International Baccalaureate Program: Theory of Knowledge, Essay Example

“That which is accepted as knowledge today is sometimes discarded tomorrow.”This statement shows the true evolution within knowledge. Because individuals are continually learning in many different ways, it makes it impossible for knowledge not to change. Knowledge can be either build upon, or completely discarded depending on the learner. There are many factors that aid in the validation of this statement. The two key areas of knowledge that will be addressed in this paper are Mathematics and Natural Science. Individual perception, reason, and learning can change what one thought they knew, and replace it with a completely different knowledge and understanding.

Because of the vast means by which knowledge can be obtained, it is important to narrow down the theories of knowledge to gain a more thorough understanding. “In different degrees and in different ways, it is arguable that reason has its place in many, if not all, areas of knowledge as well as in the everyday experience of individuals and the groups to which we belong. It may be worth considering how reason is used in these different domains to discover and create, to articulate, to justify and assess knowledge claims.” (Theory of Knowledge) Reason is just as important as facts. If an ideal cannot be rationalized does that mean it is in fact untrue? Not necessarily, but in order for an individual to truly obtain knowledge, they have to have an understanding that can be justified by reason as well as facts. Without it, the knowledge is simply factual and does not hold the same value.

The first theory of knowledge is mathematics. “Mathematics may be defined as the subject in which we never know what we are talking about, nor whether what we are saying is true.” (Russell) Mathematics, in the TOK viewpoint, is a very important knowledge area. It has to potential to provide a definite that may be void in other disciplines. However the methodology of its being can be irrelevant for most real life issues. So the debate comes into play, how relevant is the knowledge of mathematics in its role of world knowledge? Does it have to be in conjunction with other areas or can it be self-standing? The success of mathematics lies in its ability to relate to not only human intelligence but also to the world.  Mathematics is a great tool for TOK students to explore the realms of knowledge under different forms of understanding.

Mathematics lays the groundwork for empirical evidence that can disprove what one once believed to be true, and provide a new found understanding. Not only is that, but through evidence collection in a mechanical manner, the new perception can provide a much more powerful and trustworthy knowledge which will replace what was once believed. According to Albert Einstein he shared his theory that mathematics can aid in reality, however they so not yield a concrete outcome, but they play an important role in aiding in the theory of knowledge associated with other factors. One has to take into consideration that most math equations are true or false. There is no in between which is a very important consideration within the theory of knowledge.

For an example of the theory of knowledge for mathematics let’s look at statistics. We compile data to determine what our thoughts are and if they are really valid. So assuming we find that the Bank of America is selling stocks for $3 a share. Most people would assume that buying these stocks would be a good decision. However, taking statistical information and analyzing over specific period of time it would show that buying stocks at $3 a share really is not a good investment. They show the trend is that these stocks have been on a continual decline and that for several years there has been no variation. The mathematical assumption was changed based on the clear numeric data.

Another example of the theory of knowledge in a mathematical situation would be a pharmacist. They fill the orders for their consumers based on specific dictation from the doctor. In their education they had always been taught that there is a certain mL based on the patient’s age bracket. The pharmacist learned that the doctor changed the mL for one of his patients. Believing this was in error, he questions the doctor’s dictation. That is when he learned that the patient was of a significantly smaller skeletal frame which the doctor had to mathematically calculate how much the patient’s body could take in order to benefit from the prescription instead of doing potential harm.

Natural Science is essentially human’s attempt to understand the world. “One aim of the physical sciences has been to give an exact picture of the material world. One achievement of physics in the twentieth century has been to prove that this aim is unattainable.” (Bronowski) Natural Science plays a very big role in an individual’s understanding of what it acceptable and what it not. Much of science involves forming a hypothesis and proving or disproving its assumptions. That is much like what we do on a daily basis as well. We find what we believe to be true and then we either validate or walk away knowing we were incorrect.

Natural Science is a form of error finding has gone back to the beginning of time. We had not idea that gravity existed, that certain climates were more suitable for certain vegetation growth, and that the beautiful ocean contained harmful animals. Individual’s had their ideas, and they allowed them to be played out. They learned from the science as they went. There was no way for the home builder to know that if they didn’t put a secure foundation down, the house would shift and become unstable as the ground settled. One had to actually build a house and have it happen to learn from the science of the earth.

We also have to take into consideration that we are continually learning from natural science even to date. Technologies and advancements have provided many tools that aid in our learning’s, but things continually change. Scientists have equipment that allows them to see when a hurricane is building. However, years ago the system didn’t give them much time to warn the people and locations in its path. They learned more about these types of systems and built new technology that allows them to see it much farther in advance. This was not by accident. Learning of the variations in nature, they were able to make the necessary adjustments to better their working knowledge.

It is important to remember that there is no single scientific method that can be used in natural science. There are various methods and theories that play a role in study using natural science. Scientist use hypotheses to falsify or validate however for each individual the methodology can drastically change. It is highly unlikely that the majority of society would have the knowledge or ability to conduct scientific experiments in any type of magnitude. However, they do have the tools to read of others studies or to witness science that can change how they had once viewed things.  Natural science theory of knowledge can be different for everyone.

There are many theories of knowledge that can be used to alter what one believes to be true.  One example would be Christopher Columbus and his exploration to the New World. Prior to his embark; it was believed that the world was flat. Many warned Columbus that he wouldn’t find new land, but that his boat and exploration team would just fall off the world. But in the process it was learned that the world was round and this changed how all of society viewed the world. What was once a factual belief was disproved through the nature of science?
Another nature of science is the potential legal and ethical responsibility that can result from informed learning. For example a doctor is testing a medication to cure cancer could change the belief that there is no cure for cancer.  However, if their case study is altered to show favorable results, they are falsely changing what we think about cancer. They are providing hope for individuals with absolutely no validity behind it. The doctor faces not only ethical but also legal repercussions. The purpose of knowledge is not to base beliefs on false findings, but to validate a concrete result.

Individual perception, reason, and learning can change what one thought they knew, and replace it with a completely different knowledge and understanding. It is clear to see that there are many elements that can validate or disprove what one believes to be factual. A large part of the theory of knowledge is the fact that one’s mind is continually evolving. There are many factors that can aid in that evolution. The examples used in this paper are mathematical and natural science. However, each individual has their own way of finding such errors in what they know as knowledge. When one accepts something as knowledge today and fail to discard it tomorrow they have either found it to be factual, or they simply have fail to learn.

Works Cited

Bronowski, Jacob. The Ascent of Man. Boston. Little Brown & Co, 1973. Web 28 Jan 2014                   http://unr.edu/homepage/jcannon/ejse/campbell.html

“Theory of Knowledge.” International Baccalaureate Organization, 2006. Web. 1 Feb 2014 http://www.amyscott.com/OCC%202008%20files/Tok%20Guide%202008.pdf

Russell, Bertrand. Mysticism and Logic Chapter 4, 1917. Print.