Theory of Knowledge TOK Camp 2013 TOK Presentation

Theory of Knowledge TOK Camp 2013 – TOK Presentation Preparation Part 2

The presentation �The presentation is the first of the two assessments for TOK. �You can do your presentation as an individual, or in a group of 2. �Either way, each speaker has to speak for 10 minutes. �The presentation involves skills, knowledge and understandings that will be directly applicable to the second assessment: the essay. �The presentation is internally assessed (assessed by your TOK teachers) whereas the essay will be externally assessed.

The basic structure of the presentation

Topic for the rest of this presentation: Once I have extracted a high quality knowledge issue from my real-life situation, how do I go about developing it?

How to develop a knowledge issue �Knowledge issues are questions about knowledge. �In order to develop a knowledge issue, you need to use your TOK concepts and theory to explore your knowledge issue. �It may be that – through this process - you arrive at a single answer to your question. �However, it may be that you arrive at a set of possible answers, all of which have something going for them.

Example �Real life situation: Ms Fergus-Brown avoids buying coffee at the new Chinese-run café on Main Street. �Knowledge issue: What role does reason play in sustaining prejudice? �Ms Ferguson-Brown, and then Dr Hodges, will show you how they would approach the knowledge issue. �Your job is to pick out the common principles behind the two approaches.

Ms Ferguson-Brown’s approach

Ms Ferguson-Brown’s approach

Ms Ferguson-Brown’s approach

Ms Ferguson-Brown’s approach

Dr Hodges’ approach �What is the most obvious response to this question? �It doesn’t play a role. �Prejudice is irrational. �It is biologically-based: humans, like all other animals, are biologically driven to further the interests of those who are most genetically similar to them. �Fear of the other is a biological fact of life.

Dr Hodges’ approach �What other responses might we make by drawing on our TOK theory? �Perhaps people are prejudiced because they suffered some traumatic experience, and they have over-generalized. �How does this relate to emotion as a WOK? �As much as we might put this kind of a response down to emotion, there is reasoning involved. �But it’s unsound reasoning. �Fallacy of weak induction: generalizing from a single case or a small sample.

Dr Hodges’ approach �OK, but could sound reasoning ever play a role in sustaining prejudicial beliefs? �What if every time you ate Chinese food, you became sick? �Then the inference to the conclusion that Chinese food is unhealthy might not be based on fallacious reasoning. �But, if a belief is based on sound reasoning, is it really prejudicial? �So on and so forth …

What are the commonalities and difference between the two approaches?