1. THE NATURE OF KNOWLEDGE
TOK LAJM

2. ORIENTATION
What do you take as granted every day as ”true” but really aren’t sure of it?
What questions arise?

3. Knowledge Claim An assertion that something is the case
Any statement that can be true or false
E.g. ”Helsinki is the capital of Finland”, ”The president of USA is a nice guy” and ”I’m in love”

4. Knowledge Questions Questions about knowledge Second order questions
Open questions contestable, no straightforward answers
General questions not subject-specific

5. TASK Teacher hands out pieces of papers in a random order
Your task is to arrange these pieces of papers in the right order

6. TASK Start formulating your own knowledge questions!
Use the previous task and teacher’s template as a springboard!

7. Knowledge Questions
Formulating and elaborating your own knowledge questions is the GIST of TOK!

8. The Definition of Knowledge
Justified
True
Belief

9. Truth The correspondence between knowledge claim and reality
E.g. ”Helsinki is the capital of Finland” is true if Helsinki is really the capital of Finland
In practise something is true if it’s beyond reasonable doubt

10. Belief A state of mind in which a person thinks something is the case
In order to know something, the knower must understand what he/ she knows

11. TASK
Will it ever make sense to say that a computer KNOWS something?

12. Justification The way how the knowers belief is pointed to be true
In order to be knowledge, beliefs should be supported with evidence

13. TASK Try to use the ways of knowing in TOK curriculum:
Try to find different ways to justify your claims/ beliefs!
You may use the previous examples as a springboard
You may also choose another topic and elaborate on that
Try to use the ways of knowing in TOK curriculum:
Language
Perception
Reason
Intuition
Emotion
Memory
Imagination
Faith

14. Levels of Knowledge
Information is order that doesn’t necessarily contain meaning, justification nor truth
Knowledge has a subject, a knower, who forms meaningful wholes out of information

15. TASK
Have you ever passed a test without REALLY understanding the subject?
What does this tell you about the difference between knowledge and information?

16. Types of Knowledge (1) Knowledge by acquaintance
First hand knowledge based on experience
Knowledge of

17. TASK
Could someone who has never visited, say, Lapland know more about it than someone who lives there?

18. Types of Knowledge (2) Practical knowledge Skill-based knowledge
Knowledge how

19. TASK
What role does practical know-how play in the school subjects today?
Consider, in particular, languages, sciences and the arts

20. Types of Knowledge (3) Knowledge by description
Second hand knowledge which comes in the form of language
Knowledge that

21. TASK
How does your knowledge by description influence your knowledge by acquaintance and vice versa?
How are the two types of knowledge related to each other?

22. TASK
Many people can speak their own language fluently, but cannot explain it’s underlying grammar
What does this suggest about the relation between knowledge how and knowledge that?

23. Knowledge by acquaintance
TASK
Do this kind of table into your memos
and fill it with your own examples
Knowledge by acquaintance
Practical
knowledge
Knowledge by
description
My first concert:
excitement
failure
success
How to play the flute:
breathing process
embouchure
fingerings
History and conventions of different musical concerts
Can you find any relation, overlap or interaction
between types of knowledge within your examples?

24. TASK
What kind of knowledge questions can you create based on what you have learned from the nature of knowledge?
Truth, belief, justification, evidence, information, types of knowledge etc.

25. Picture sources
The truth is out there < Accessed 15th of August 2015.
Wheel head < Accessed 15th of August 2015.
Knowledge head < Accessed 15th of August 2015.
Pieces of paper < Accessed 15th of August 2015.
Springboard < Accessed 15th of August 2015.
Group and light bulb < Accessed 22nd of September 2016.

26. Picture sources
Knowledge < Accessed 15th of August 2015.
Truth sign < Accessed 15th of August 2015.
Truth and belief < Accessed 15th of August 2015.
Commodore 64 < Accessed 15th of August 2015.
Evidence < Accessed 15th of August 2015.

27. Picture sources
Information < Accessed 15th of August 2015.
Exam < Accessed 15th of August 2015.
Experience sign < Accessed 15th of August 2015.
Lapland < Accessed 15th of August 2015.

28. Picture sources
Saxophone player < Accessed 15th of August 2015.
Chemistry bottles < Accessed 15th of August 2015.
Students < Accessed 15th of August 2015.
Rock < Accessed 15th of August 2015.
Colorful heads < Accessed 15th of August 2015.
Knowledge questions < Accessed 25th of September 2017.