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The theory of knowledge (TOK)
requirement is central to the educational philosophy of the
Diploma Programme.It offers students and their teachers the
opportunity to:
-
reflect critically on
diverse ways of knowing and on areas of knowledge;
-
consider the role and
nature of knowledge in their own culture, in the
cultures of others and in the wider world.
In addition, it prompts
students to:
-
be aware of themselves as
thinkers, encouraging them to become more acquainted
with the complexity of knowledge
-
recognize the need to act
responsibly in an increasingly interconnected but
uncertain world.
As a thoughtful and
purposeful inquiry into different ways of knowing and into
different kinds of knowledge, TOK is composed almost
entirely of questions. The most central of these is "How do
we know?"
It is a stated aim of TOK
that students should become aware of the interpretative
nature of knowledge, including personal ideological biases,
regardless of whether, ultimately, these biases are
retained, revised or rejected.
TOK also has an important
role to play in providing coherence for the student as it
transcends and links academic subject areas, thus
demonstrating the ways in which they can apply their
knowledge with greater awareness and credibility.
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