Understanding the Foundations

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Core: Knowledge and the Knower

The core theme, Knowledge and the Knower, forms the backbone of the TOK course. It focuses on the relationship between the individual knower and the knowledge they acquire, emphasizing personal perspectives, cognitive biases, and ethical responsibilities.

Optional: Connecting Knowledge to Real-World Contexts

The optional themes allow students to explore knowledge through specific societal and cultural lenses, making TOK more relatable and engaging. These include:

Knowledge and Technology: How advancements shape the creation and distribution of knowledge.

Knowledge and Politics: The relationship between knowledge, power, and governance.

Knowledge and Indigenous Societies: How traditional knowledge systems contribute to global understanding.

Knowledge and Language: The role of language in constructing and communicating knowledge.

The Areas of Knowledge (AOKs) represent the domains through which humans acquire, create, and interpret knowledge. They are central to the TOK framework and offer distinct methodologies, tools, and challenges for exploring knowledge questions in both the exhibition and essay. The five AOKs are:

Natural Sciences

Human Sciences

Mathematics

Arts

History

The 12 key concepts will help you analyze how knowledge is constructed and understood across different Areas of Knowledge (AoKs). Below is an overview of each concept with examples to clarify their application.

Definition: The information or data that supports or challenges a claim.

Key Questions:

Examples:

Definition: The extent to which we can be confident that a claim is true.

Key Questions: