Old IB TOK Guide
February 4, 2015
This guide was replaced this year but there are still many valuable items here. In particular you will find great knowledge questions on pages 13-40.
Author: Mr. Lakhaney
TOK Teacher
Perspectives on a curious subject: What is IB theory of knowledge all about?
February 4, 2015
“Theory of knowledge (TOK) is a curious subject. It is curious in the sense that it questions and wonders, reflects and connects, in a spirit of inquiry. It is also curious in the other sense of the word—that it is a little odd, a little unlike the other subjects in the IB Diploma Programme.
School leaders might be the first to ask, “What’s this subject all about?”
Perspectives on a curious subject: What is IB theory of knowledge all about?
“Problems of Knowing And Linking Questions”
February 4, 2015
Great TOK resource.
“Because the Ways of Knowing are processes or activities so natural to students, their problematic aspects, worthy of reflection, do not come readily to conscious or critical attention. The senses, through perception, seemingly provide a window on the world as it really is, and the emotions have seldom been viewed as an integral aspect of human awareness and intelligence.
Additionally, the acquisition of a first language occurs so easily for most people, and communication with others is so effortless, that the influence of language in shaping thought is seldom noticed. Finally, the appeal of a well-constructed argument can be sensed even without any formal training in logic or other forms of reasoning.
The questions which follow are intended to stimulate and guide the reflection of students about these and related issues.”
General Relativity’s Big Year?
February 4, 2015
“Stranger still is that, though general relativity is celebrated and revered among physicists like no other theory in science, they would doubtless react with joy if it is proved to fail. That’s science: You produce a smart idea and then test it to its breaking point.”
http://www.nytimes.com/2015/02/05/opinion/general-relativitys-big-year.html
This American Life Podcast: A Little Bit of Knowledge
February 4, 2015
“Bob Berenz had a good job as an electrician. But he wanted to do something bigger. He came up with an idea for an invention. But as he studied physics texts to see if his invention could work, he happened upon the biggest idea of his life: A revelation about physics that would disprove Einstein, and Newton. That is, if Bob’s right.”
http://www.thisamericanlife.org/radio-archives/episode/293/a-little-bit-of-knowledge?act=3#play
Art for Money’s Sake
February 3, 2015
This article is about a new state of the art storage facility that will store and facilitate the market for artwork. This story raises some interesting questions about artwork.
What determines the monetary value of artwork? Does the treatment of art as a commodity to be bought and sold and speculated upon undermine its purpose? Should great artwork be in private hands away from public view?
“The complex will be packed with thousands of works of art, from old masters to contemporary rising stars. But unlike at a museum, few will ever see the works that live inside it…
“Largely hidden from public view, an ecosystem of service providers has blossomed as Wall Street-style investors and other new buyers have entered the market. These service companies, profiting on the heavy volume of deals while helping more deals take place, include not only art handlers and advisers but also tech start-ups like ArtRank. A sort of Jim Cramer for the fine arts, ArtRank uses an algorithm to place emerging artists into buckets including ‘buy now,’ ‘sell now’ and liquidate.’ Carlos Rivera, co-founder and public face of the company, says that the algorithm, which uses online trends as well as an old-fashioned network of about 40 art professionals around the world, was designed by a financial engineer who still works at a hedge fund.”
A Discredited Vaccine Study’s Continuing Impact on Public Health
February 2, 2015
“Some parents feel certain that vaccines can lead to autism, if only because there have been instances when a child got a shot and then became autistic. Post hoc, ergo propter hoc. Making that connection between the two events, most health experts say, is as fallacious in the world of medicine as it is in the field of logic.”
Bioethicist: Experimental Ebola Treatment Endorsed, But Who Gets It?
February 2, 2015
How do we distribute scarce resources? What if the scarce resource is a life saving drug to treat ebola?
Below are three articles about these questions.
Additional questions to consider could include: Is it ethical to profit from developing and profiting from life saving medication? What if removing profit motive would remove the desire to create the medicine in the first place?
http://time.com/3104174/who-gets-the-experimental-ebola-drugs/
The Ethics of Vaccination
February 2, 2015
There was a recent outbreak of measles in the United States which raised some interesting questions. Before we get to those questions, an introduction to measles. We don’t often think of measles as a dangerous disease but it’s one of the most contagious human diseases. To compare measles to other diseases in the news, a person with ebola can be expected to transmit the disease to 1-2 other people while the disease is in its infectious period, according to immunologists. A person with measles can be expected to transmit the disease to 12-18 other people. The most recent ebola outbreak has killed between 8,000 and 9,000 people but prior to this outbreak, only 738 people had died of the disease since it was first discovered in 1976. Worldwide measles kills 145,000 people.
Much of the current outbreak has been blamed on parents who choose not to vaccinate their children. Either because of religious objections or because of fears of the safety of the vaccines or other reasons. Some people simply question the need for vaccines at all. Immunologists hope that 100% of people receive vaccines but hope for a minimum level of 92% to achieve “herd immunity” to prevent outbreaks of diseases for which there are vaccines. Immunologists argue that people choosing not to vaccinate their children makes outbreaks of these diseases more likely. Because diseases like measles are so infectious, the diseases not only affect those who have not been vaccinated but also a certain percentage of children who haven’t.
This situation creates an interesting set of ethical questions.
- What takes precedent in a situation like this: a person’s freedom to make medical choices for themselves and their children or the health and well being of a larger population?
- Is it unethical for you to forgo vaccination if the potential cost of your choice is paid by someone else?
- Is it ethical to force someone to make health choices against their will if medical experts deem those choices necessary?
- How do we determine medical truth? What if a doctor did research that contradicted the rest of the medical establishment? Whose truth do we go by?
Below are some links to some of these issues.
Vaccine Critics Turn Defensive Over Measles
Anti-Vaccine Movement Causes Worst Measles Epidemic In 20 Years
Why I won’t let unvaccinated people around my kids
The “Ethics” of Vaccination in Canada
Why Even Vaccinated People Can Catch Measles
Amid California measles outbreak, some doctors refuse to see children who haven’t been vaccinated
Studies Outside the U.S. Show Unvaccinated Children Healthier than Vaccinated Children
Is Pluto a planet?
January 30, 2015
Really great video that explains the rationale for changing the categorization of Pluto from planet to dwarf planet. It also gives some great historical context.
The solar system itself hasn’t changed but our knowledge of it has changed over time and the increased knowledge has forced us to change our categories and language. This video raises the interesting and challenging aspects of our desire to categorize and label things. Language itself in addition to categorizing and labeling are inductive processes and the “controversy” around Pluto is a great illustration of that.
TOK Topics 