TOK essay – November 2012 * “There are no absolute distinctions between what is true and what is false.” “Everything we hear is an opinion‚ not a fact. Everything we see is a perspective‚ not the truth.” Marcus Aurelius The quotation above explains the claim that is discussed in this essay; weather truth and falsehood can be distinguished. If a person claims they are aware of the truth‚ it is impossible for it to be absolute. Absolute truth would be information‚ which has not been manipulated
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Ful lco l o u r editi on Theory of Knowledge for the IB Diploma Richard van de Lagemaat Cambridge University Press 978-1-107-66996-3 - Theory of Knowledge for the IB Diploma Richard van de Lagemaat Excerpt More information 1 The problem of knowledge ‘It is the customary fate of new truths to begin as heresies and to end as superstitions.’ T. H. Huxley‚ 1825–95 ‘The greatest obstacle to progress is not the absence of knowledge but the illusion of knowledge.’ Daniel Boorstin‚ 1914–2004
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progress can be made in science. When has progress been made using scientific methods. Etc (Physics exam‚ not prepared now‚ prepared in 6 months because you know more things) Have better understanding of the human condition(beings)‚ culture‚ language‚ norms‚ morality. Justification of knowledge VS what you can do for knowledge. (as progress). Have a firm understanding of what you mean by progress. In 6000 BC when metals were first discovered‚ they were merely used for weapons‚ coins‚ jewelries
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suggests that we can empathise with other’s feelings. For example‚ if you comfort a depressed person‚ you may unconsciously behave in a similar way (sitting in a hunched posture and talking with a depressed tone). we pick up an echo of the depression. Role of Beliefs Our emotion not only has a physical aspect but also a mental one. Mental thoughts such as beliefs can affect emotion. Social emotions are: * Ambition * Contempt * Embarrassment * Envy * Gratitude * Guilt
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232 words The Ways of Knowing are a sophisticated way of explaining how everyday people gain knowledge throughout the world‚ and discover our specific place in it. Whether it is Sense Perception‚ Emotion‚ Reasoning‚ or Language‚ they all serve as a vital part in our lives and guide the way we as people live. But how reliable are the ways of knowing? Abraham Maslow once said “When the only tool you have is a hammer‚ all problems begin to resemble nails.” What Maslow is trying
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The Importance of Body Language to Effective Communication Posted by Tim Duty‚ Intern at Large on Thu‚ Aug 30‚ 2012 @ 11:00 AM Email This Email Article communicationIt happens to everyone: A coworker starts talking to you‚and you couldn’t be less interested. Or maybe you want to listen but have a lot on your mind. It’s understandable‚ but if you think you really fooled your colleague -- you should probably think again. While you may have said the right responses in this case‚ you’d likely
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SAMPLE TOK ESSAY GUIDE Knowledge claims must be filtered through the critical lens of reason. Do you agree? Understanding the question: The Q reminds us of Socrates’ saying: ’The unexamined life is not worth living.’ What did he mean? Should we question everything‚ even at the expense of our own personal (and social) happiness and sanity? The openness of the Q allows you to look at numerous knowledge claims (make a list in advance) and what they attempt to establish. At first glance‚ wouldn’t
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Sigmund Freud suggested that incest and patricide (the act of murdering your own father) were the only two universal taboos and formed the basis of civilization. Freud goes on to state that these taboos (incest) will continue to play a significant role in modern society. In the late 17thcentury‚ Charles II of Spain of the Spanish Habsburgs were known for their inbreeding. There were at least five levels inbreeding within his family. The inbreeding was so widespread that all eight of his great-grandparents
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that! But what if I do not know if that something I am being open-minded about is true for certain? If that is the case‚ I shall have to investigate to what extent this idea is relevant to the truth. But what is truth? (I am starting to act like my ToK teacher…). So when I am questioning open-minded views‚ am not being gullible. In that case I am being… what is it called again… was it not something like scektical? No‚ I remember‚ it was sceptical. So‚ to improve my search for knowledge‚ I shall
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Is the possession of knowledge enough to place an ethical responsibility on the knower? My thesis is that knowledge in itself is value free and ethical responsibility is created by the value judgment of the knower. If the knower has decided to follow a code of ethics or interprets a piece of knowledge to contain moral dimensions‚ then knowing creates ethical responsibilities. However‚ possessing knowledge as such does not automatically create ethical responsibilities. In the following I will explore
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