1. TOK: Ways of Knowing
Sense Perception

3. We perceive the world through our 5 senses.
Our 5 senses are:
Sight
Hearing
Touch
Smell
Taste

4. Sense Perception is an important
dimension of our understanding of the
World
The channel of communication between ourselves and the outside world
Its function and scope should be examined and critically evaluated

5. There are differing views on the role of our
five senses towards the acquisition of
knowledge
Common-Sense Realism: Perception is a passive and relatively straightforward process which gives us an accurate picture of reality

6. Common Sense Realism
The way we perceive the world
mirrors the way the world is

7. Sense perception is the
active, selective and
interpretive process of
recording or becoming
conscious of the external
world

8. Perception can be thought of consisting of two distinct parts
Sensation: The part provided by the world around us
Interpretation: The part provided by our minds

9. Our experience of the world is
affected not only by what is ‘out
there’ but also by our sense organs
AND our minds

10. Questions to Discuss
To what extent do our senses give us knowledge of the world as it really is?
What role does what we expect to see, or are used to seeing, play in what we observe?
What is meant by the saying ‘knowledge is the true organ of sight, not the eyes’?
Do you think perception is a more important source of knowledge in some subjects rather than others?