The TOK diagram

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The TOK diagram
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What is Knowledge?

• A classical definition of knowledge is
• Knowledge justified true belief
• So for something to be knowledge
• IT MUST BE TRUE
• YOU MUST BELIEVE IT
• YOU MUST HAVE SOME JUSTIFICATION FOR BELIEVING IT
• What do these words mean?
• Truth, Belief, Justification.

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Justification

• On what basis do we test whether our beliefs are
  right or wrong?

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Empirical justification

• We use our senses to test things in many ways.
• Knowing by experience
• Such justifications are said to be EMPIRICAL they
  depend on evidence based on experience.
• Examples
• I believe that the nights are light in the
  Icelandic summer.
• I believe that driving from Akranes to Rvík takes
  shorter time through the Hvalfjörður tunnel than
  to drive the old road along the coast.
• I believe that the grass is green.

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Rational justification

• Sometimes we make our justification by REASONING.
  Such justifications are based on logical
  reasoning. We talk about
• RATIONAL justification.
• Examples
• I know that climbing up on the roof of my house
  and jumping down (12 m) will probably kill me.
• I know that driving from Akranes to Rvík takes
  shorter time through the Hvalfjörur tunnel than
  to drive the old road along the coast.
• I believe that my notebook can burn.

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Analytical truth

• is a kind of a statement that is different from
  the others. It is based on the language and the
  meaning of words, not necessarily reality
  itself. Analytical justification.
• Examples
• I believe that all bachelors are unmarried men.
  
• I believe that all widows have lost their
  husbands.

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Aesthetic judgement

• is concerned with taste, it may be true for one
  person but untrue for other people. Aesthetic
  justification.
• Examples
• I believe that the paintings of Leonardo daVinci
  are beautiful.
• I believe that chocolate ice cream tastes better
  than vanilla ice cream.

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Moral judgement

• involves issues of what is right and wrong.
  Moral justification.
• Examples
• I believe that abortion is wrong.
• I believe that one should always tell the
  truth.

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Main sources of knowledge

• Reason
• Experience
• Authority
• Intuition
• Faith

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Discussion topics

• Can we know things and be unable to put them into
  words?
• Could a male doctor know more about childbirth
  than a woman who has given birth?
• Could a psychoanalyst know more about you than
  you yourself do?
• How do you know that Antarctica exists or that
  the Battle of Waterloo happened?
• Why is knowledge by authority useful? What are
  its main limitations?

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Assignment 2

• Classify your examples from assignment 1 as
  justified knowledge according to the five main
  sources of knowledge
• Reason, Experience, Authority, Intuition and
  Faith
• Note, that you can also have other ways of
  justifying your examples. Then you have to
  explain them and try to give them a name.