titles tok essay 2023

May 2023 TOK Essay Prompts + SAMPLES and Suggestions

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Every year, students anxiously wait for the IB to announce the TOK essay topics. So this year is not an exception; IBO has also announced 2023 May titles for IB TOK essay. The TOK essay can be quite a challenging one to write for most students. Therefore it’s extremely important to select a TOK essay topic that suits you better.

UPD! November 2024 TOK essay prompts released!

Most students struggle with the idea of writing a TOK essay since it can indeed be very tough owing to its different structure. Most students plan for days on end so that they can see just the proper structure in mind, with suitable examples so that they can give their best to what they are doing.

Btw… ⏩ We can write a ToK essay for you ⏪

To be able to score well, you need to plan accordingly. The idea is to make sure to do a great job and that can only happen when you know what exactly is expected of you and how you get through that. To better understand the TOK essay and have ample considerations, here is the list of TOK essay titles for May 2023 explained by professional IB writers.

You can get a few ideas from here about how you’re supposed to work on these. With these ideas, you are sure to do a sound job with your TOK essay . Furthermore, you will find links for 2 different May 2023 TOK essay samples that were written by our IB experts. Feel free to use them for inspiration.

TOK essay titles and questions for May 2023

Below you will find an updated list of TOK essay prompts for the May 2023. We have also added some suggestions from our expert TOK essay writers for your ease. Enjoy reading 😉

Is replicability necessary in the production of knowledge? Discuss with reference to two areas of knowledge.

In this essay, it is important to focus on the world’s replicability. Next, the distinction between necessary and sufficient requirements need to be made. After that, the focus should be on how objectivity is related to replicability. You can give examples of several experiments that have been done and whether or not they have been replicated.

In line with your thought process, you can further work towards explaining that in further detail and making your point much clearer this way. Based on the examples you give, you can also talk about the different ways of knowing, which can help you explain this in a much better way, in line with the requirements of IB.

For artists and natural scientists, which is more important: what can be explained or what cannot be explained? Discuss with reference to the arts and the natural sciences.

With this title, you can see that there are two areas of knowledge already given. This means that you don’t have a free hand to choose topics yourself. You essentially have to differentiate between what can be explained and what cannot. Some things are easier to explain, whereas others aren’t. Using examples from art and natural sciences, you can offer your explanation here.

The examples you choose need to be as such that it makes it much easier for you to make that distinction. Once you do that, select your ways of knowing as well so that you can comply with the IB requirements .

Does it matter if our acquisition of knowledge happens in “bubbles” where some information and voices are excluded? Discuss with reference to two areas of knowledge.

In this essay, the main focus is on bubbles. The idea is to explore what bubbles mean in this context. We can see that “bubbles” here refers to knowledge that is subjective in all ways. The idea is to explore whether or not knowledge can be subjective in all ways or whether it can be objective as well. This is important to understand in all contexts first. Subjective and objective knowledge can be explored using different areas of knowledge.

However, the areas of knowledge should be selected based on the fact that it should be very easy to make that switch and understand how these two differ in context. Additionally, you can also shed light on what is required to share another person’s perspective on the situation. It is only once you know you can make that distinction as clear as ever.

Do you agree that it is “astonishing that so little knowledge can give us so much power” (Bertrand Russell)? Discuss with reference to the natural sciences and one other area of knowledge.

In this essay, the main focus has to be on this quote given. The idea is to see how knowledge can give us power. We have always heard how knowledge can make us powerful. Here, the idea is to see how that can happen using several different examples.

One area of knowledge is already given. The other area of knowledge is up to your choice. So based on that, you need to choose examples that will help you understand this better. You can talk about how these two areas of knowledge have allowed us to make the most of our lives, which is how we have become so powerful.

Below you will find a May 2023 TOK essay sample completed by our IB experts at WritingMetier.com

Are visual representations always helpful in the communication of knowledge? Discuss with reference to the human sciences and mathematics.

Here, the main focus needs to be on visual representation and how they represent the truth in most situations. The idea is to see what these visual representations are and how they allow for the communication of knowledge to happen in the best way possible. You also have to make the distinction between practical and theoretical knowledge here.

As you can see, two areas of knowledge are already given here: human sciences and mathematics. So you have to make use of these only and use relevant examples to explain this.

To what extent is the knowledge we produce determined by the methodologies we use? Discuss with reference to history and one other area of knowledge.

The main keyword here that you need to focus on is methodologies. You have to speak about what methodologies are and how they allow you to understand things in the best possible way. You need to use history as one area of knowledge, and you can choose the other area of knowledge yourself.

The idea is to help you understand this in the best way possible so that you can make a clear point about how the methodologies employed helped you get to this conclusion.

And again, sharing an example of an APA format IB TOK essay on title #6 that can be used as a guide. Yes, it’s also written by one of our expert IB TOK writers, and if you want, you can get assistance from these writers no matter the urgency of your task.

If you might have missed some of the previous TOK essay titles with samples or topics for previous years, below I’m sharing the links.

The year 2022:

• November 2022 TOK essay prompts
• May 2022 ToK essay titles

Previous years’ prompts:

• November 2021 ToK Essay titles
• May 2021 Theory of Knowledge essay prompts

Choose IB TOK essay topic wisely, my friend 😉

With these suggestions and explanations for each May 2023 TOK essay topic, you can write a good TOK essay!  If you are facing tough deadlines and want someone to lend you a hand – WritingMetier.com is here to help.

You can always buy a custom TOK essay that will be written under your instructions and following one of the May 2023 prompts. Not forgetting about the latest changes in the IB criteria.

We can guarantee this because we have been in the IB writing services business for 4+ years now and have already completed hundreds of different IB papers. Order your essay now and get a 5% discount.

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IB ToK Essay Titles and Topics: May 2023

Here are links to ideas and suggestions relating to the the six May 2023 IB ToK Essay topics:

• Topic 1. Is replicability necessary in the production of knowledge? Discuss with reference to two areas of knowledge.
• Topic 2. For artists and natural scientists, which is more important: what can be explained or what cannot be explained? Discuss with reference to the arts and the natural sciences.
• Topic 3. Does it matter if our acquisition of knowledge happens in "bubbles" where some information and voices are excluded? Discuss with reference to two areas of knowledge.
• Topic 4. Do you agree that it is "astonishing that so little knowledge can give us so much power" (Bertrand Russell)? Discuss with reference to the natural sciences and one other area of knowledge.
• Topic 5. Are visual representations always helpful in the communication of knowledge? Discuss with reference to the human sciences and mathematics.
• Topic 6. To what extent is the knowledge we produce determined by the methodologies we use? Discuss with reference to history and one other area of knowledge.

Title 1: Is replicability necessary in the production of knowledge? Discuss with reference to two areas of knowledge.

Thoughts to consider with essay 1 include:

• the distinction between necessary and sufficient requirements
• the relation between replicability and objectivity
• the relation between replicability and sharable perspectives

These thoughts, and others, will be developed here shortly: come back soon!

Title 2: For artists and natural scientists, which is more important: what can be explained or what cannot be explained? Discuss with reference to the arts and the natural sciences.

Thoughts to consider with essay 2 include:

• the relation between explicability and effability
• the limits of language and expressibility
• the relation between explanation, understanding and knowledge

Title 3: Does it matter if our acquisition of knowledge happens in "bubbles" where some information and voices are excluded? Discuss with reference to two areas of knowledge.

Thoughts to consider with essay 3 include:

• can there be purely subjective knowledge?
• can there be purely objective knowledge?
• what is required to share another's perspective?

Title 4: Do you agree that it is "astonishing that so little knowledge can give us so much power" (Bertrand Russell)? Discuss with reference to the natural sciences and one other area of knowledge.

Thoughts to consider with essay 4 include:

• the varieties or types of power
• is knowledge always inversely proportional to power
• could one have power without any knowledge?

Title 5: Are visual representations always helpful in the communication of knowledge? Discuss with reference to the human sciences and mathematics.

Thoughts to consider with essay 5 include:

• the relevance of truth to representation
• the distinction between practical and theoretical knowledge
• is written language a visual representation?

Title 6: To what extent is the knowledge we produce determined by the methodologies we use? Discuss with reference to history and one other area of knowledge.

Thoughts to consider with essay 6 include:

• the difference between a method and a methodology
• can any knowledge be unmethodically?
• must a methodology be consciously deployed?
• 1. Is replicability necessary in the production of knowledge? Discuss with reference to two areas of knowledge.
• 2. For artists and natural scientists, which is more important: what can be explained or what cannot be explained? Discuss with reference to the arts and the natural sciences.
• 3. Does it matter if our acquisition of knowledge happens in "bubbles" where some information and voices are excluded? Discuss with reference to two areas of knowledge.
• 4. Do you agree that it is "astonishing that so little knowledge can give us so much power" (Bertrand Russell)? Discuss with reference to the natural sciences and one other area of knowledge.
• 5. Are visual representations always helpful in the communication of knowledge? Discuss with reference to the human sciences and mathematics.
• 6. To what extent is the knowledge we produce determined by the methodologies we use? Discuss with reference to history and one other area of knowledge.
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Tok essay titles May 2023

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TOK Essay titles May 2023

Here are the TOK essay titles May 2023 and our best help to students.

IB TOK essay titles May 2023 have been released and there is a big buzz in the air on how to work on these 2023 TOK essay prompts. The six prescribed titles for the May 2023 are:

1. Is replicability necessary in the production of knowledge? Discuss with reference to two areas of knowledge.

2. for artists and natural scientists, which is more important: what can be explained or what cannot be explained discuss with reference to the arts and the natural sciences..

3. Does it matter if our acquisition of knowledge happens in “bubbles” where some information and voices are excluded? Discuss with reference to two areas of knowledge.

4. Do you agree that it is “astonishing that so little knowledge can give us so much power” (Bertrand Russell)? Discuss with reference to the natural sciences and one other area of knowledge.

5. Are visual representations always helpful in the communication of knowledge? Discuss with reference to the human sciences and mathematics.

6. to what extent is the knowledge we produce determined by the methodologies we use discuss with reference to history and one other area of knowledge., tok essay titles may 2023, tok essay may 2023 title 1.

Among Tok essay titles May 2023, tok essay May 2023 title 1 focuses on the key concept of ‘replicability’. Does replicability ensure how good knowledge is? You get to explore the idea on the significance of reproducing the same knowledge in a same setup every time.

Explore the natural sciences and its knowledge reproduction. Many a cases such knowledge pieces ensure credibility in building up the confidence that you would get the same results repeatedly. However, evaluate and see whether this act of reproducibility is necessary in the knowledge production.

Is it the same in other areas of knowledge? How can replicability be separated from not being plagiarized?

Walk through a creative domain like the arts and imagine that it might be possible to replicate an artwork in the form of indistinguishable pieces. But what about the knowledge each replicated art piece produces?

TOK essay May 2023 title 2

Among TOK essay titles May 2023, TOK essay May 2023 title 2 has played a twist here with the wordings in the title. Note carefully that you are not asked to explain what ideas can be explained and what not.

Your task is to evaluate perspectives on ‘which is more important’-ideas which can be explained or those which cannot be.

In natural sciences, there is a huge scope of research as natural science may not be able to prove all facts but theoretically describe them.

In the arts, there are contextual artworks like history arts which may look for explanation on evolving traditions.

TOK essay May 2023 title 3

3.  does it matter if our acquisition of knowledge happens in “bubbles” where some information and voices are excluded discuss with reference to two areas of knowledge..

Among TOK essay titles May 2023, Tok essay May 2023 title 3 is pretty fascinating and gives an immense flexibility to you in sharing your opinions. ‘Knowledge bubbles’ are those silos where some knowledge pieces keep echoing.

In the field of human sciences, the question remains whether knowledge bubbles impede us from bearing the responsibility of exploring new knowledge?

On one hand knowledge in natural sciences get to be solidified gaining certainty through long years of beliefs.

Questions arise on whether it matters for you to acquire knowledge from a known knowledge zone where a proposition fits in with the overall set of beliefs for people in that zone.

TOK essay May 2023 title 4

4.  do you agree that it is “astonishing that so little knowledge can give us so much power”  (bertrand russell) discuss with reference to the natural sciences and one other area  of knowledge..

Among TOK essay titles May 2023, Tok essay May 2023 title 4 comes with a hilarious touch-reminds me of ‘little knowledge may be dangerous’.

The question is if you are surprised or not by the observation that little knowledge can give much power or command over the knowledge. It is in fact pretty usual to see such attitude in people with little knowledge entrapped in an illusory web of overestimating their knowledge.

In the area of the natural sciences, you may find such overestimation of capabilities in asserting knowledge claims.

In the human sciences, it is quite common scenario for people to go overwhelmed in overrating their calibre.

TOK essay May 2023 title 5

Among TOK essay titles May 2023, Tok essay May 2023 title 5 may be exciting to visual learners, for they would find a strong personal connection with themselves.

Be precise with certain key words in the title as ‘always’. Knowledge is produced, received unidirectionally. However, communication is a bidirectional concept.

You would get to unpack some of the areas where statistical data have different purpose of production than that of interpretation. Questions may arise on the reliability of such data in predictive analysis.

TOK essay May 2023 title 6

Among TOK essay titles May 2023, Tok essay May 2023 title 6 reminds of the methods and tools in the TOK knowledge framework.

To what extent  the observations collected and evaluated in the knowledge production through the use of methodologies, impact the nature of the new knowledge produced-is the focal point.

The contestability is with regards to the influence of varied methodologies in the production of new knowledge. Do appropriateness of research methodologies affect the accuracy of knowledge produced- is the area of reflection.

In history, there might be evidences from primary resources in interpreting the past.

It is equally exciting to inspect the nature of knowledge produced in the natural sciences through empiricism.

If you like what you read, then you may consider reading  How to write TOK essay

Also, more details on TOK ESSAY TITLES MAY 2023 can be found at  TOK ESSAY TITLES MAY 2023

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• Knowledge and the knower
• What is knowledge?
• What is bias?
• What is truth?
• What is perspective?
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• Knowledge and indigenous societies
• Knowledge and language
• Knowledge and politics
• Knowledge and religion
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• TOK Exhibition
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• 100 Classroom Activities
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• TOK Essay May 2024 Title 1
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• TOK Lesson Plan 1 – How to Teach TOK Concepts
• TOK Lesson Plan 2 – How to Teach the TOK Concept – Evidence
• TOK Lesson Plan 3 – How to Teach TOK Concept – Certainty
• TOK Lesson Plan 4 – How to Teach TOK Concept – Truth
• TOK Lesson Plan 5 – Introduction of TOK concept – Interpretation
• TOK Lesson Plan 6 – The introduction of TOK concept – Power
• TOK Lesson Plan 7 – The introduction of TOK concept – Justification
• TOK Lesson Plan 8 – The introduction of TOK concept – Explanation
• TOK Lesson Plan 9 – The introduction of TOK concept – Objectivity
• TOK Lesson Plan 10 – The introduction of TOK concept – Perspectives
• TOK Lesson Plan 11 – The introduction of TOK concept – Cultures
• TOK Lesson Plan 12 – The introduction of TOK concept – Values
• TOK Lesson Plan 13 – The introduction of TOK concept – Responsibility
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• Tok Exhibition Prompt 1 – What counts as knowledge?
• Tok Exhibition Prompt 2 – “Are some types of knowledge more useful than others?”
• Tok Exhibition Prompt 3 – “What features of knowledge have an impact on its reliability?”
• Tok Exhibition Prompt 4
• Tok Exhibition Prompt 5 – What counts as good evidence for a claim?
• Tok Exhibition Prompt 6 – How does the way that we organize or classify knowledge affect what we know?
• Tok Exhibition Prompt 7 – What are the implications of having, or not having, knowledge?
• Tok Exhibition Prompt 8 – To what extent is certainty attainable?
• Tok Exhibition Prompt 9 – Are some types of knowledge less open to interpretation than others?
• Tok Exhibition Prompt 10 – What challenges are raised by the dissemination and/or communication of knowledge?
• Tok Exhibition Prompt 11 – Can new knowledge change established values or beliefs?
• Tok Exhibition Prompt 12 – Is bias inevitable in the production of knowledge?
• Tok Exhibition Prompt 13 – How can we know that current knowledge is an improvement upon past knowledge?
• Tok Exhibition Prompt 14 – Does some knowledge belong only to particular communities of knowers?
• Tok Exhibition Prompt 15 – What constraints are there on the pursuit of knowledge?
• Tok Exhibition Prompt 16 – Should some knowledge not be sought on ethical grounds?
• Tok Exhibition Prompt 17
• Tok Exhibition Prompt 18 – Are some things unknowable?
• Tok Exhibition Prompt 19 – What counts as a good justification for a claim?
• Tok Exhibition Prompt 20 – What is the relationship between personal experience and knowledge?
• Tok Exhibition Prompt 21 – What is the relationship between knowledge and culture?
• Tok Exhibition Prompt 22 – What role do experts play in influencing our consumption or acquisition of knowledge?
• Tok Exhibition Prompt 23 – How important are material tools in the production or acquisition of knowledge?
• Tok Exhibition Prompt 24 – How might the context in which knowledge is presented influence whether it is accepted or rejected?
• Tok Exhibition Prompt 25 – How can we distinguish between knowledge, belief and opinion?
• Tok Exhibition Prompt 26 – Does our knowledge depend on our interactions with other knowers?
• Tok Exhibition Prompt 27 – Does all knowledge impose ethical obligations on those who know it?
• Tok Exhibition Prompt 28 – To what extent is objectivity possible in the production or acquisition of knowledge?
• Tok Exhibition Prompt 29 – Who owns knowledge?
• Tok Exhibition Prompt 30 – What role does imagination play in producing knowledge about the world?
• Tok Exhibition Prompt 31 – How can we judge when evidence is adequate?
• Tok Exhibition Prompt 32 – What makes a good explanation?
• Tok Exhibition Prompt 33 – How is current knowledge shaped by its historical development?
• Tok Exhibition Prompt 34 – In what ways do our values affect our acquisition of knowledge?
• Tok Exhibition Prompt 35 – In what ways do values affect the production of knowledge?
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November 2023 TOK Essay Titles Explained with Examples

The prescribed titles for the November 2023 TOK Essay has been released! Here are all the titles with detailed explanation and examples to get you started:

Are facts alone enough to prove a claim? Discuss with reference to any two areas of knowledge.

If "the mathematician's patterns, like the painter's and the poet's, must be beautiful" (G.H. Hardy), how might this impact the production of knowledge? Discuss with reference to mathematics and the arts.

In the acquisition of knowledge, is following experts unquestioningly as dangerous as ignoring them completely? Discuss with reference to the human sciences and one other area of knowledge.

Is it problematic that knowledge is so often shaped by the values of those who produce it? Discuss with reference to any two areas of knowledge.

Is it always the case that "the world isn't just the way I is, it is how we understand it - and in understanding something, we bring something to it" (adapted from Life of Pi by Yann Martel)? Discuss with reference to history and the natural sciences.

Faced with a vast amount of information, how do we select what is significant for the acquisition of knowledge? Discuss with reference to the natural sciences and one other area of knowledge.

Below are the explanations. If you need help with TOK concepts and how to write a good essay, check out the resources in the TOK subject page!

While an initially simple prompt, sometimes the simplest statements are also the hardest to prove. I definitely feel that this is the case here. This prompt hinges on how you would personally define facts. In the TOK course, we know that knowledge is produced when someone proposes a knowledge claim, which is subsequently justified or disproven by suitable evidence. This title essentially asks of you to decide whether "facts" by themselves are sufficient evidence for us to prove a claim to be true, and hence consider it knowledge.

You may think that you have a good understanding of what 'facts' are. You have seen quick facts, cold facts, fun facts, etc... all pointing to little nuggets of information which we consider true. The question is though, how did they become true in the first place? In some areas of knowledge, 'facts' are pretty obvious. 1 + 1 = 2 is a true fact within the area of Mathematics. A Helium atom has 2 protons is a fact within the Natural Sciences. However, what constitutes facts in the Arts, History or Human Sciences?

Every single AOK has a different way of producing and dealing with 'facts'. Mathematics has their foundational axioms, the most basic set of facts that sets out how the whole AOK itself works so that things like 1 + 2 = 2 + 1 is true without us having to prove it. From there, mathematical knowledge builds upon these axioms and into a variety of sub disciplines within the AOK, developing into things like the Pythagoras Theorem or the triangle inequality, etc. Natural Science research nowadays builds upon the research done in the past. So knowledge we know to be true from before is applied to further what is to be known within the AOK to verify new claims. So it seems that perhaps facts play an important role at least in some AOKs, but is it the only requirement to produce new knowledge and justify claims? We know that in natural sciences, we tend to experiment and observe to ultimately prove or disprove a hypothesis. Without experimentation, and only using the facts we already know, it seems a bit tricky to further what we know!

I encourage you to revisit the TOK 101 page and find out more about the different stages of knowledge. Consider how facts are important in each stage of knowledge, but focusing primarily on how knowledge is produced in each AOK. How does knowledge evolve in each AOK? Can it develop organically solely from the facts we have now or does it require some additional input from other types of evidence?

The title is very specific, requiring discussion of mathematics and arts inline with the quote. It seems to propose that mathematics shares similar artistic properties with the arts (with examples such as paintings and poetry). You may have heard of the saying that Mathematics is a beautiful language or something to that effect. There have been discussions on the internet that beyond high school mathematics, mathematics can develop into quite a creative and artistic discipline. Mathematics has been used to creatively construct art! One obvious example (thus one that you probably shouldn't use in your essay) is fractals :

You can read more about the mathematical patterns behind fractals, but it is one artistic representation of mathematics.

While this prompt seems quite abstract at first, it does raise a good question about the intentions of producing knowledge in each AOK. Is it the purpose of the Arts to 'look pretty' and make us go "WOW that's so beautiful"? Conversely, is mathematics meant to be function first, form second or vice versa?

There are plenty of examples where art isn't meant to be pretty. There is a famous photograph of the chaos and brutality of the Vietnam war that is pretty infamous (do a quick google search!). Even if it isn't beautiful in the traditional sense, can it be considered beautiful in another perspective, especially considering the intention of why this was produced and what knowledge this produced? Similarly, mathematics tends to have the association that it is practical to real life and helps us solve some problems. Does mathematics have value if mathematical knowledge is produced without an immediate benefit or application? This is the world that pure mathematicians live in. While applied mathematicians can directly show their relevance and practicality of produced knowledge, it might not always be 'beautiful' in the artistic sense, but it can be 'beautiful' in its ability to capture the complex world. At the same time, if mathematics is purely beautiful in a satisfying sense (think when you factorise a quadratic and how it simplifies down to something solvable), but with no immediate practicality, is it still worth producing?

The key to this prompt is not to dispute the notion of the given quote. Yes, I know it's probably not the best quote, but think about the variations of how you can interpret the quote, rather than being either for or against the quote.

This title might be very appealing to students. I'm sure we have all experienced the importance of good scientific communication from trusted experts during the pandemic. We based our behaviour on them. When they told us to stay home, we (mostly) did, and we followed advice to get vaccinated, etc. At the other end of the spectrum, there are some that are completely ignorant of expert advice, calling this pandemic a hoax, and the vaccine a conspiracy. While there is common consensus that this ignorance is very dangerous, this prompt is quite interesting in prompting us to think about whether we should be trusting these experts completely, especially when the stakes are so high!

Experts often get things wrong, and when they do, we hope they will admit it readily even if it hurts their credibility. Credibility is key for us to accept expert advice. So this raises an important point - what makes an expert? Is it truly a person with the most knowledge about a topic or who is PERCEIVED to be so? Ideally, experts fit both of those criteria, but sometimes it is one or the other. At the same time, are experts immune from bias and other common human failures? NO! Then again, even if they have their failings, we can think about what is our level of tolerance for expert opinions and 'going at it alone' by not trusting them at all.

The prescribed AOK of human sciences is quite interesting. As you know, we are some complex people. Economists are either praised or blasted for their predictions about the economy all the time! Do you listen to economists about their market predictions? There is a joke that there will always be an economist somewhere in the world saying a recession is imminent no matter how the actual economy is doing. Can we really capture something as complex as humanity and let some experts give us advice that we trust to be 100%, unfailingly true? That doesn't seem to be wise. At the same time, it also doesn't seem wise that when 99% of economists warn us that inflation is getting out of hand for us to do nothing about it. So is it a numbers game? As more 'experts' say the same thing, and corroborate each other, we have a confidence to trust them unquestionably?

Ultimately, the conclusion seems pretty clear from the get go for this prompt. It is almost always unwise to just trust something or someone 100% and also unwise to go to the other extreme. While we can be tempted to do so, it is important we maintain a critical lens. If you are tackling this title, focus on the nuance between these two extremes presented, and show that both share common flaws in their approach to how knowledge is considered and acquired.

This prompt starts with the assumption that knowledge is produced according to the values of the producers. To what extent this is a problem is the issue here at hand here. First think of how knowledge is influenced by values. There was once a time when slavery was considered acceptable, and if you look all literary works around that time, it wouldn't be unusual to see examples of such and the use of what we now consider inappropriate language when referring to African-Americans, for example. Social values do change over time, examples including gay marriage, sexualisation and nudity of the body, dealing with minorities and racism, and even climate change. In some AOKs, this may be more apparent (i.e. History and the Arts) but what of something like mathematics? Can societal values influence them too?

When discussing whether this is problematic, other than considering the extent that values influence knowledge, also consider the implications this has on the perspectives of knowledge that are made available. Who determines these values is also of contention. This brings to mind propaganda and the various ways the 'values' of some power behind knowledge creation can greatly distort the knowledge that is produced. You may have some ideas on the problems that arise when we bring our values into the knowledge we produce, but to some extent this is inevitable. After all, the knowledge we produce simply reflects what we are interested in learning about, and willing to discover more of. The question is, how does each AOK handle changing values over time?

Every AOK has a different way of handling changing values. Long ago, we believed that we were the centre of the earth. How did the Natural Sciences overcome this long held belief? Conversely, how do we ensure that history remains accurate and isolated from the potential bias that could be introduced due to the values of the people that first wrote it? In History, revisionism describes the process of how we reevaluate history consistently to ensure that we always have the most accurate depiction of the past according to our current lens. There will be a time when our lens becomes outdated in the future, so what is the role of the Historian? Remember, knowledge is rarely ever fixed or 'done'. There is always more to know and more to discover, so how WE view knowledge in the past, and how someone in the future views the knowledge we make now will have large implications on the approach we take when producing knowledge. How can you ensure that someone interpreting knowledge in the future won't misconstrue what we are trying to say now? Could having differing interpretations according to different values be a benefit?

For some AOKs, the issue of values isn't that prominent. Why is that the case? It is good to explore in this title, the reasoning behind why values often influence the knowledge we produce, how we decide to mitigate or deal with this reality and how these approaches to do so differ between AOKs according to the nature that the knowledge is initially produced and then now consumed.

Is it always the case that "the world isn't just the way it is, it is how we understand it - and in understanding something, we bring something to it" (adapted from Life of Pi by Yann Martel)? Discuss with reference to history and the natural sciences.

In some less convoluted English, this prompt essentially asks whether we colour the knowledge we acquire and bring our own perspectives and interpretation to knowledge. If you think this is quite abstract, think about this example: you have likely done a book report before. It will almost always ask you what you thought of the book and people will have different thoughts. This demonstrates the essence of this title! We all have our own thoughts and ideas about the knowledge we acquire. When we learn new things, we might put our own spin to it, and try and explain it to ourselves and our friends in our own unique way. So, it is likely that there are some cases where this idea of us bringing our own ideas into the knowledge we acquire is valid, but there maybe other times that this doesn't happen. As with most things in TOK, there is a spectrum of the extent in which we 'bring something' to the things we learn.

Some AOKs actively encourage this sort of self-inquisition. While artists probably created their art to have a specific meaning, you are often encouraged to come up with your own interpretation of the art, as it may mean something very personal to you according to your background and life experiences. No one person would interpret a work the same way as you, and that is how the AOK of Art intends it. So clearly, some AOKs encourage this sort of interpretation, why might they do so? On the other hand, some AOKs require some very exact and objective interpretation of evidence and knowledge, so it might be that this sort of malleability when we acquire it is undesired. What issues do you foresee might arise when we bring our own interpretation to knowledge acquired? How each AOK deals with the idea of bring our own perspectives into acquired knowledge speaks a lot about its intention and purpose.

The prompt also asks us to consider whether we are really getting the knowledge of the 'true world as it is' or just the way we perceive the world. This is most prominent in the natural sciences where we try to observe the natural world by attempting to minimise our effects on it. We are effective at doing so to various extents, but can we ever really observe something as they are? Similarly, and perhaps even more difficult for the Human Sciences, how can you observe a human being's behaviour knowing that they are being watched, or that they are participating in an experiment? Does this invalidate any findings within the human sciences because we know we might be involved in it? In most cases, knowledge is generated from the lens of humanity - individuals like us! And for the most part, it is consumed by individuals like us as well. Can we ever have knowledge that is independent of humanity so that we are really watching the world as it is, rather than having our own input on it?

Big data and data science is a hot field right now because of exactly this problem - we have too much data and we don't really know how to handle it! You might have experienced this personally during your studies in the IB. Out of a 500 page textbook, what will you choose to learn? You likely won't know every exact detail within that textbook for your exams, but you will understand the key points as it pertains to the syllabus and the key techniques that you need to answer exam problems. In a similar way, people select knowledge they wish to acquire all the time. With the advent of search engines and wikipedias, there are limitless amounts of knowledge to be known, but only so much that we want to know. So it makes sense to ask ourselves, what criteria do we use to select what information we choose to get, what knowledge to acquire? That is the essence of the title.

When we choose some knowledge and leave out others, does this create any risk? What if we were missing out on some important perspectives? We must all have experienced a familiar feeling of thinking we are prepared for an exam, but it turns out that we missed a crucial part of the topic and subsequently bombed the exam. Now imagine this effect magnified to more important applications - in the medical context, how can medical professionals make the most informed decision for their patients? It is not like they can consider all possible available scenarios and knowledge about their condition! Again, it goes to what we consider to be important for us to acquire and so let's think deeply about why we learn some things over other things. Is it interest that is driving us? Practicality?

Finally, one last thing to consider for this topic is what is the point of having more knowledge if most are going to be selected away?

So hopefully these explanations have helped you in deconstructing what initially might appear to be some intimidating prompts! Before you write your essay, make sure you plan it out and select good examples to back up your points. Check out some 10/10 TOK essay examples and identify their strengths will help a lot as well!

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May 2023 TOK essay prescribed titles

The prescribed titles for the May 2023 TOK essay have been released. Check with your TOK coordinator / teacher for the official document.

Resources for the May 2023 TOK essay prescribed titles will be published shortly.

• Is replicability necessary in the production of knowledge? Discuss with reference to two areas of knowledge.
• For artists and natural scientists, which is more important: what can be explained or what cannot be explained? Discuss with reference to the arts and the natural sciences.
• Does it matter if our acquisition of knowledge happens in “bubbles” where some information and voices are excluded? Discuss with reference to two areas of knowledge.
• Do you agree that it is “astonishing that so little knowledge can give us so much power” (Bertrand Russell)? Discuss with reference to the natural sciences and one other area of knowledge.
• Are visual representations always helpful in the communication of knowledge? Discuss with reference to the human sciences and mathematics.
• To what extent is the knowledge we produce determined by the methodologies we use? Discuss with reference to history and one other area of knowledge.

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