Knowledge Issues The Good, the Bad and The Ugly

Good KI OK KI Poor KI Not a KI An open question, explicitly about Knowledge. Couched in terms of relations between concepts from AoK, WoK and belief, certainty, culture, evidence, experience, explanation, interpretation, intuition, justification, truth, values. OK KI Poor KI A closed question, implicitly about Knowledge Not a KI A statement or a closed question, about a subject specific issue rather than about Knowledge per se To what extent can human sciences use mathematical techniques to make accurate predictions? How can we use models to predict crime waves? Will police crime predictions turn out to be correct? How can we prevent crime?

? Good KI OK KI Should we believe paranormal claims? Poor KI An open question, explicitly about Knowledge. Couched in terms of relations between concepts from AoK, WoK and belief, certainty, culture, evidence, experience, explanation, interpretation, intuition, justification, truth, values. OK KI Poor KI A closed question, implicitly about Knowledge Not a KI A statement or a closed question, about a subject specific issue rather than about Knowledge per se ? Should we believe paranormal claims? Does the paranormal exist? The Sixth Sense

? ? Good KI OK KI Why is Utilitarianism appealing? Poor KI Not a KI An open question, explicitly about Knowledge. Couched in terms of relations between concepts from AoK, WoK and belief, certainty, culture, evidence, experience, explanation, interpretation, intuition, justification, truth, values. OK KI Poor KI A closed question, implicitly about Knowledge Not a KI A statement or a closed question, about a subject specific issue rather than about Knowledge per se ? ? Why is Utilitarianism appealing? Utilitarianism

? ? Good KI OK KI Poor KI Is swine flu likely to kill millions? An open question, explicitly about Knowledge. Couched in terms of relations between concepts from AoK, WoK and belief, certainty, culture, evidence, experience, explanation, interpretation, intuition, justification, truth, values. OK KI Poor KI A closed question, implicitly about Knowledge Not a KI A statement or a closed question, about a subject specific issue rather than about Knowledge per se ? ? Is swine flu likely to kill millions? What do we mean by an‘epidemic’?

? ? ? Good KI OK KI Poor KI Not a KI The credit crisis An open question, explicitly about Knowledge. Couched in terms of relations between concepts from AoK, WoK and belief, certainty, culture, evidence, experience, explanation, interpretation, intuition, justification, truth, values.. OK KI Poor KI A closed question, implicitly about Knowledge Not a KI A statement or a closed question, about a subject specific issue rather than about Knowledge per se ? ? ? The credit crisis

Your own ideas? Good KI OK KI Poor KI Not a KI An open question, explicitly about Knowledge. Couched in terms of relations between concepts from AoK, WoK and belief, certainty, culture, evidence, experience, explanation, interpretation, intuition, justification, truth, values. OK KI Poor KI A closed question, implicitly about Knowledge Not a KI A statement or a closed question, about a subject specific issue rather than about Knowledge per se Your own ideas?

Good Knowledge Issues are: Open questions explicitly about Knowledge per se and not about subject-specific claims Couched in terms of relations between concepts from AoK, WoK and belief, certainty, culture, evidence, experience, explanation, interpretation, intuition, justification, truth, values.

Theory of Knowledge: Presentation Structure Real-Life Situation extraction Knowledge Issue (recognized)

Theory of Knowledge: Presentation Structure Real-Life Situation extraction Knowledge Issue (recognized) Knowledge Issue(s) (developed) progression

Theory of Knowledge: Presentation Structure Real-Life Situation application extraction Knowledge Issue (recognized) Knowledge Issue(s) (developed) progression

Theory of Knowledge: Presentation Structure Other Real-Life Situation Real-Life Situation Other Real-Life Situation application extraction Knowledge Issue (recognized) Knowledge Issue(s) (developed) progression

Example 1 Conspiracy Theories What are the strengths and weaknesses of this structure?

Conspiracy Da Vinci Code Why do conspiracy theories exist?

Conspiracy Da Vinci Code Why do conspiracy theories exist? People believe what’s most appealing Different Interpretations of the same facts Biases affecting conclusions drawn

Conspiracy Da Vinci Code Why do conspiracy theories exist? Death of JFK Death of Benazir Bhutto Why do conspiracy theories exist? People believe what’s most appealing Different Interpretations of the same facts Biases affecting conclusions drawn

Example 2 Limits of Science What are the strengths and weaknesses of this structure?

Limits of Science Documentary on the Large Hadron Collider How far is science limited in finding out the truth about reality?

Limits of Science Documentary on the Large Hadron Collider Nature of scientific method How far is science limited in finding out the truth about reality? Definitions of science Definition of reality

Limits of Science Documentary on the Large Hadron Collider Nature of Colour illusions Astronomy Limits of human sensory perception Situations not amenable to experimentation Nature of scientific method How far is science limited in finding out the truth about reality? Problems of inductive reasoning Role of technology in science Incompatibility between scientific and moral claims Definitions of science Definition of reality Differences between ‘how’ and ‘why’ questions

Limits of Science Documentary on the Large Hadron Collider Nature of Gödel’s theorem Colour illusions Astronomy Limits of human sensory perception Situations not amenable to experimentation Nature of scientific method Mathematics Axioms must be taken for granted How far is science limited in finding out the truth about reality? Problems of inductive reasoning History the past is beyond our grasp Role of technology in science Human sciences Human behaviour is unpredictable Incompatibility between scientific and moral claims Definitions of science Definition of reality Differences between ‘how’ and ‘why’ questions

Limits of Science Documentary on the Large Hadron Collider Nature of Medicine HIV treatment Gödel’s theorem Colour illusions Astronomy Limits of human sensory perception Situations not amenable to experimentation Nature of scientific method Mathematics Axioms must be taken for granted How far is science limited in finding out the truth about reality? Problems of inductive reasoning History the past is beyond our grasp Successes of science? Role of technology in science Human sciences Human behaviour is unpredictable Incompatibility between scientific and moral claims Definitions of science Definition of reality Differences between ‘how’ and ‘why’ questions

Limits of Science Documentary on the Large Hadron Collider Nature of Medicine HIV treatment Gödel’s theorem Colour illusions Astronomy Limits of human sensory perception Situations not amenable to experimentation Nature of scientific method Mathematics Axioms must be taken for granted How far is science limited in finding out the truth about reality? Problems of inductive reasoning History the past is beyond our grasp Successes of science? Role of technology in science Human sciences Human behaviour is unpredictable Incompatibility between scientific and moral claims Definitions of science Definition of reality Differences between ‘how’ and ‘why’ questions

Example 3 Claims in History What are the strengths and weaknesses of this structure?

Claims in History President Description Ahmedinejad’s of Holocaust denial of the Jewish Holocaust Description of Holocaust Auschwitz

Claims in History President Description Ahmedinejad’s of Holocaust denial of the Jewish Holocaust Description of Holocaust Auschwitz Under what circumstances can a historical claim be considered valid?

Claims in History President Description Ahmedinejad’s of Holocaust denial of the Jewish Holocaust Description of Holocaust Auschwitz Importance of history Understanding the present Predicting the future Knowing identity Other problems: gaps, language issues, past interpreted in terms of present, etc. Under what circumstances can a historical claim be considered certain? Why should we care about historical truth? Is there a True history? Role of bias and Interpretation in history: emotion, culture, etc. Explanation of the concept of validity in relation to historical evidence

Claims in History President Description Ahmedinejad’s of Holocaust denial of the Jewish Holocaust Description of Holocaust Auschwitz Wall Street crash Phlogiston “Witchhunt” of communists in USA Importance of history Understanding the present Predicting the future Knowing identity Other problems: gaps, language issues, past interpreted in terms of present, etc. Under what circumstances can a historical claim be considered valid? Why should we care about historical truth? Is there a True history? Role of bias and Interpretation in history: emotion, culture, etc. Explanation of the concept of validity in relation to historical evidence

Claims in History President Description Ahmedinejad’s of Holocaust denial of the Jewish Holocaust Description of Holocaust Auschwitz Wall Street crash Phlogiston “Witchhunt” of communists in USA Validity of claims in Mathematics and Science… Importance of history Understanding the present Predicting the future Knowing identity Other problems: gaps, language issues, past interpreted in terms of present, etc. Under what circumstances can a historical claim be considered valid? Validity of claims in Art… Why should we care about historical truth? Is there a True history? Validity of claims in Ethics… Role of bias and Interpretation in history: emotion, culture, etc. Explanation of the concept of validity in relation to historical evidence

Claims in History ??? President Description Ahmedinejad’s of Holocaust denial of the Jewish Holocaust Description of Holocaust Auschwitz ??? Wall Street crash Phlogiston “Witchhunt” of communists in USA Validity of claims in Mathematics and Science… Importance of history Understanding the present Predicting the future Knowing identity Other problems: gaps, language issues, past interpreted in terms of present, etc. Under what circumstances can a historical claim be considered valid? Validity of claims in Art… Why should we care about historical truth? Is there a True history? Validity of claims in Ethics… Role of bias and Interpretation in history: emotion, culture, etc. Explanation of the concept of validity in relation to historical evidence