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TOK Ethics

This document outlines a TOK ethics lesson plan on the issue of Wikileaks. [1] Students will be asked to take a position on whether Wikileaks is good or bad after reviewing provided articles. [2] They will then discuss the knowledge issue "To what extent can withholding the truth be justified?" in small groups. [3] Students will identify examples of how language, reason, and emotion are used in the Wikileaks debate and discuss further knowledge issues around the role of language in justifying ethical positions.

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476 views

TOK Ethics

This document outlines a TOK ethics lesson plan on the issue of Wikileaks. [1] Students will be asked to take a position on whether Wikileaks is good or bad after reviewing provided articles. [2] They will then discuss the knowledge issue "To what extent can withholding the truth be justified?" in small groups. [3] Students will identify examples of how language, reason, and emotion are used in the Wikileaks debate and discuss further knowledge issues around the role of language in justifying ethical positions.

Uploaded by

nepaliain
Copyright
© Attribution Non-Commercial (BY-NC)
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
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Download as DOCX, PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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TOK – Ethics.

Learning outcome:
Students will identify and justify their own position on an ethical issue.
Students will understand what a Knowledge Issue is.
Students will be able to identify and evaluate the role of specific WOK in a
Knowledge Issue.
Students will understand that investigation in to Knowledge Issues requires
considerations of multiple perspectives.
Students will identify claims and counter claims.
Students will demonstrate and apply understanding of various ethical theories.
Students will express a personal perspective and compare it to other perspectives.

1. RLS:

Wikileaks - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jfsUbm6Buuw
Wikileaks is bad!

Treason
Endangers lives of soldiers.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-
dyn/content/article/2010/08/02/AR2010080202627.html http://www.washingtonpost.co
m/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/08/02/AR2010080202627.html

Wikileaks is good!

People have a right to the truth.


Challenges partisanship of the media.

http://www.wired.com/threatlevel/2010/12/wikileaks-
editorial/http://www.wired.com/threatlevel/2010/12/wikileaks-editorial/

Students read above articles and take a definitive position: good or bad. What
questions did you ask yourself to get this position?

TOK requires you to form more general questions about Knowledge – Knowledge
Issues.

1. KIs:

Provide the following KI. Students discuss in small groups with specific relation to
Wikileaks.
 To what extent can withholding the truth be justified?
Possible Knowledge Claims:
Journalist’s not identifying sources (ethical code).
CNN, FOX, BBC release anonymous source based reports all the time, why is this
different?
Government withholding information for public protection? E.g. Torture and war
crimes.
How can the government claim that Wikileaks have led to death?
Wider implications:
Freedom of speech VS Censorship.

WOK:
What role do Language, Reason and Emotion play in Wiki Leaks debate?
Ask students to identify examples from the above articles and also to find their own
examples.

Further Knowledge Issues for consideration:


 What role should language play in justifying an ethical position?

 To what extent can Language, reason and emotion be used to hinder the
search for truth?

2. Different perspectives and claims and counter claims.


Groups are given one of the following perspectives they must identify their
position on the issue and question each others clams (counter claims) –
Assange, US government, role of the law, journalists, members of the public,
Utilitarianism and Kant.

Personal Voice:
Each student writes their own perspective (a young person living in HK).
How does the Wiki Leaks issue and it’s wider implications impact upon your
life?

As a possible follow up lesson students could make their own


presentation using the steps above as guidance, with a real-life
situation of their own choosing.

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