Choosing your ToK Essay Question
As the November 2023 ToK Essay title starts it is a good time to revisit advice on choosing your ToK Essay title. During the 10 years that I marked ToK Essays as an IB Examiner I learned a lot about what makes a good ToK Essay. More importantly, how students can write a good essay with minimum stress.
Choosing your ToK Essay Question.
The questions are called "Prescribed Titles"(aka PT), as they're not actually questions per se. They are knowledge statements, or knowledge questions, which you are invited to "discuss". This means that you need to consider a range of different perspectives arising from the title. When choosing your ToK Essay Question consider whether you have (or can develop) a range of perspectives on the title.
Do not change, nor amend, a single word of the PT. You must address the question exactly as IB give it to you.
Ensure that you get the exact title from your teacher. Non-IB Sites (such as TokToday) are not supposed to publish the exact titles (they're copyrighted by IB).
Take your time choosing.
Choosing the ToK Essay title which is right for you is at least 50% of the 'battle for success' in the ToK Essay, so take your time at this stage. My students spend 4-6 weeks on choosing the title, it's super important to get this stage correct. In deciding which title to write you are should be trying to clarify:
What does this question mean to me ?
Do I have an initial instinctive view about this question ?
Do I have some ideas about arguments that would help me to answer this question ?
Do I have a destination for my answer ? (this may change later on, but something at an initial stage will be helpful).
These questions smoothly segue into our second tip on how to choose your ToK Essay Question: Blank Slate.
Know Yourself: Blank Slate those titles.
Try not to be too influenced by other people's voices at this stage of your essay writing process, try to hear your own voice.
Know your own mind, try not to be influenced by the voices of others. Approach the titles as a 'blank slate' - ie no pre-judgment.
Eventually you will have to write your own, original, response to the question. Therefore you don't want to be too influenced by other people's views at this stage (you can explore their views later). You need to be developing your own view(s) at this stage.
Be original.
Many of the best essays that I have read have been where the student developed their own original, and quite novel, argument at this early stage. Now, it may seem rather self defeating for me to tell you to stay away from internet advice sites either before or during the essay, however the particular type of content that I think you should be wary of is content that tells you what the arguments (claims / counterclaims) could/should be, or what real life examples you should use. This directive content doesn't improve your skills & understanding in ToK because you don't have to think for yourself.
Develop your own arguments, and think of possible real life examples to illustrate these arguments, before you start exploring the internet. Once you have your own original framework down you'll be in a good place to start further research. You can now use academic sources, non-academic sources and ToK specific sources to further develop your ideas and range of sources cited. If you wait until you have developed your own ideas before you go to the Internet (& other sources) then you won't be negatively influenced / swayed by the sources that you find. By developing your own ideas you will find writing the essay far easier than trying to develop other peoples ideas. This is why it's so important to spend time early in the essay writing process working on your own claims counterclaims and real life examples.
Know your destination.
Before you finally decide it is useful to have a rough idea of how you will resolve that question. That is a vague idea of what your final answer to the question might be (ie your "destination"). You don't have to know exactly how you are going to resolve the question before you choose the question (as many new ideas and perspectives will be developed during the planning and writing stages.
A rough idea of destination guides the writer like it guides the walker
A rough idea of destination guides the writer, like it guides the walker.
As you write the essay you will develop new ideas, make new connections and develop new perspectives. You will refine your arguments, and you may even change your arguments. This is a normal, and healthy, aspect of the writing process. You may even change your final destination, the important thing when choosing a question - have direction and destination in mind. Far too often I meet students who are "stuck", usually because they are unsure of their approximate final destination. They didn't work on a solution or resolution before they chose a question. - not a good place to be.
A few 'easy ways' to check your understanding of the title:
Explain the question to a non-ToK student.
Bring in your Mum, Dad, sibling (or even dog) and explain the title to them.
When they can understand your explanation you can be sure that you now have a solid understanding of the question.
More help is available:
Check out the ToKToday YouTube Channel for tips (especially the Student Playlist).
Pick up the E-book How to Write the ToK Essay in 6 Easy Steps.
If you need more help to choose your question, or to develop your question then get in touch (daniel@toktoday.com). Click here to book a ToK Coaching session.
Daniel,
Lisboa, Portugal, March 2023