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TOK Concepts Made Easy: A Practical Guide for the IBP Journey

TOK concepts

So, you’re thinking about applying for the International Baccalaureate Programme (IBP) and want some background on what to expect. Or maybe you’ve already been accepted and are a bit overwhelmed by what you already know. The IBP has helped thousands of young people around the world establish successful careers and get into prestigious universities. Doing well in the program will certainly give you a leg up in life.

And knowing what you’re up against and what is expected of you is the first step!

So keep reading as we break down one of the three core requirements of the program – Theory of Knowledge, or TOK. In this article, we’ll cover the following areas of TOK:

  • What is TOK and what is a TOK concept?
  • Each of the 12 core TOK concepts is explained.
  • Linking TOK concepts to specific areas of knowledge, with examples.
  • How TOK concepts are used in the exhibition
  • Developing critical thinking with TOK concepts

Once you’ve read this article, you’ll be on your way to IBP success. Not only that, you find that your writing will vastly improve. In no time, you’ll be the one teaching your friends and classmates how to write an essay about a book or how to write a profile essay.

Your IBP journey begins now!

What Is a TOK Concept?

As a core requirement of the IBP, you’ll need to know what the TOK concepts are and how to use them in an essay to pass the course. But long before you begin any writing, you’ll have to know what these concepts are and why they’re important.

TOK concepts cover different areas of epistemology and how you, as a student, use that to make arguments, determine facts and truths, and demonstrate how we know what we know. You might be thinking, “That sounds kind of heavy,” so let’s break things down a bit.

What Is Epistemology?

Epistemology may look like a million-dollar word, but it’s really just a concise yet fancy way of saying the “study of knowledge.” Any study that examines the nature, origin, and/or limits of knowledge can be considered epistemology. With that in mind, let’s consider how epistemology relates to TOK concepts.

When you take your IBP exams, you’ll be expected to not only know the TOKs but also be able to apply them practically. You’ll be expected to reflect on what you know and how it relates to the subject matter.

Now that you know the background of what TOK concepts are, let’s take a look specifically at each of the 12 core TOK concepts you’ll use in the IBP.

The 12 Core TOK Concepts Explained

Certainty:

Certainty refers to the level of confidence you have about a claim, piece of evidence, or any type of knowledge. You’ll soon learn that certainty can vary, especially by field of discipline. For example, you’ll often have more certainty in disciplines such as math than you would in the humanities.

Culture:

How things are done in a society and the values the people in a particular society have is culture. As your IBP journey progresses, you’ll be required to consider how culture affects how people view knowledge. Because there are many cultures, there are just as many perspectives on knowledge.

Evidence:

This refers to the information that is used to support an argument. Evidence can vary from empirical to logic-based. Because the type of evidence can vary, so too can how it’s interpreted. You’ll need to think about how evidence can be interpreted in different ways.

Explanation:

Understanding knowledge by providing an explanation of a claim is the key to this TOK. You should consider all theories and possible explanations before arriving at an answer.

Interpretation:

When you explain a knowledge claim, you’ll likely see that your explanation is very subjective. Interpretation involves understanding how knowledge can be interpreted differently from person to person.

Justification:

This TOK is closely related to explanation, as it requires you to justify a particular point of view. With that said, you need to go beyond a mere explanation and instead delve into a detailed justification of why your knowledge claim is correct.

Objectivity:

Objectivity refers to viewing knowledge without emotion, preconceived notions, or bias. You should be aware of your biases and preconceived notions but approach knowledge from a neutral perspective. Using logic and facts is optimal.

Perspective:

As part of striving to be objective when you consider knowledge, you should also consider the perspective that created the knowledge in question. Knowledge is formed through the perspective of particular individuals and within particular cultures. Keep this in mind when you analyze any evidence.

Power:

This TOK concept relates to the role of power in the shaping of knowledge. Think about how power dynamics influence events as well as how those events are interpreted by individuals with different levels of power.

Responsibility:

As members of society, every individual has certain responsibilities concerning how they act. This also relates to the use of knowledge. Consider how knowledge is ethically used as well as the responsibilities that come with the creation and dissemination of knowledge.

Truth:

When you ponder a claim, you should always consider how truthful or factual it is. Always include theories, experiments, and paths that can help you arrive at the truth. You also need to think about different ways in which the truth can be obscured.

Values:

Closely related to culture, this TOK refers to how beliefs can affect the interpretation of knowledge. Values can also affect a person or culture’s perspective of knowledge and what is viewed as knowledge. Be aware, though, that values are subjective and vary from person to person and culture to culture.

Now that you know what the core TOK concepts are, let’s look at how to use them practically in your IBP journey.

Linking TOK Concepts to Areas of Knowledge

The assessment for the IBP includes an essay and an exhibition. We’ll get to the exhibition a bit later, but for now, let’s concentrate on the essay. The essay portion consists of questions that the student answers by using the TOK concepts. You will be expected to apply the TOK concepts you’ve learned to different areas of knowledge.

Areas of Knowledge

The following are the areas of knowledge in the IBP

  • Mathematics
  • Natural Sciences
  • Human Sciences
  • History
  • Religious Knowledge Systems
  • Indigenous Knowledge Systems
  • The Arts
  • Ethics

Each of these areas of knowledge should be approached with the idea of knowledge in mind. At first, it may seem like a daunting task to apply TOK concepts to these, but with a little practice, you’ll become a pro. Let’s take a look at a few examples.

Mathematics (Certainty, Justification, Objectivity, Truth)

The piece of evidence is a mathematical equation. Once you’ve solved the equation, you must defend your answer. Your answer can link to several TOK concepts:

  • Certainty: Because mathematics has clear rules, you should be certain in your answer. You should also be able to justify your answer by relaying how you worked through each part of the equation.
  • Objectivity: Completing a math equation should be free of emotion and not influenced by beliefs or values; therefore, it will be objective.
  • Truth: If your answer is correct, it should stand up to scrutiny and be considered truthful.

History (Interpretation, Perspective, Culture)

You are presented with an ancient Egyptian statue of a ruler. There are no accompanying inscriptions, but historians have interpreted it to be a specific ruler based on other similar-looking statues. Not all historians agree on the identification, though. As you consider this piece of evidence, you can link it to at least the following three TOK concepts:

  • Interpretation: The identification of the statue is subjective. There is no consensus, even among the experts.
  • Perspective: The historians’ identifications are based on their personal perspectives. Their demographic backgrounds, their place of education, and even their political beliefs may influence their identification. Likewise, the original builders/artists of the statues had perspectives that should be considered.
  • Culture: The cultural background in which the statue was created is important. What were some of the cultural values of the ancient Egyptians that led to the statue to look the way it does? On the other hand, consider the culture of the historians who have identified the statue with a particular ruler. Has that made them more or less objective?

Ethics (Evidence, Power, Responsibility)

You are presented with the following ethical question: “Is it okay to break the law to save someone’s life?” This question is not as straightforward as you think because it will force you to consider the larger ramifications the decision may have on society. This is probably the most difficult of the examples, so it will help to begin by narrowing it down.

  • Evidence: Although ethical subjects and dilemmas tend to be abstract, understanding how evidence can resolve this particular question helps. What have philosophers and scholars said and written about this question? Are there statistics that can support one side or another of the argument?
  • Power: The role that power dynamics play in this ethical situation should be explored. Does the government have the ability, or the right, to stop someone from saving a life? Also, you should consider how the power of government can influence such a monumental decision.
  • Responsibility: All moral and ethical implications of breaking the law to save someone’s life should be understood. By saving the person’s life and breaking the law you are taking legal responsibility for the act. On the other hand, by following the law and allowing the person to die, you are accepting a certain amount of moral responsibility.

These three examples were meant to get your mind thinking about how to link TOK concepts to areas of knowledge. I guarantee that the more you do this exercise, the easier it will get. So have fun, and think of your own essay questions from each of the areas of knowledge and how you can link all of the TOK concepts to them.

TOK Concepts in the Exhibition

The essay is the first part of the TOK assessment in the IBP. The second part is what’s known as the TOK exhibition. You’ll be required to demonstrate how “TOK manifests in the world around us” by presenting an exhibition of three objects that connect to either the core or optional theme and is taken from one of the 35 prompts in the guide. The exhibition is accompanied by a 950-word commentary.

An example of a TOK concept in the exhibition could come from the following prompt:

Is there a limit on how much knowledge people should be allowed to have?

For this prompt, I’ll connect my three objects and 950-word commentary to the TOK core theme of “knowledge and the knower.” As I create my exhibition, I’ll start with the following TOK concepts:

  • Justification: Justify why people should, or shouldn’t, have unlimited access to knowledge.
  • Power: The role that power plays in the dissemination of knowledge. Does more knowledge equal more power?
  • Responsibility: What are the ethical considerations for allowing limited knowledge, or limiting knowledge, among a particular population? Can power corrupt the limits of knowledge?

As with the essay portion, you shouldn’t limit the TOK concepts you include in your exhibition. This was just a sample to get your mind working, so link as many TOK concepts as you can in your exhibition.

Developing Critical Thinking with TOK Concepts

Critical thinking skills are an important part of life. And as you research and write about TOK concepts you’ll find that your critical skills will improve in the following ways:

  • You’ll start to look at both sides of an argument. A TOK essay requires you to challenge some of your beliefs get outside your comfort zone.
  • Examining the gray areas in life. You’ll find that there are often multiple sides to an argument or idea. You’ll also see that some concepts may even go beyond “right and wrong.”
  • Thinking outside the box. Closely related to the first two ideas on this list. You’ll start to see that there’s more than one solution to a problem and that some are better than others.

Have Fun Thinking!

Your IBP journey is perhaps the most important part of your life up to this point. You definitely need to take it seriously, but you should also have fun and enjoy it. If you follow the tips in this article about TOK concepts, the journey will be a little less stressful.

Paper writers from all over the world have successfully used many of these tips and strategies. Just remember to relax and let your mind make connections between TOK concepts and things you see every day.

Elissa Smart Elissa Smart
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