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This document discusses two types of knowledge claims in TOK: 1) First-order claims made within areas of knowledge about the world, and 2) Second-order claims made about knowledge. It provides examples of each type of claim. The document also discusses knowledge questions, stating that TOK is primarily concerned with questions about how knowledge is constructed and evaluated, rather than specific content. It provides characteristics and examples of knowledge questions, contrasting knowledge questions with non-knowledge questions. The document emphasizes that knowledge questions should be expressed in general terms rather than subject-specific terms.

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Indrani Goswami
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113 views

KQ

This document discusses two types of knowledge claims in TOK: 1) First-order claims made within areas of knowledge about the world, and 2) Second-order claims made about knowledge. It provides examples of each type of claim. The document also discusses knowledge questions, stating that TOK is primarily concerned with questions about how knowledge is constructed and evaluated, rather than specific content. It provides characteristics and examples of knowledge questions, contrasting knowledge questions with non-knowledge questions. The document emphasizes that knowledge questions should be expressed in general terms rather than subject-specific terms.

Uploaded by

Indrani Goswami
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
Available Formats
Download as DOCX, PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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Knowledge claims and knowledge questions

Knowledge claims
In TOK there are two types of knowledge claims.

1. Claims that are made within particular areas of knowledge or by


individual knowers about the world. It is the job of TOK to
examine the basis for these first-order claims.
2. Claims that are made about knowledge. These are the second-
order claims made in TOK that are justified using the tools of
TOK which usually involve an examination of the nature of
knowledge.

Here are some examples:

 “There are an infinite number of prime numbers.” This is a first-order knowledge claim because
it resides firmly inside the area of knowledge mathematics. It is established using the method of
mathematical proof.
 “Mathematical knowledge is certain.” This is a second-order knowledge claim because it is
about mathematical knowledge. We establish this by examining the methods of mathematics
themselves using the tools of TOK.

Both types of knowledge claims might be found in TOK. The first type will feature in examples offered in
the essay and presentation illustrating the manner in which areas of knowledge go about the business of
producing knowledge. The second type will constitute the core of any piece of TOK analysis.

Knowledge questions
TOK is primarily concerned with knowledge questions. This phrase is
used often in describing what is seen in a good TOK presentation or a
good TOK essay. An essay or presentation that does not identify and
treat a knowledge question has missed the point. It also occurs in the
assessment descriptors that examiners use to mark the essay and
that the teacher uses to mark the presentation. To put it briefly, the
whole point of the presentation and essay tasks is to deal with
knowledge questions.

Knowledge questions are questions about knowledge, and contain


the following features.

 Knowledge questions are questions about knowledge. Instead of focusing on specific content,
they focus on how knowledge is constructed and evaluated.
 Knowledge questions are open in the sense that there are a number of plausible answers to
them. The questions are contestable.

Hughes ToK, 2016-17, Document1


 Knowledge questions should be expressed in general terms, rather than using subject specific
terms. For example, instead of a question focusing on a specific model in development
economics, such as the Harrod-Domar model, a knowledge question might focus on the
reliability of modelling as a method of gaining knowledge in economics.

A challenging aspect of TOK is the requirement that a knowledge question is somehow more general
than the particular examples which illustrate it. This requirement springs from the idea that TOK deals
with second-order questions.

Examples of knowledge questions


You can find knowledge questions underlying almost any issue. They are sometimes difficult to
formulate precisely but they often lurk underneath popular and often controversial subjects that are
discussed in the media, for example. It is a very useful exercise to try to tease out knowledge questions
underlying articles in the media. Here are two examples of a topic that has been discussed in newspaper
articles and possible knowledge questions associated with the topic.

Example 1: Future population growth in Africa

 Not a knowledge question: “How can we predict future population growth in Africa?” This is not
a knowledge question because it is a technical question within the discipline of population
studies.
 Good knowledge question: “How can a mathematical model give us knowledge even if it does
not yield accurate predictions?” This is now sufficiently general and explores the purpose and
nature of mathematical modelling.

Example 2: The placebo effect and its impact on the medical profession

 Not a knowledge question: “How does the placebo effect work?” An answer to this might
involve a technical explanation in psychology. This is concrete.
 A good knowledge question: “How could we establish that X is an ‘active ingredient’ in causing
Y?”

This question is actually a rather general one about how we can know about causal links. It is a classic
knowledge question.

Hughes ToK, 2016-17, Document1

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