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Theory of Knowledge:
The Theory of Knowledge course sits at the centre of the IB Diploma. Its purpose is a simple one—to make IB students more critical as knowers by having them think generally about knowledge in all its forms. The course is organized in such a way that many of the principal areas of IB study—mathematics, human and natural sciences, history, arts and languages—form a subset of the kinds of knowledge examined. Each of these areas of enquiry have favoured methodologies and long-held truths that form the core of their disciplines. For each area three key questions can be asked:
- What do we know?
- How do we know it?
- How do we know that we know it?
The first question is effectively answered by traditional coursework in the various areas in high school and university. The second and third form the core of TOK investigations. The second question is one of justification, and it introduces students to questions about the relationship between theory and evidence, and reasoning and truth. This is where discussions of the nature of proof in various disciplines arise. The third question is the most difficult of all. It requires an intense study not only of knowledge in general, but of the more elusive notions of truth and falsehood. It is at this level that bias must be distinguished from basis, so that unjustified opinions and the fruits of shoddy thinking are not accorded the same status as well-reasoned, firmly-grounded truths.
As for practical requirements, students are required to produce two pieces of work for the course. The first is a presentation which tries to address issues in the TOK course. In 10-15 minutes students must use the verbal and visual medium to try to elucidate a problem in human knowledge. Out of 60 total marks for the course the presentation is worth 20. The second piece of work is an essay of 1,200 to 1,600 words. This is to be an original piece of work which presents an in-depth examination of a question or issue in TOK (chosen from a list produced annually by the IBO). Due in the middle of the second year of the diploma, it is worth the remaining 40 of the 60 marks.
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