The Theory of Knowledge

Learner Profile
Attribute
Inquirers

Knowledgeable

Thinkers

Communicators

Principled

Open-minded

Caring
Risk-takers

Balanced

Reflective

In the Theory of Knowledge, the main avenue of inquiry is into the nature of knowledge
itself. TOK learners seek to find out how knowledge is made using various Ways of
Knowing, and they seek to find out what constitutes knowledge in various Areas of
Knowledge. Inquiry is a necessary attribute because it is a fundamental premise of TOK
that real knowledge cannot result from simple acceptance of everything one reads, sees,
or hears.
In the Theory of Knowledge, students strive to be knowledgeable about the nature of
knowledge. This endeavor entails becoming knowledgeable about a variety of subject
areas from a variety of perspectives. Students consider the ways of knowing, for
example, from the perspective of science, personal experience, and their interaction with
other ways of knowing.
In the Theory of Knowledge, thinking is both a methodology and a subject for study. TOK
learners think about thinking for the purposes of understanding what constitutes good
thinking and what potential flaws in one's thought process might lead to poor thinking.
TOK learners also think about what kind of thinking is required in a variety of situations,
as well as how thinking relates to emotional processing and intuition.
In the Theory of Knowledge, communication is both a skill to be developed and a subject
to be studied. Students are required by the IB assessments to communicate their
understanding and their perspective in both oral and written forms. TOK students also
study Language as a Way of Knowing, so they learn what gives language its power, as
well as what causes failure of communication.
The guiding principle of Theory of Knowledge is truth. In order to be successful in TOK,
students must value truth and must learn to act in ways that demonstrate that value.
Learning to see the world from a TOK perspective necessarily precludes the kind of
solipsistic thinking (The rules dont apply to me) that leads to much of the worlds
unprincipled behavior, because TOK students learn that reality does not, in the words of
Philip K. Dick, go away just because you stop believing in it.
Becoming open-minded is perhaps the most fundamental goal of the Theory of
Knowledge class. Students who succeed in TOK must be open-minded about everything
they encounter. They must learn not to simply accept claims at face value, and they
must learn to consider the factual accuracy of any proposition, the potential emotional,
social, or cognitive bias of any person making a proposition, and the durability of any
given proposition. At the same time, they must learn to balance skepticism with faith,
and they must, thereby, also learn when claims should be accepted because they are
reasonable.
Theory of Knowledge students must care first and foremost about truth. They must care
about knowledge, and they must care about precision, accuracy, relevance, and honesty.
Theory of Knowledge students must be willing to take risks with regard to trusting their
own judgment and their own knowledge so that they do not simply devolve into
unappeasable skeptics. TOK students must most of all be willing to risk being wrong,
because only when we are willing to accept the rational and emotional experience of
being wrong can we make progress toward correcting existing misconceptions and
increasing our true knowledge and understanding of the world.
Theory of Knowledge requires balance in myriad ways. The curriculum is balanced in
terms of the Ways of Knowing that are explored and in terms of considering both the
assets and liabilities of each one. It is also balanced in terms of the Areas of Knowledge
that are examined, both in that there is a wide variety of Areas and in that each area is
considered from both a personal and a communal perspective. The TOK assessments
require a balance of ability in speaking and writing, and a balance in ability of drawing
general conclusions from specific examples and in drawing specific examples to
demonstrate general claims.
As is open-mindedness, reflectiveness is one of the skills that form the heart of the
Theory of Knowledge course. Students who are successful in TOK learn that reflection is
a necessary and habitual activity for making knowledge. Students in Theory of
Knowledge learn to reflect not only over their own knowledge, beliefs, thought
processes, and emotional reactions, but also over the factual accuracy, logical
plausibility, and contextual dependence of claims of every kind. TOK students also learn
to reflect on the degree to which their own and other peoples motivations, beliefs,
expectations, and experience influence what they know and what they are capable of
knowing.