May 25 ToK Essay Titles & Toddle !
The ToK Essay Titles for May 2025 students have been published ! They’re out 2 days earlier than expected (thank you very much IB, it is much appreciated).
Obviously I can’t republish the titles here because IB own the copyright, so ask your DP Coordinator / ToK teacher for a copy of them. However, I can give you some of my first thoughts on the titles.
If you would like to discuss the titles further with me, and other ToK teachers, please come to the (free) Toddle Conference on 15th September - details below.
First Thoughts on ToK Essay Titles May 2025
Essay #1 on whether historians and humans scientist have an ethical obligation to not ignore contradictory evidence.
At first read this essay title seems to be fairly accessible, most students will find the reasons for and against ignoring contradictory evidence fairly straightforward. However, I think that the core of this essay is the question of whether knowledge producers have ethical obligations. It’s this question that students might find a little more challenging. We will have to look at the possible tensions between the production of knowledge, and the wider ethical issues arising from such processes.
Essay #2 on whether revered knowledge is more fragile than we assume it to be.
This is a lovely, open, accessible essay question. It gives the students opportunity to explore a very wide range of issues on the nature and use of knowledge. There is the potential complication that the title includes the assumption of an assumption! However, this shouldn't trip up the vast majority of students. I am interested in the wording that knowledge may be more fragile than we assume it is. This implies that the students must comment upon, the degree of fragility assumed in comparison with the estimated degree of fragility.
Essay #3 on reconciling the drive to pursue knowledge with finite resources.
This is a very timely and contemporary question, arising at the moment of the potential unlocking of great levels of productivity by AI. It will be very tempting for students to jump down the route of AI, and other period of technological innovation. Of course, we need to ask first what finite resources the question could be referring to? Are these material, social, or metacognitive resources? Most crucially, this question is asking how we can reconcile the assumed proposition in the prompt. As such, the focus must be on the concept of reconciliation. So, at this early stage I am considering issues of knowledge integration, the function and purpose of knowledge, power hierarchies, et cetera. I'm tentatively considering whether knowledge has an inbuilt self rectifying function?
Essay #4 on on the whether improved tools always result in improved knowledge?
I see clear connections between essay three and essay four, and those who have studied the knowledge and technology option will have a great range to choose from for this essay. I particularly like this question because it gives the opportunity to explore different definitions of the concept of improved tools and improved knowledge. This question has great accessible openness to it and there are numerous straightforward ways in which to respond to it I would be encouraging students who find more challenging, to favorably at this question.
Essay #5 on models in mathematics wrong but useful?
This is one of the most straightforward maths questions that we have had for the last few sessions (thank you IB). In reality, the question is possibly less about mathematics and more about the role of models. Models are found in all areas of knowledge, and have a range of different uses. Again, I think this question is fairly accessible for most students and gives a great range of examples from which to draw upon. In the upper range, students will be able to have really interesting discussions about what it means to judge a model as “wrong”.
Essay #6 on whether acquiring knowledge destroys a sense of wonder.
I LOVE this question! Coincidentally, the tension between knowing and wonder is something that I have been discussing a lot with my friends recently. This is the “Wizard of Oz” question ! Students should avoid getting too bogged down in ways of defining a sense of wonder, and place more emphasis on issues such as function of knowledge, applications of knowledge, the intentions of knowers etc. There could be interesting discussions about the relationship between structure and form in the arts, consequences and reasons in the human and natural sciences, purpose and identity in history, complexity and clarity in mathematics.
These are just initial first sight thoughts about these essay questions, I saw them for the first time about an hour and a half ago. In the coming weeks I will produce far more detailed resources to support students and teachers who are working with these titles. So, please keep checking back to TokToday for our latest resources.
If you would like to discuss the essay titles with me and fellow ToK Teachers then please join me at the Toddle DP Roundtable on Sunday 15th September 12:15pm GMT. Sign up here: https://hubs.li/Q02MnXMG0
Stay Tok-Tastic my friends !
Daniel, Lisbon, August 24
Are some TOK essay titles more likely to lead to higher scores? What makes some of them more challenging than others? Join me as I discuss the gems & pitfalls of the May 2025 essay titles and reveal how to guide students in approaching them effectively. Book your free seat: https://hubs.li/Q02MnXMG0
