Theory of Knowledge Prescribed Title Paper. Prompt: “The knower’s perspective is essential in the pursuit of knowledge.” To what extent do you agree?
Paper details:
Your essay needs to be structured around knowledge questions. These, remember, should be questions about knowledge that allow you to present a two sided (ie objective) answer. The prescribed title that you choose to write should enable you to come up with three or four relevant knowledge questions. Some are easier to structure than others – for example, ones that ask you to compare different ways of knowing or areas of knowledge can be naturally structured around the comparison that you have been asked to consider.
Then you need to organize your answer to each KQ. This needs to be done rigidly around the following principles: first, a brief consideration or explanation of the KQ, putting it in the context of the main title. Then, you need to present the argument, which should be justified with evidence and your clearly-expressed opinion. Next, you need to present a counter-claim, which should offer an alternative way of interpreting the KQ, again, with justification. Finally, you need to present a conclusion, where you directly answer your KQ. Be careful not to contradict yourself during your argument. You can’t say: ‘Mathematics offers us a completely objective truth,’ then say: ‘mathematics does not offer us a completely objective truth’. Instead, you should say that alternative view points are the ideas of others (if you don’t believe them yourself), and make it clear which view point you subscribe to.
To sum up, each KQ should be tackled in four sections:
1. Introduction/explanation of the KI (the knower’s perspective is essential in the pursuit of knowledge)
2. Argument – with justification
3. Counter-claim – with justification
4. Conclusion
There should also be an overall conclusion, rounding up your key points, and directly dealing with the actual title of the essay.
http://www.theoryof
knowledge.net/knowledge-and-knowers/knowledge-questions/
http://www.timwoods.org/2011/11/13/how-to-structure-a-theory-of-knowledge-essay/
http://www.sphsgator.net/sphsteachers/walshm1/TOK%20Essay%20Information/Steps%20for%20Writing%20a%20Good%20TOK%20Essay%20(TOK%20Essay%20Information%206).html
Remember that definitions do not equal arguments, but should be included in the paper. Arguments should stem from real world situations, which is why I have requested you to use at least six sources. Please look at past prescribed titles here
http://www.ibmidatlantic.org/TOK10/Sample_Essays.pdf
http://www.ibmidatlantic.org/TOK/Sample_essay.pdf
http://xmltwo.ibo.org/publications/DP/Group0/d_0_tokxx_tsm_1305_1/samples/essay_C_en
http://xmltwo.ibo.org/publications/DP/Group0/d_0_tokxx_tsm_1305_1/samples/essay_B_en
Not to plagiarize, but to get an idea of how these should be written. Please do additional research in finding good essays out there that have been scored very well.