The TOK Essay
Mr Field
The Basics
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A 1200-1600 word essay on one of 6 prescribed titles
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The titles pose questions which must be answered
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The titles are not open to (much) interpretation
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You should present your thoughts and views, not those of
well-known others
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Where necessary, the essay should be factually correct
and appropriately referenced
This Year’s Titles
1.
Ethical judgements limit the methods available in the production of knowledge in both the
arts and the natural sciences. Discuss.
2.
“When the only tool you have is a hammer, all problems begin to resemble nails” (Abraham
Maslow). How might this apply to ways of knowing, as tools, in the pursuit of knowledge?
3.
“Knowledge is nothing more than the systematic organisation of facts.” Discuss this
statement in relation to two areas of knowledge.
4.
“That which is accepted as knowledge today is sometimes discarded tomorrow.” Consider
knowledge issues raised by this statement in two areas of knowledge.
5.
“The historian’s task is to understand the past; the human scientist, by contrast, is looking
to change the future.” To what extent is this true in these areas of knowledge?
6.
“A skeptic is one who is willing to question any knowledge claim, asking for clarity in
definition, consistency in logic and adequacy of evidence” (adapted from Paul Kurtz, 1994).
Evaluate this approach in two areas of knowledge.
How is it assessed?
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A maximum of 40 marks:
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10 for each criterion
Grade Boundaries
(ish)
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A: 29-40
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B: 22-28
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C: 16-21
Criterion C: Quality of Analysis of Knowledge
Issues
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D: 9-15
Criterion D: Organisation of Ideas
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E: 0-8
Criterion A: Understanding Knowledge Issues
Criterion B: Knower’s Perspective
Criterion A: Understanding Knowledge Issues
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Relevance:
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Depth if Understanding:
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Ensure you are only writing about knowledge issues that are fully
relevant to the essay title
Hard to define
Often shown by students drawing clear distinctions within WoK/AoK
– i.e. seeing them each as a complex whole with interacting parts,
rather than a simple, single idea
Avoid making sweeping generalisations!
Connections:
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Understanding how WoK apply to different AoK
Drawing comparisons between AoK and/or WoK
Criterion B: Knower’s Perspective
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Independent Thinking
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Self-Awareness as a Knower
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The essay should relate to your experience as a knower
Example chosen from your own learning can help with this
Diversity of Perspectives
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Does your essay show clear evidence of your own thought and input (or
is it just quoting dead clever people)?
Have you considered the question from multiple angles?
Use of Examples
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Illustrate your argument with well chosen, concrete, examples
Avoid clichéd and hypothetical examples
Use examples that relate clearly to subject areas (especially in ethics)
Criterion C: Analysis of Knowledge Issues
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Exploration of Knowledge Issues
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Justification of Main Points
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You need to form well argued points and arguments
Simple statement of your thoughts is not enough, they must be justified
Counterclaims
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Move beyond description (sense perception is this)
Explore Implications (sense perception is this, which means that…)
Have you considered the alternatives?
Why are the alternatives wrong?
Implications
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Consider what your argument means for other WoK/AoK and for the
pursuit of knowledge more generally
Criterion D: Organisation of Ideas
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Essay must be 1200-1600 words
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Structure
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Write in a clear and fluent style
Define words/concepts whose meaning is unclear, and use these definitions consistently
Accuracy
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There must be a coherent structure, that leads the reader through your argument in a
logical way
The essay must be balanced – not 1000 words on one AoK and 200 on the other
Clarity
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A single word more or less limits you to 4/10 here
Any factual information must be correct (verified with a reference)
Referencing
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All sources must be fully referenced
Check that your sources are reliable before including them
Task
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Read the first essay, annotating as necessary
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Award marks (on your own)
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Discuss the marks with those around you, try to reach an
agreement where your marks differ
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Repeat with the second essay.
A Process For Writing The Essay
Initial
Brainstorming
• Pick your three favourite essay questions
• Identify as many knowledge issues as possible for each
Working Up
Ideas
• Pick your two favourite questions from above
• Produce a diagrammatic plan giving the overall structure, and the main purpose of each
paragraph.You could also suggest the examples you plan to use.
Detailed Plan
• Pick your favourite question from above and produce a detailed essay plan
• List the points you plan to make in each paragraph and the examples you plan to use
• Check against the assessment criteria that you are hitting what you need to
• Turn your plan from above into a full essay
The Essay
Knowledge Issues
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Questions about the way knowledge is acquired and
shaped
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You have less freedom than the essay – your KIs must be
relevant to the question
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Should be phrased in terms of ToK concepts and vocabulary
Should be precise in terms of the relationships between the
above
This actually makes it a little easier to think of them!
You will often have multiple knowledge issues
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Perhaps one or two main KIs and several sub-KIs
Examples 1: In what ways may disagreement aid the pursuit of
knowledge in the natural and human sciences?
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On what basis should differing views be taken seriously in the natural and human sciences?
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Why might there be different amounts of disagreement in the natural sciences and the human
sciences?
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Why might some ways of knowing be more likely than others to generate and sustain disagreement in
the natural and human sciences?
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At what stage in the production of knowledge is disagreement helpful to the pursuit of knowledge?
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To what extent is disagreement a vital part of scientific methods?
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What methods are employed in the natural and human sciences by which disagreement may be
converted into consensus?
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What might be the consequences of a broad consensus about knowledge within scientific disciplines?
Examples 2: “Only seeing general patterns can give us knowledge.
Only seeing particular examples can give us understanding.” To what
extent do you agree with these assertions?
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To what extent can we maintain a viable distinction between knowledge and understanding across
various areas of knowledge?
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Are some areas of knowledge more about knowledge than understanding, and others more about
understanding than knowledge?
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How can we be sure that general patterns represent genuine features of reality and thus can act as a
sound basis for knowledge?
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What kind of relationship to an example must we have in order for it to promote understanding?
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Why is generalisation seen as very important in some areas of knowledge and does it follow that
these areas of knowledge are seen as the most secure?
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What roles do the ways of knowing play in giving us knowledge and understanding and how do those
roles differ across different areas of knowledge?
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Are we as likely to be mistaken in looking for generalisations as in looking for particular patterns and
how does that affect our knowledge and understanding?
Examples 3: “The possession of knowledge carries an ethical
responsibility.” Evaluate this claim.
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Under what circumstances is it possible to maintain a detached relationship with subject matter under
investigation?
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What knowledge is completely independent of ethical responsibilities?
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How can we know when we should be disposed to act on what we know?
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If we have decided to act, how can our knowledge guide us as to what to do?
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How can we be confident of the ethical responsibilities that may arise from knowing when that
knowledge is always provisional or incomplete?
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Is there a relationship between the ethical responsibilities of knowing and the ways in which that
knowledge is generated?
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To what extent does the recognition of the ethical responsibilities of knowing influence the further
production or acquisition of knowledge?
Key Words and Phrases in KI
How can we…?
Belief
Should
Know/Knowledge
Faith
Truth
Certain/Certainty
Understanding
Shape
To what extent…?
Change
Acquire/Generate
Any AoK/WoK
Relationship
Differ/Difference
Patterns
Evidence
Justify
Trust
Role
Intuition/Intuitive
A Diagrammatic Plan
For Example: Knowledge is generated through the interaction of critical and creative
thinking. Evaluate this statement in two areas of knowledge.
Intro
Critical
Creative
Explain difference between
critical/creative thinking
Introduce the mathematics
and art as the two AoK
Explore role in mathematics
Explore role in art
Compare the two
Explore role in mathematics
Explore role in art
Compare the two
Limitations of
either/or
Conclusion
Role of Interaction
Without creativity, maths
hits a dead-end
Without critical thinking, art
loses focus
Or…..
For Example: Knowledge is generated through the interaction of critical and creative
thinking. Evaluate this statement in two areas of knowledge.
Intro
Explain difference between
critical/creative thinking
Introduce the mathematics
and art as the two AoK
Maths
Art
Role of critical
Role of creative
Limitations of either/or
Benefits of interaction
Role of critical
Role of creative
Limitations of either/or
Benefits of interaction
Conclusion
How do you know
when critical or
creative needed?
Analysis
Comparisons
Feedback from Examiners Report
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General:
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Presentation: ensure your essays have:
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Double spacing – important for marking
Standard size 12 font – Arial, Times New Roman, Calibri etc
Default margins with no page border
No cover page
Statement of the word count
Teacher Guidance:
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Make sure you seek and follow it!
It is very clear where students either have not sought it, or have
sought it but not followed it.
We know what we’re doing!
Treatment of Knowledge Issues
Developing and Introducing Them
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The KIs are best thought of as sub-questions that need answering in order
to address the essay title.
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All KIs must be fully relevant to the essay title
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Those that aren’t will gain no marks, regardless of how well you write about
them
There should be a direct and line of thought linking the KIs to the essay
title
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You should consider including this in your essay
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Try to avoid simply restating the essay title in different words
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They do not have to be explicitly stated
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However, doing so can help keep your essay focussed on the relevant issues
Treatment of Knowledge Issues
Discussing Them
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Your knowledge issues (whether explicit or implicit) do
need to be answered
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The KIs should represent the beginning of a thought
process rather than the end of it
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Use KIs as a way to structure your essay
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Avoid:
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Posing KIs as rhetorical questions, or questions where the
answer is taken as a given
Ignoring your KIs…you should refer back to them
Ways of Knowing
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WoK should be discussed (whenever possible) in the context
of Area of Knowledge
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Avoid the term ‘perception’
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Treating them in isolation can lead to anecdotal claims, hypothetical
examples and weak analysis
Use it only as part of ‘sense perception’
This will help you avoid the ‘perception trap’ whereby students often
talk about perception in terms of opinions, rather than ‘sense
perception’ in terms of information going into the brain
Avoid the simplistic view of emotion as a barrier to knowledge
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Emotion makes many positive contributions to the acquisition of
knowledge
History
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“History” as an area of knowledge, with professional historians
who are trained to produce knowledge concerning the past, is
not the same as “the past” itself
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Historians are fully aware of bias, and do all they can to
prevent it. Do not patronise them by suggesting otherwise.
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Holocaust denial is to history as creationism is to science!
Be careful about bias:
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A newspaper article from London during the blitz clearly has a
definite perspective, but this is not historical bias
Historians are explicitly trained to identify such perspectives, to take
them into account and use them as a tool to further knowledge
Discussions of bias tend to suggest that there is in fact a neutral
perspective that can be taken, this is itself a perspective!
Ethics
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Ethics is not simply a matter of opinion!
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There are intellectually respectable approaches to the
development of ethical knowledge
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It is not completely subjective
Utilitarianism, libertarianism, deontological ethics, veil of
ignorance etc
Avoid simple ethical dilemmas
Other AoK
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Mathematics
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Arts
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Emotion is not the only thing to be considered!
Religion
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Tends to be treated poorly
You should talk about key ideas such as axioms, theorems,
conjectures and reasoning
Tends to be treated only from the extreme – either as
nonsense or beyond criticism
Human Science
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Ensure this focuses on human science as set of approaches for
developing knowledge, rather than the specifics of individuals’
behaviour
Use of Examples
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Examples should be:
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Varied – avoid using the same one again and again
Concrete – you should be able to answer who/what/why/when/where questions
Useful – they should be used in a way that makes a point or illustrates your
argument
Knowledge focussed – they should be drawn as much as possible from areas of
knowledge
From your own experience
Avoid:
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Hypothetical examples – what if….
Clichéd examples – the examiners know that 2+2=4 and that Einstein helped
build the atom bomb, and that an angry tree threw apples at Newton’s head
Anecdotal examples:
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For example, last night I had an argument with my sister….
I am friends with a couple, and I just found that he is cheating on her….
Analysis
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Try to:
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Form a coherent argument
Move beyond simple description, and consider what the KIs mean in
terms of answering the essay title
Ensure all main points are fully justified (preferably backed up with an
example)
Consider the implications of your argument for the pursuit of
knowledge
Avoid:
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Strategic vagueness: ‘many scientists’, ‘many people’, ‘many
campanologists’
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This often suggests you have no facts to back your argument up!
Relativism: it is not all relative!
Weak counter claims: ‘but on the other hand, the opposite of what I just
said…’
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Counterclaims should form a natural and integral part of the discussion rather
than simply being bolted on
Use of Key Terms
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DO NOT start off your essay with a list of keyword definitions
from the OED or www.dictionary.com!
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If there are certain terms that need defining:
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As well as being dull, these are not always appropriate and can be
irrelevant, pushing an essay off topic, and can close a discussion down at
the exact point it needs opening up
You can assume that examiners know what is meant by core terms such
as knowledge, sense perception, reason, human science, ethics and so on
Say what you think they mean, and illustrate with a couple of examples
This shows the examiner what you mean when you use the words
Show awareness that it is not a full or complete definition, merely a
working definition
Ensure you use key terms consistently, and only elaborate on terms
that you actually end up using!
Essay Structure
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You must stay within the word limit (1200-1600)
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Get the start right. Avoid:
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Hyperbolic claims
Glib or irrelevant quotes from films etc
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Be absolutely clear in your head how each paragraph relates to the essay
title
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Write the intro last….it should reflect and frame the discussion that will
take place
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Have the confidence to keep language simple:
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Don’t say ‘however’, ‘thus’ or ‘therefore’ if you actually mean ‘and’
Only use long, complicated vocabulary if you are 100% certain of its meaning, and
the same meaning can not be communicated with a simpler word.
Other Points
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Factual accuracy:
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Any factual content must be fully referenced
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You should only use reliable sources (yahoo answers, or a random
blog you found are not reliable sources!)
Any factual content must be factually correct
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Avoid using course textbooks as a source of examples
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Avoid using websites that host discussions about the
essay titles
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The examiners read these websites, know the common
arguments discussed, and will penalise you accordingly for
expressing views other than your own!