IB 知识论

知识论（TOK）是所有 IBDP 学生的必修课程，与专题研究论文（EE）一起占 IBDP 总分的 3 分。与其他科目不同，在 TOK 课程中学生不一定需要学习任何新的知识。相反，TOK 课程强调学生探讨和反思知识的本质和获取知识的过程。学生必须反思他们在学校课程和校外生活中积累的知识、观点和信念。 TOK 旨在促进学生的个人成长，培养学生的思辨能力和批判性思维。

The Theory of Knowledge (TOK) essay is an essential part of the IBDP program that all students face. Thus, the ability to comprehend and explore the 6 essay questions you will be facing is a must. Understanding each question's key terms and underlying assumptions is essential to crafting a compelling argument. Below are some sharings on this year’s TOK essay questions -

Question 1: Do historians and human scientists have an ethical obligation to follow the directive: “do not ignore contradictory evidence”?

This question focuses on the ethical implications in the AOKs of history and human sciences. The concept of evidence here is critical, as it asks how historians and human scientists interact with opposing information. Ethical considerations in knowledge production and dissemination should be examined accordingly. Students can draw on examples from their history or human sciences studies to explore whether professionals in these fields must acknowledge all evidence, even when it challenges prevailing narratives or hypotheses.

Question 2: Is our most revered knowledge more fragile than we assume it to be?

This question delves into the meaning and justification of "most revered knowledge" across different AOKs. While it may seem straightforward, the notion of "reverence" is subjective and requires careful unpacking, as does fragility. In the arts, for example, students should focus on knowledge generated by the arts rather than just individual works.

Question 3: How can we reconcile the relentless drive to pursue knowledge with the finite resources we have available?

This is a "how" question that pushes students to explore solutions to an inherent tension between knowledge pursuit and limited resources. Defining "reconcile" is crucial to providing a coherent argument, especially when tackling the assumption that resources—whether intellectual or physical—are finite.

Question 4: Do the ever-improving tools of an area of knowledge always result in improved knowledge?

The question hinges on the relationship between tools and the improvement of knowledge. The challenge is to define what counts as "improved knowledge" and whether tools are simply making knowledge more detailed or enabling entirely new forms of understanding. This question also touches on technological advancements and could be explored through both the natural sciences and mathematics, but it’s important to not restrict the discussion to only modern tools.

Question 5: To what extent do you agree with the claim “all models are wrong, but some are useful” (attributed to George Box)?

This question asks students to consider the reliability and limitations of models, particularly in mathematics. The nature of axioms and abstract structures in mathematics makes this AOK especially relevant. To fully explore the question, students should consider not just when models fail but also how they contribute to knowledge even when they’re flawed.

Question 6: Does acquiring knowledge destroy our sense of wonder?

This is an open-ended question. Defining "a sense of wonder" is key, as is considering how this concept fits into real-world examples. Does knowledge deepen curiosity, or does it restrict the space for wonder? The essay could draw on AOKs like the natural sciences, where new discoveries often open more questions than answers.

• 让学生反思“我们如何知道我们所知道的知识？”并认识到这个问题的价值。
• 让学生认识到并非所有问题都有答案；也存在不确定性、歧义和多重答案。
• 让学生更好地了解世界，使他们能够为新的和复杂的情况做好准备。
• 帮助学生理解他们自己的观点并能够批判性地反思自己的信念和假设。
• 让学生接触不同的视角，以开放的态度和多元文化的角度来看待世界。
• 让学生明白不同学科的基本思想观点，增强学生比较不同知识领域的方法论的能力，以此培养学生将不同学科的知识联系起来的能力。
• 要求学生思考知识的产生、传播、交流和使用的伦理考虑，从而了解他们自己的责任和价值。

在整个课程中，学生专注于探索知识问题。这些是关于知识本身的开放的、有争议性的问题，例如：“什么才是一个主张的充分理由？”虽然学生最初可能会觉得知识问题令人生畏，但当与现实生活中的例子联系起来时，这些问题会变得更容易理解和应用。

学生在 TOK 学习期间以两种不同的方式进行评估，分别是TOK展览（占TOK总成绩的 1/3）和论文写作（占 TOK 总成绩的 2/3）。在TOK展览中，学生需要思考 TOK 在现实世界中的体现。TOK展览属于内部评估，由学校的 TOK 老师打分。论文是一篇1,600字的命题论文，要求学生在六道论文题目中选择其中一道作出正式的回答（ IBDP 在论文截止日期的 6 个月前左右会公布论文题目）。在论文中学生必须参考知识领域来探讨自己选择的论题，论文将交由 IB 考官进行外部评估。

通过上述评估，学生应该能够展示以下技能：

• 通过对知识问题的批判性探索来思考 TOK
• 识别和探讨知识问题与现实世界之间的联系
• 识别和探讨知识领域和知识问题之间的联系
• 构建和展示清晰、连贯和相关的论点
• 使用论据和例子来讨论一个主张
• 展示出对不同观点的理解和评估
• 思考主张及其结论的影响。

在 CANA Elite，来自世界各地不同背景的专业导师将帮助学生拓宽视野，明白到知识的本质是令人生畏的。CANA导师将指导学生组织想法和展开探索，帮助学生将他们的想法组织成可行的展览和论文。