ToK Essay #4 Nov 23: Values problematic
PT#4Nov23: Is it problematic that knowledge can be shaped by the values of knowledge producers ?Discuss with reference to any two areas of knowledge.
Choice of AoK
You have the choice of any areas of knowledge, therefore We recommend that you choose two areas that have good contrasting methodologies in the production of knowledge. you're going to be looking at the influence of values on the production of knowledge and therefore the role of the knowledge producer will be crucial. if they have different roles then you can contrast the influence of values. a typical good contrast might be between area of knowledge the Arts and area of knowledge natural science.
ToK Concepts
This essay lends itself perfectly to the use of the 12 ToK Concepts.The May 2022 subject report recommends that students use the concepts in their essays. any of the 12 Concepts can be applied in this essay. I have outlined four of the concepts below, and I go into the details of 10 of the concepts in the essay guidance notes 10 arguments for essay number four, available at this link.
Problematic
Students will need to define the term problematic or problem as it's at the center of the prescribed title. you may want to think about who is defining the idea that it may be a problem, what type of a problem, a problem for whom, or what? you may also want to consider whether problems are universal or context bound, Etc
Let's move on to look at how four of the ToK Concepts could be used to answer this prescribed title.
Interpretation
In any area of knowledge the knowledge producer interprets many stages of the knowledge production process including the object to be produced, the way in which it is to be produced, and the evidence arising from the method of production. the ways in which knowledge is produced varies by area of knowledge and knowledge producer but it all includes interpretation. the important thing about interpretation is that it is informed by values. the values of the knowledge producer influence the way in which all stages of the knowledge production process are interpreted. This argument can be developed in various ways depending upon the area of knowledge chosen.
Whether the interpretation of value-based knowledge is a problem or not depends upon a range of factors such as the values held by the person who is interpreting the knowledge, the values of the context within which the knowledge is interpreted, and interpretation of the purpose of the knowledge and it's alignment with the knower.
(I go into a lot more detail on this, including real life examples, in the essay Guidance Notes).
Culture
Culture could be described as a set of values, interwoven with a system of Symbols and meanings. as such, a fairly coherent argument can be developed that culture (& cultural values) influences the production of knowledge. Whether the influence of cultural values is a problem very much depends upon a wide range of issues including the cultural alignment of the person who is defining the problem, the culturally defined purpose and value of the knowledge produced, and the resultant evolution of culture over time resulting from the knowledge produced.
Evidence
The values of the knowledge producer can affect both the production, identification and interpretation of evidence. that which is considered evidence is, arguably, very much influenced by the values of the person considering it. Different areas of knowledge place different emphases on the nature of evidence, different types of knowledge constitute evidence in different ways according to the area of knowledge. As such, students who are writing this essay could contrast what evidence looks like in for example AoK mathematics with what evidence looks like in for example AoK The Arts.
Potentially this is problematic in terms of the objectivity and purpose of the knowledge produced. Again, this will very much depend upon the values of the person who is making the judgement on whether it is problematic.
Justification
Arguably values influence the justification for producing new knowledge, and then the justification for the use of that new knowledge. such justification may be based upon the values of the knowledge producer, the institution to which they may be long, the academic discipline that they are working in, or wider society. values based justification is potentially problematic for a range of reasons including the hierarchical use of knowledge for the articulation of power, Producing biased perspectives, and disregarding aspects of knowledge. In a typical ends versus means type argument justification can lead to legitimisation, if the values underpinning the justification are not shared by a large sector of society this could be problematic at ethical, moral and cohesive levels.
The Essay Guidance notes "10 Arguments for essay 4" go into a lot more detail on the four concepts above, and on six other concepts. Those notes also include
definitions of terms
real life examples
evaluation
implication points.
We also have 25 prompt questions that you can ask artificial intelligence such as chat GPT to give you the detailed and specific content that can be appropriately applied in your essay.