1. Is replicability necessary in the production of knowledge? Discuss with reference to two areas of knowledge.
“Is replicability necessary…?” Make sure that your essay clearly answers this question. Your investigation of different AOKs and different specific examples throughout your answer may lead to multiple answers to the question which is perfectly fine. Your essay does not have to have one definitive answer to this question – in fact an essay that has only one definitive answer to this question may be simplistic and flawed.
“Replicability” – clearly replicability is a critical part of research in the sciences where getting consistent results is important. A lab experiment, for example, should be able to be run multiple times by multiple people and the results should be consistent. Replicability has an important role in other areas such as the arts. There are occasions where different artists need to produce a similar end result (e.g. musicians playing from sheet music). Replicability is not always necessary though, even in the sciences.
“Necessary” – in some AOKs and specific examples replicability may be more important than others. In some situations though it may not be important at all. With May 2023 prescribed title #1 it may be important to consider a variety of specific examples within an AOK that demonstrate different degrees of necessity.
“the production of knowledge” – this is a phrase that shows up quite often in TOK prescribed titles. Consider what is required to “produce” knowledge in an AOK. When looking at possible specific examples for this prescribed title make sure you can clearly identify where and how knowledge is being produced. It is also important to gauge how important replicability is in the production of knowledge.
May 2023 TOK Prescribed Titles #1 and #3 are the only two where students have freedom to choose any two areas of knowledge.
2. For artists and natural scientists, which is more important: what can be explained or what cannot be explained? Discuss with reference to the arts and the natural sciences.
“Artists and natural scientist” – Note that the AOKs mentions “artists and natural scientists” and not “the arts and the natural sciences.” This is a small but important distinction. Make sure your essay specifically discusses people – i.e. actual artists and scientists.
“which is more important” – Make sure that your essay clearly answers this question. Your investigation of different AOKs and different specific examples throughout your answer may lead to multiple answers to the question which is perfectly fine. Your essay does not have to have one definitive answer to this question – in fact an essay that has one definitive answer to this question is likely flawed.
“what can be explained” – Consider the ways knowledge is explained in different AOKs. In the study of history, for example, arguments must be supported by evidence similar to other AOKs. However, history does not have formulas or experiments like in mathematics or the sciences that can be re-tested by others. Also, point of view plays a much larger role in determining what can be explained in some AOKs than others.
“what cannot be explained” – There are things that at a certain point of time cannot be explained and this uncertainty drives research. From another point of view, things cannot be explained fully in the arts such as a personal interpretation of a piece of literature or a sculptor’s intentions. These things that cannot be (fully) explained often drive discussion and analysis in the arts and lead to the development of artistic knowledge.
May 2023 TOK essay #2 should only discuss the AOK(s) mentioned in the prescribed title.
3. Does it matter if our acquisition of knowledge happens in “bubbles” where some information and voices are excluded? Discuss with reference to two areas of knowledge.
“Does it matter” – Make sure that your essay clearly answers this question. Your investigation of different AOKs and different specific examples throughout your answer may lead to multiple answers to the question which is perfectly fine. Your essay does not have to have one definitive answer to this question – in fact an essay that has one definitive answer to this question is likely flawed.
“Acquisition of knowledge” – This phrase shows up quite frequently in TOK essay prescribed titles. (FYI another phrase that shows up often is “production of knowledge”). Consider how knowledge is acquired in different AOKs and in different specific examples.
“bubbles” – Consider different ways that different AOKs can operate in “bubbles” and exclude “some information and voices.” For example, some traditional arts may try and set up barriers to prevent the traditional art from changing. This can act in a positive way and the knowledge of traditional art may be passed on relatively unchanged. From a negative point of view though, a traditional art that sets up barriers may prevent it from evolving along with other aspects of culture and it may be viewed as stagnant and out of date.
In other examples, criminology (the human sciences) has been making more use of mathematics and statistics and has been trying to include more information and ideas. More and more police forces are using mathematical / statistical models to learn more about crime to better prevent and solve crimes.
“some information and voices are excluded” – If you are considering May 2023 TOK Prescribed Titles #3 for your TOK essay may sure to examine a number of relevant specific examples that show how where “some information and voices are excluded.” You will need examples that show both that it matters and does not matter if the information and voices are excluded.
May 2023 TOK Prescribed Titles #3 and #1 are the only two where students have freedom to choose any two areas of knowledge.
4. Do you agree that it is “astonishing that so little knowledge can give us so much power” (Bertrand Russell)? Discuss with reference to the natural sciences and one other area of knowledge.
“Do you agree” – Make sure that your essay clearly answers this question. Your investigation of different AOKs and different specific examples throughout your answer may lead to multiple answers to the question which is perfectly fine. Your essay does not have to have one definitive answer to this question – in fact an essay that has one definitive answer to this question is likely flawed.
“astonishing that so little knowledge can give us so much power” – Look for specific examples that show how a little knowledge can give some person / organization / etc. “so much power.” There are situations where this power could be positive or negative. A medical researcher who makes a discovery about one specific gene may lead to a huge medical breakthrough. On the negative side, a junk food company could discover that a particular legal ingredient has some addictive properties and therefore decide to include it in their products.
“Bertrand Russell” – there is no need or requirement to look up the context of the Russel quotation or to discuss it or Russell in your essay. Spending time on this kind of research is very likely a waste of time. The IB actually used to specifically warn students about this. The May 2021 prescribed titles, for example, included this note: “It is appropriate to analyse [quotations in prescribed titles] but it is unnecessary, even unwise, to spend time on researching a context for them.”
May 2023 TOK essay #4 should only discuss the AOK(s) mentioned in the prescribed title.
5. Are visual representations always helpful in the communication of knowledge? Discuss with reference to the human sciences and mathematics.
“Are visual representations always helpful” – Make sure that your essay clearly answers this question. Your investigation of different AOKs and different specific examples throughout your answer may lead to multiple answers to the question which is perfectly fine. Your essay does not have to have one definitive answer to this question – in fact an essay that has one definitive answer to this question is likely flawed.
“visual representations” – charts, diagrams, models of the atom, maps, a painting of a WWI battle are a few examples of visual representations. Models of the atom, for example, can be helpful in explaining some characteristics of the atom but the model may simply or exclude key aspects of the atom. A painting of the battle of the Somme in WWI may provide some information about it, but what if the painter was not at the battle or did not even fight in WWI? Even if the painter had been in the battle, his or her depiction of the situation might be affected by bias, limited information, patriotism, etc.
“always” – there may be nothing in TOK that you could argue is “always” anything. Successful essays avoid one-sided arguments and should look at a situation and a prescribed title from a variety of angles / perspectives.
“helpful” – if you choose May 2023 TOK prescribed title #5 you could view “helpful” in a number of different ways. However, all of these ways should be directly connected to knowledge. Look closely at specific examples where visual representations are helpful or are not helpful in the production or acquisition of knowledge.
“communication of knowledge” – there are many different ways in which knowledge can be communicated. Analyze specific examples where visual representations play a role in communicating knowledge and look at the precise way knowledge is communicated. Make sure you can evaluate whether or not it is helpful.
TOK prescribed titles frequently use phrases such as the “sharing of knowledge” and the “acquisition of knowledge” but May 2023 prescribed title #5 may be the first time that the phrase “communication of knowledge” has been used. “Communication of knowledge” can include both “sharing” and “acquisition” though.
May 2023 TOK essay #5 should only discuss the AOK(s) mentioned in the prescribed title.
6. To what extent is the knowledge we produce determined by the methodologies we use? Discuss with reference to history and one other area of knowledge.
“To what extent” – Make sure that your essay clearly answers this question. Your investigation of different AOKs and different specific examples throughout your answer may lead to multiple answers to the question which is perfectly fine. Your essay does not have to have one definitive answer to this question – in fact an essay that has one definitive answer to this question is likely flawed.
“the knowledge we produce” – If you pick May 2023 TOK prescribed title #6, make sure you can clearly identify the actual knowledge that is being produced. Find specific examples where you can clearly identify the knowledge produced and determine whether or not this production was affected by methodology.
“determined by the methodologies we use” – If you choose May 2023 TOK essay #6 you should find some specific examples where methodology affected the knowledge produced as well as specific examples where methodology did not affect the knowledge produced.
May 2023 TOK essay #6 should only discuss the AOK(s) mentioned in the prescribed title.