Arts are two other AOKs in which knowledge can be justified by the first three AOKs! Then clearly, "justification for regarding knowledge" in The Natural Sciences exists "more highly" compared to these three.

Introduction The first thing to do is to define "justification" and explain how knowledge can be justified in general, and specifically in The Natural Sciences . Then bring a peculiar RLE from your personal life to demonstrate your understating of justification of knowledge. Let’s say your teacher "knew" that you cheated in the exam, which you really had, because he had stomach pain, and it happens every time a student cheats! Or any other example from your peculiar life. Here, the knowledge is true, but the justification is not acceptable.

AOKs Clearly, your first AOK is The Natural Sciences , and in case you want to argue against the title , you will choose Mathematics as your second AOK. On the other hand, if your approach is to argue pro the title , you may choose The Human Sciences as the second AOK, or if, for some reason, you hold a grudge against the knowledge in History or The Arts , you will bring either of these as the second AOK and destroy their reputation.

RLEs Ptolemy ’s model of the universe had poor justification, while James Watson and Francis Crick ’s model of the structure of DNA is a good example for justification of knowledge in The Natural Sciences . The development of non-Euclidean geometry questioned the certainty of formal system in Mathematics , but Fibonacci numbers explain the beauty of nature. Historians use a variety of scientific methods like radiocarbon dating to prove their theories, and we gain knowledge in The Arts by analyzing famous paintings using mathematics .

Conclusion In conclusion, whatever the approach you choose, first you may want to explore two RLEs within The Natural Sciences , one having strong justification for knowledge and the other being less strongly justified. You will then move on to the other AOK, which is either Mathematics , or one of the other three ( The Human Sciences , History or The Arts ), and bring two more RLEs in the same (strong and less strong) levels of justification. You can conclude your essay by clearly expressing your awareness of different points of view, pro and against, on the existence of "solid justification" for "regarding knowledge" in The Natural Sciences compared to other AOKs.

May 2022 Title #4

How do historians and human scientists give knowledge meaning through the telling of stories?

Discuss with reference to history and the human sciences.

Okay. This is getting interesting!

Now, you have two AOKs to explore storytelling within. I personally would choose other AOKs that knowledge is not very friendly in them, but this is what we have here.

Clearly, methods and tools of producing and gaining knowledge should be discussed under this title. If we just say some events happened in the past and people got killed, or there are some crazy people walking around freely in society, it does not sound that much like knowledge, and even if it does, the receiver of such knowledge would be puzzled and would ask "so, what?!" But, if such knowledge is transferred by telling a story, then it makes more sense.

Introduction First of all, you may want to briefly explain methods and tools in these two AOKs ( History and The Natural Sciences ). Then you can explain how storytelling helps understanding the meaning and importance of knowledge, by bringing a RLE from your personal life. Remember the difference between just being told that some actions have consequences or understanding it through the morals of a story.

RLEs Theodore R. Sarbin is the pioneer of narrative psychology , whose works were continued by Jerome Bruner to give a more appealing appearance to knowledge in psychology as a field of The Human Sciences . Michael Pollan , journalism professor and food writer, explains how storytelling helps History reach a broader audience, and Timothy Noah shows the list of the resources used by Tony Kushner to write the screenplay for the Hollywood movie Lincoln (2012).

Conclusion In conclusion, if you choose to write your essay under this title, your best approach would be to choose two RLEs (one for each AOK) for which the knowledge was transferred in a very academic and rugged way, leaving no long-term effect on the knower, and two RLEs (one for each AOK) for which the knowledge was transferred through storytelling, and in result, creating an intimate connection with the knower to give more meaning to the knowledge.

May 2022 Title #5

How can we distinguish between good and bad interpretations?

Discuss with reference to the arts and one other area of knowledge.

It seems that finally IB wants to hear your opinions, but what happens to "clear awareness of different points of view?"

The best approach would be comparing different points of view about "good" and "bad" interpretations. But first, one needs to know what "interpretation" is and how it affects the knowledge that is produced within different AOKs.

We have all heard the famous sentence, "language is ambiguous." We usually take help from the context to "interpret" what we hear, see, feel or perceive in general. The wisest approach to communication is not to have an all-or-none attitude towards "interpretation," rather trying to understand different levels of meaning. And the way that we perceive the world around us is through sensation, which the world itself offers, and "interpretation," that is provided by our minds. Selectivity of perception, uncertainty, bias and many more factors cloud the way we see the world, "interpret" meanings and produce and receive knowledge.

In summary, "good interpretation" may be the one closer to the truth or reality and "bad interpretation" the one further away from them.

Introduction You can start introducing your discussion by explaining and bringing examples from the situations where wrong (bad) "interpretations" resulted in unpleasant outcomes and connect the hypothetical appealing outcome to the possible "good interpretation" and conclude a method on how to distinguish between these two "interpretations" by analyzing the outcomes. And as always, RLEs from your personal life are very helpful.

AOKs For this title, one AOK, The Arts , is already determined, and the student should choose another AOK to reference his/her exploration to. The way that I see it, all other AOKs fit perfectly to this discussion. In science ( The Natural and Human Sciences ), scientists "interpret" the data to reach conclusions and produce knowledge, and this is the same for sources in History . Also, mathematicians give value to expressions to interpret meanings in Mathematics .

RLEs Many song titles and lyrics have been misinterpreted, resulting in creating urban legends or even cult-like groups. Paintings , or the motive behind them, have also been misunderstood by people leading into years (or decades) of false reputation. These are examples of "bad interpretations" in The Arts . In science ( The Natural and Human Sciences ), "bad interpretation" of data (from experiments , surveys , researches or investigations ) may cause irreparable damages or put lives in danger. What happens if the report on the inspection of a pharmaceutical company , or a crime scene is based on "bad interpretation" of the findings? And if historians misinterpret their sources or historical events , they may give a falsified History , and in result a falsified identity , to a nation or even a town.

Conclusion In conclusion, I think we can all agree that one of the best ways of "distinguishing between good and bad interpretations" is by evaluating the outcome of those "interpretations." Some may also believe that in some AOKs (or some cases), especially in The Arts, "interpretations" are done by and affect the individual, and the outcome is not the best assessment tool. This group of people may find the process of interpreting a data a better way to assess the interpretation, regardless of the outcome. You can develop your arguments more result oriented or more process inclined.

May 2022 Title #6

If we conclude that there is some knowledge we should not pursue on ethical grounds, how can we determine the boundaries of acceptable investigation within an area of knowledge?

Discuss with reference to two areas of knowledge.

"How can we determine the boundaries?" This is one of the most important questions to be answered in everyone’s life. The boundaries of anything. Or in a more today’s fashion, we can ask "where do we draw the line?" It is also the title of a song by Poets of the Fall .

Yes, as you can see, this title is not about ethics, ethical knowledge etc. It is about where to draw a line for investigating the ethical-ness of the pursuit of knowledge. Let’s break it down.

"There is some knowledge that we should not pursue, because it is not ethical." "We should investigate the methods and tools of pursuing knowledge, to know if they are ethical." "Some investigations may go too far." "Where do we draw the line, in our investigations, not to cross?"

This is one of the best topics to discuss. Under the name of ethics, many start investigating people’s lives, science, relationships, thoughts, you name it. These "necessary" investigations need to stop at some point. Where is that point? Is it related to what is being investigated, or is there a general universal point to stop the investigations? Are there any signs that we should look for? Should there be a stop sign on the road or maybe some speed limit signs?

When you think of these questions, you understand the title question better. And definitely you won’t start writing about ethics and ethics and ethics, rather questioning the boundaries of implementing ethics in everything, especially in the pursuit of knowledge that may save lives, but "investigators" stop it, because it endangers lives!

Introduction Introduce your approach by explaining how you, personally, accept methods and ways of pursuing knowledge as ethical. Bring example(s) from your life. And then try to bring a couple of (contrasting) quotes about the acceptance of ethics, or ethical practices. "These are my principles and if you don’t like them – I have others." - Groucho Marx "I cannot see how to refute the arguments for the subjectivity of ethical values, but I find myself incapable of believing that all that is wrong with wanton cruelty is that I don’t like it." - Bertrand Russell Quotes like these show the subjectivity and potential flexibility of ethics, as it seems to be strictly a personal preference. The key to writing a good introduction to your essay, is to compare a variety of points of view on how to accept something as ethical, and what are the boundaries.

AOKs Talking about the pursuit of knowledge and ethics, the first AOK that comes to mind is without a doubt The Human Sciences , as the test subjects should be humans, and testing on humans to help humans is considered unethical. The next AOK should be The Arts , right? Because artists never liked the restrictions of ethics and ethical authorities, whoever they are, never liked the "immorality" of the artists. Then The Natural Sciences comes to mind, as it is "the science" and in pursuit of science, the scientists always break the laws of ethics, wherever these laws are written. I personally do not find investigating and the investigation of methods and tools in History interesting and clear. And at last, questioning the morality and ethical-ness of methods and tools in Mathematics , especially in producing knowledge, and not applying it? Really? There are people these days, who question the applications of mathematical knowledge, but I don’t think many people find the pursuit of mathematical knowledge unethical.

RLEs A very tricky, but well-known example for me, is the case of Iraq’s WMD (Weapons of Mass Destruction). Why is it tricky? Because in order to pursue knowledge in Politics , The U.S. started its investigation, and it should not be mistaken with the pursuit of knowledge in Physics . The investigation crossed all the boundaries by starting a war, and resulted in absolutely nothing. No WMD were found and no proper political knowledge was gained. You should be very careful with your RLEs for this title, as you are not asked to bring examples for unethical pursuit of knowledge, but examples from the investigations of such practices. You should find examples, in which the investigation took appropriate measures and resulted in helpful findings, also examples, in which the investigators went too far and probably found nothing unethical. By comparing these two types of investigations, one can somehow draw the line, and can "determine the boundaries of acceptable investigation" into the methods and tools of pursuing knowledge in different AOKs.

Conclusions In conclusion, what you need to do, is to focus on comparing and exploring different ways of and measures taken in investigating the ways of pursuing knowledge, and stay away from any unethical example itself. For instance, if you want to talk about the Milgram experiment, do not discuss the ethics of the experiment, but rather explore whether the accusations and criticisms were appropriate or they did cross the line. And in the end, you can conclude that while group A believes in lighter concerns, and group B believes in taking stronger measures, in investigating the methods and tools of gaining knowledge, based on ethics, this is not a very clear area and ethical values are subjective. Or you may want to draw the line and limit "the boundaries of acceptable investigation." Your choice.

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IB ToK Essay Titles and Topics: November 2022

Here are links to ideas and suggestions relating to the the six November 2022 IB ToK Essay topics:

• Topic 1. Within an area of knowledge is it more important to have credibility or power? Discuss with reference to the natural sciences and one other area of knowledge.
• Topic 2. If pushed too far, can open-mindedness itself become restrictive? Discuss with reference to two areas of knowledge.
• Topic 3. Is it better to "have questions that can’t be answered than answers that can’t be questioned" (adapted from Richard Feynman)? Discuss with reference to mathematics and one other area of knowledge.
• Topic 4. Why do we seek indisputable evidence when it is so often unattainable? Discuss with reference to two areas of knowledge.
• Topic 5. To what extent do you agree with the directive to "measure what is measurable and make measurable what is not so" (Galileo Galilei)? Answer with reference to the human sciences and one other area of knowledge.
• Topic 6. If the artist has freedom to interpret past events in ways that are denied to the historian, is this an asset or an obstacle to our understanding of the past? Discuss with reference to the arts and history.

Title 1: Within an area of knowledge is it more important to have credibility or power? Discuss with reference to the natural sciences and one other area of knowledge.

Thoughts to consider with essay 1 include:

• the varieties of power
• the difference between being credible and being correct
• what is meant by "importance" here?

These thoughts, and others, will be developed here shortly: come back soon!

Title 2: If pushed too far, can open-mindedness itself become restrictive? Discuss with reference to two areas of knowledge.

Thoughts to consider with essay 2 include:

• the role of imagination in being open-minded
• what is meant by "restrictive" in this context?
• are there limits to what can be coherently questioned?

Title 3: Is it better to "have questions that can’t be answered than answers that can’t be questioned" (adapted from Richard Feynman)? Discuss with reference to mathematics and one other area of knowledge.

Thoughts to consider with essay 3 include:

• is it possible, coherently, to frame a question that admits of no answer?
• what distinguishes plausible from implausible answers to questions?
• which sorts of true propositions can't rationally be doubted?

Title 4: Why do we seek indisputable evidence when it is so often unattainable? Discuss with reference to two areas of knowledge.

Thoughts to consider with essay 4 include:

• do we know any indisputable propositions?
• are proofs indisputable evidence?
• what is the difference between rational and irrational dispute?

Title 5: To what extent do you agree with the directive to "measure what is measurable and make measurable what is not so" (Galileo Galilei)? Answer with reference to the human sciences and one other area of knowledge.

Thoughts to consider with essay 5 include:

• what is the difference between being measurable in practice and in principle only?
• must we change something that is immeasurable, beyond recognition, in order to render it measurable?
• the difference between accuracy and precision in measurement

Title 6: If the artist has freedom to interpret past events in ways that are denied to the historian, is this an asset or an obstacle to our understanding of the past? Discuss with reference to the arts and history.

Thoughts to consider with essay 6 include:

• must all interpretations of past events be faithful to the facts?
• what makes an interpretation objective?
• if an interpretation is available to the artist, but not the historian, does this mean that it is ineffable?
• 1. Within an area of knowledge is it more important to have credibility or power? Discuss with reference to the natural sciences and one other area of knowledge.
• 2. If pushed too far, can open-mindedness itself become restrictive? Discuss with reference to two areas of knowledge.
• 3. Is it better to "have questions that can’t be answered than answers that can’t be questioned" (adapted from Richard Feynman)? Discuss with reference to mathematics and one other area of knowledge.
• 4. Why do we seek indisputable evidence when it is so often unattainable? Discuss with reference to two areas of knowledge.
• 5. To what extent do you agree with the directive to "measure what is measurable and make measurable what is not so" (Galileo Galilei)? Answer with reference to the human sciences and one other area of knowledge.
• 6. If the artist has freedom to interpret past events in ways that are denied to the historian, is this an asset or an obstacle to our understanding of the past? Discuss with reference to the arts and history.
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Filter exemplars, is replicability necessary in the production of knowledge discuss with reference to two areas of knowledge., are visual representations always helpful in the communication of knowledge discuss with reference to the human sciences and mathematics., want to get full marks for your tok essay allow us to review it for you 🎯, for artists and natural scientists, which is more important: what can be explained or what cannot be explained discuss with reference to the arts and the natural sciences., does it matter if our acquisition of knowledge happens in "bubbles" where some information and voices are excluded discuss with reference to two areas of knowledge., fast track your coursework with mark schemes moderated by ib examiners. upgrade now 🚀, to what extent is the knowledge we produce determined by the methodologies we use discuss with reference to history and one area of knowledge., tok essay: 5. “how can we distinguish between good and bad interpretations discuss with reference to the arts and one other area of knowledge”, if “the mathematician’s patterns, like the painter’s and the poet’s, must be beautiful” (g. h. hardy), how might this impact the production of knowledge discuss with reference to mathematics and the arts., in the acquisition of knowledge, is following experts unquestioningly as dangerous as ignoring them completely discuss with reference to the human sciences and one other area of knowledge., is it problematic that knowledge is so often shaped by the values of those who produce it discuss with reference to any two areas of knowledge., is it always the case that “the world isn’t just the way i is, it is how we understand it – and in understanding something, we bring something to it” (adapted from life of pi by yann martel) discuss with reference to history and the natural sciences., does it matter if our acquisition of knowledge happens in “bubbles” where some information and voices are excluded discuss with reference to two areas of knowledge., is replication necessary in the production of knowledge discuss with reference to two aoks., for artists and natural scientists which is more important: what can be explained or what cannot be explained, are visual representations always useful in communication of knowledge discuss with reference to the human sciences and mathematics., is replicability necessary in the production of knowledge discuss with reference to two area of knowledge, est-il important que notre acquisition des connaissances se fasse dans des « bulles » où certaines informations et certaines voix sont exclues discutez cette question en faisant référence à deux domaines de la connaissance., to what extent is the knowledge we produce determined by the methodologies we use discuss with reference to history and one other area of knowledge., are visual representations always helpful in communicating knowledge discuss with reference to the human sciences and mathematics., is replicability necessary in the production of knowledge, êtes-vous d'accord qu'il est "étonnant que si peu de connaissance puissent nous donner autant de pouvoir" (bertrand russell) - discutez cette question en faisant référence aux sciences naturelles et à un autre domaine de la connaissance, for artists and natural scientists, which is more important: what can be explained or what cannot be explained discuss with reference to the arts and natural science., to what extent is the knowledge weproduce determined by the methodologieswe use, is replicability necessary in the production of knowledge discuss with reference to two areas of knowledge, does it matter if our knowledge acquisition happens in "bubbles" where some information and voices are excluded discuss with reference to two areas of knowledge., 如果我们是在排除某些信息和声音的“信息同温层”里获取知识，这有关系吗请参考两个知识领域展开你的应答。, do you agree that it is “astonishing that so little knowledge can give us so much power” (bertrand russell) discuss with reference to the natural sciences and one other area of knowledge..

November 2022 TOK essay prescribed title #2 – key words and phrases

Published by author on march 10, 2022 march 10, 2022.

2. If pushed too far, can open-mindedness itself become restrictive? Discuss with reference to two areas of knowledge.

The phrase “pushed too far” needs to be addressed in an essay on November 2022 prescribed title #2.  You may find specific examples that have a solid link to “open-mindedness” but don’t have an obvious connection to “pushed too far.”  Regardless, you must still identify in the specific example how open-mindedness has been pushed too far.  Here are some examples of “pushed too far”:

• Conclusions about a research project that have been pushed farther than the evidence can support
• A new trend in art that that has been pushed so far that it loses its connection to its cultural / social context
• A country pushing too far to remove a set of environmental laws / regulations which means that officials are restricted in the ways they can protect the environment
• A translator making considerable changes to ideas in the original text that some meanings have been pushed too far from the author’s original intent

“Open-mindedness” is obviously the heart of this prescribed title. This broad phrase (to be honest, every phrase in a prescribed title is broad) means different things in different situations.  Open-mindedness could mean making changes to a traditional kind of art in an attempt to modernize it and appeal to a new audience. One example of this is “ Super Kabuki ” which is modern form of the traditional Japanese drama. 

Open-mindedness could also include an academic incorporating ideas from another discipline.  Psychohistory is one example of a field that incorporate ideas from many disciplines, but some have labelled it a pseudoscience. 

“Restrictive” is the last key word in this prescribed title. Perhaps the most constructive way to interpret this key phrase is “having a negative effect on knowledge production / acquisition.” A TOK essay on November 2022 prescribed title #2 should examine ways in which open-mindedness has both positive and negative (i.e. “restrictive”) effects on knowledge.

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