Theory of KnowledgeTheory of KnowledgeTheory of KnowledgeTheory of Knowledge

- An introduction- An introduction

Real Headlines:• Elvis found working as Plumber in Poland

• Alien base found on dark side of Moon

• Alien base mysteriously disappears

Real Predictions:• “There is no way humans will tap the

power of the atom”– Robert Milliken, Nobel Prizewinner (Physics) 1923

• “I think there will be a world market for 5 computers”– Thomas Watson, founder of IBM (1958)

• “The Internet will never take off”– Bill Gates, Microsoft

Problems of knowledge

•How much of what you

know is TRUE????

Tasks• Identify something you have been

told, which you believed in at the time but you now recognise as false.

• How did you find out the truth?

Tasks• Identify something you are

absolutely certain about.

• Is anyone else certain about them too?

Tasks• What is the difference between:

“I am certain that…….”

and

“It is certain that………….”

History of Mankind• We know so much but we have only

been here briefly!!• So how can we assume we know

everything?• What are humankind’s greatest

successes?• Does it really matter how long we’ve

been around?

I know…..• …. that I am the best TOK teacher

there ever was.

• …that The Beatles were the greatest Pop Group ever.

• …I love my wife and children.

What is knowledge?• So, if you can believe something without

knowing it, can you know it and not believe it?

• Is knowledge the same as true belief? Can you imagine a case where someone believes something which is true but where we would NOT say she knows it?

Knowledge is………..

•Justified, true belief

Justified, true belief• Can you think of a situation where

either:• Someone might have justified true

belief but we wouldn’t say that they knew something? or:

• Someone did not have justified true belief but we would say that they knew something?

Validity of the Justification

• Is the is the justification we use really valid?

• eg1 Iraq was invaded because there were weapons of mass destruction hidden.

• eg2 Education is important because it makes for a better person.

Facts and Opinions• Weak forms of knowledge

-based on bias and misinterpretation

Strong forms of knowledge• - based on reason and experience

and with valid justification

3 Types of Question• Ones with only one correct answer

– How many Hydrogen atoms on a water molecule?

• Ones with many possible answers

– What is the best way to tackle the world’s overpopulation?

• Ones with no correct answers

– Which boy band is the best?

So… What is TOK?• It’s all about justifying our

thoughts on various topics, about arguing for what we believe in.

• We must consider whether our beliefs are justified and whether our justification is VALID