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**NOTE: I started this journal entry quite some time ago, but never got around ti finishing it. Here it finally is!**
Here are my initial thoughts about the TOK topics for the TOK essay. I just jotted down a few ideas about each topic and ended up eliminating six, considering four and prefering one in particular. Have a read!
1. Knowledge is generated through the interaction of critical and creative thinking. Evaluate this statement in two areas of knowledge.
Essentially reason vs. logic and imagination. Would discuss what happens when Critical and Creative thinking interface in what is considered to be a very logical AOK - mathematics - and perhaps the arts, which is creative, and analyse the part that both critical and creative thinking have to play in these two subjects, and how they compliment / clash with each other. A possible topic.
2. Compare and contrast knowledge which can be expressed in words/symbols with knowledge that cannot be expressed in this way. Consider CAS and one or more areas of knowledge.
A very broad essay topic, and seemingly clear for structure, but possibly difficult when it comes to deep TOK-style thinking. I think I will be stearing clear of this one.
3. Using history and at least one other area of knowledge,examine the claim that it is possible to attain knowledge despite problems of bias and selection.
There are two reasons I will not do this topic: Firstly, I do not take history, and second, the answer seems simple to me. Knowledge is defined (by plato) as a justified true belief and all of these three elements can be gained simultaniously through history. There is not enough meat to this topic!
4. When should we discard explanations that are intuitively appealing?
This question seems somewhat difficult to answer to me because the answer to this question would seem to depend upon the situation. At a glance, I would say the answer would be when the four WOK's overpower what one might interpret as instinct, but I will still be staying away from this topic.
5. What is it about theories in the human sciences and natural sciences that makes them convincing?
Perhaps a flawed question - this question assumes that the sciences are convincing - they may not be to all people. For this reason, I will not be choosing this question.
6. 'It is more important to discover new ways of thinking about what is already known than to discover new data or facts'. To what extent would you agree with this claim?
This is a good potential topic because there are a great number of examples that could argue either side. It is essentially a question of width of knowledge vs. depth, but are these two things mutually exclusive?
7. 'The vocabulary we have does more than communicate our knowledge; it shapes what we can know'. Evaluate this claim with reference to different areas of knowledge.
When I first read over the 10 TOK Essay topics, this one really stood out to me. It invites the researcher to discuss the extent to which our knowledge is limited to our ability to describe and communicate it. The most likely topic for my essay.
8. Analyse the strengths and weaknesses of using faith as a basis for knowledge in religion and in one area of knowledge from the ToK diagram.
This topic really interests me - it asks, what are the arguments for and against faith? To what extent can knowledge founded upon faith be accurate? Not sure which AOK I would use for this one though...
9. As an IB student, how has your learning of literature and science contributed to your understanding of individuals and societies?
Although this would be another interesting topic, I think this would turn into a social studies kind of report as opposed to a TOK essay, and thus I will not be doing this topic.
10. 'Through different methods of justification, we can reach conclusions in ethics that are as well-supported as those provided in mathematics.' To what extent would you agree?
The "different methods of justification" mentioned here would probably be the WOKS. However, I don't really understand the rest of the question, so I am stearing clear :)
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To conclude, I have eliminated: 2, 3, 4, 5, 9 and 10. I am considering: 1, 6, 7 and 8, and particularly like number 7. I am going to think on these topics some more before I get back to school and try to come up with a choice between two topics at the very least, if not an outright decision on a topic.
