Theory of Knowledge - Course Companion for Students Marija Uzunova Dang Arvin Singh Uzunov Dang
people realise that psychologists also take a vow,Fewthat at some point in their professionalpromisingthey will publish a book, a chapter or at least anlivesthat contains the sentence: ‘The human beingarticlethe only animal that ... ’. We are allowed to nishissentence any way we like, but it has to start withtheof us wait until relatively late in our careers toMostthis solemn obligation because we know thatfullgenerations of psychologists will ignoresuccessivethe other words that we managed to pack into aallof well-intentioned scholarship and rememberlifetimemainly for how we nished The Sentence.usalso know that the worse we do, the betterWewill be remembered. For instance, thosewewho nished The Sentence with ‘canpsychologistslanguage’ were particularly well rememberedusechimpanzees were taught to communicatewhenhand signs.withwhen researchers discovered that chimps in theAndused sticks to extract tasty termites from theirwild(and to bash each other over the head nowmoundsagain), the world suddenly remembered the fullandit is with good reason that most psychologistsSoo completing The Sentence for as long as theyputhoping that if they wait long enough, they mightcan,die in time to avoid being publicly humiliated byjustGilbert’s words may seem comical,Danielthey point out the problem with definingbuthuman activities: monkeys dodistinctlywhales sing, birds use fire, honeybeesbusiness,complex social behaviour, treesexhibitand share resources with eachcommunicateWith each discovery the list gets longer,other.the arguments for human exceptionalismandso. In fact, it is a struggle to think of anylessthat show non-humans being lessstudiesthan previously thought. Howsophisticatedcan we justify the status of the humanthenis the body of scientific knowledge aboutWhyconsidered by TOK to be at least ashumankindas our knowledge about the rest ofimportantnatural world combined?thein response to these questions, JoannaWritingsays that the distinction between theBourkeand the animal is not only contested,human“policed with demonic precision”.butideas, values and practices used to justify the…of a particular understanding of ‘thesovereigntyover the rest of sentient life are what createhuman’and social life. Perhaps the very conceptsociety‘culture’ is an attempt to dierentiate ourselvesofour ‘creatureliness’, our eshly vulnerability …fromthose territories not only involves violence,Delimitinginspires it.butknowledge questions arising from theThesciences are also significant because ofhumanpower of this AOK to inform policy, socialtheindividual action and choice.movements,body of knowledge shapes the realities,Thisand behaviours it studies. Inphenomenaevidence-based decisions about howmakingorganize our societies and lead our lives,tomake significant use of knowledge fromweAOK. We look, for example, to culturalthisto make sense of our similaritiesanthropologydifferences in an increasingly interconnectedandand to economics to guide decisionmakingworld,in a world of finite resources, timeinformation. For these reasons, we mustandattention to theory building and conceptpayin the human sciences—and considerformationwhat extent they reflect, versus shape, thetothe aim of the human sciences primarily toIsand explain patterns of human activity,describemake predictions about outcomes in society,toguide interventions and inform action, ortoI. ScopeI. Scopethose eight words.(Bourke 2011)and mailing address of every psychologistnameever nished The Sentence with the wordswho‘uses tools’.a monkey.(Gilbert 2007)reality of human experience.something else entirely?sciences as a separate AOK?207
I. Scopeof an idea or theory coming from anyThinkof the human sciences that describes oronean important part of the humanexplainsone that you haveexperience—perhapswhich words you would use toConsiderthe power of this idea or theory.describeyou say it determined, defined, shaped,Wouldor influenced aspects of the world?affectedyour answer with a partner or in a classShareTogether or individually considerdiscussion.is called the human sciences in TOK isWhatreferred to as social sciences outside ofusuallycourse. Both terms appear interchangeably inthischapter but perhaps the difference is that onethisits starting point the human individual,makesother the collective society. Whicheverthepoint is used, the great diversity ofstartingwithin the human sciences challengesdisciplinescoherence and cohesion of this AOK. Isthemore that distinguishes rather than unifiestherehuman science disciplines? Do they havethein common than not? Does it even makemoreto refer to them collectively as the humansenseTo explore those questions, this chaptersciences?at their historical origins, methodologicallooksconceptual frameworks andapproaches,in the real world, that may justifyapplicationsto them collectively.referringquest for scientific answers, in the narrowTheof the term, to fundamentally social andsensequestions dates back to the Enlightenmenthumanof the 18th century. What was then calledthinkersmoral sciences set out to advance freedomthehumanity. The aim of Enlightenment thinkersandto produce knowledge about humans andwassocieties based on disinterested and value-freeourTo what extent does knowledge in the1.sciences derive its value from itshumanIf knowledge in the human sciences has3.consequences on the world, inmaterialthe concepts of value, neutrality andKeepin mind, and trace how they come uppowerthis chapter, and in the production,throughoutand application of knowledge inacquisitionof the main objectives of the TOK courseOneto interrogate the extent to which knowledgeisbe disinterested and value-free. Refer to thecandebate between Hobbes and Boyle,17th-centurythe relationship between knowledge andaboutwith which we open Chapter 2. It wouldpolitics,be until the intellectual debates of the 20thnotthat the human sciences, as the social andcenturytheorist Peter Wagner argues, gainedpoliticalindependent status to provide knowledgeenoughwas considered valid and useful. Thesethatabout the big questions of humanitydebatessociology, psychology, anthropology andshapedinto the disciplines we recognize today.economicsbrought doubts about the value of theTheysciences to the surface, to be acknowledgedhumangrappled with. And there was, even then, aandgroup “inclined to entirely abandonsignificantattempt to render the social world intelligibleanythe face of its complexity and lack of evidentin(Wagner 2001). And therefore we see thatorder”starting assumption of the human sciences isthechapter explores some of the attempts,Thisand failures of the human sciences tosuccesseswith the messiness of human nature andengagereality.social8For reflection and discussionExplanations, neutrality and power inthe human sciencespotential for application?Can you think of an idea or theory in the2.sciences that has value, but no effecthumanon the world?encountered in your studies.what sense can it be neutral?Which words did you choose and why?the human sciences.the following questions.that humans are knowable to themselves.evaluation and analysis of empirical evidence.208
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I. Scope
of an idea or theory coming from any
Think
of the human sciences that describes or
one
an important part of the human
explains
one that you have
experience—perhaps
which words you would use to
Consider
the power of this idea or theory.
describe
you say it determined, defined, shaped,
Would
or influenced aspects of the world?
affected
your answer with a partner or in a class
Share
Together or individually consider
discussion.
is called the human sciences in TOK is
What
referred to as social sciences outside of
usually
course. Both terms appear interchangeably in
this
chapter but perhaps the difference is that one
this
its starting point the human individual,
makes
other the collective society. Whichever
the
point is used, the great diversity of
starting
within the human sciences challenges
disciplines
coherence and cohesion of this AOK. Is
the
more that distinguishes rather than unifies
there
human science disciplines? Do they have
the
in common than not? Does it even make
more
to refer to them collectively as the human
sense
To explore those questions, this chapter
sciences?
at their historical origins, methodological
looks
conceptual frameworks and
approaches,
in the real world, that may justify
applications
to them collectively.
referring
quest for scientific answers, in the narrow
The
of the term, to fundamentally social and
sense
questions dates back to the Enlightenment
human
of the 18th century. What was then called
thinkers
moral sciences set out to advance freedom
the
humanity. The aim of Enlightenment thinkers
and
to produce knowledge about humans and
was
societies based on disinterested and value-free
our
To what extent does knowledge in the
1.
sciences derive its value from its
human
If knowledge in the human sciences has
3.
consequences on the world, in
material
the concepts of value, neutrality and
Keep
in mind, and trace how they come up
power
this chapter, and in the production,
throughout
and application of knowledge in
acquisition
of the main objectives of the TOK course
One
to interrogate the extent to which knowledge
is
be disinterested and value-free. Refer to the
can
debate between Hobbes and Boyle,
17th-century
the relationship between knowledge and
about
with which we open Chapter 2. It would
politics,
be until the intellectual debates of the 20th
not
that the human sciences, as the social and
century
theorist Peter Wagner argues, gained
political
independent status to provide knowledge
enough
was considered valid and useful. These
that
about the big questions of humanity
debates
sociology, psychology, anthropology and
shaped
into the disciplines we recognize today.
economics
brought doubts about the value of the
They
sciences to the surface, to be acknowledged
human
grappled with. And there was, even then, a
and
group “inclined to entirely abandon
significant
attempt to render the social world intelligible
any
the face of its complexity and lack of evident
in
(Wagner 2001). And therefore we see that
order”
starting assumption of the human sciences is
the
chapter explores some of the attempts,
This
and failures of the human sciences to
successes
with the messiness of human nature and
engage
reality.
social
8
For reflection and discussion
Explanations, neutrality and power in
the human sciences
potential for application?
Can you think of an idea or theory in the
2.
sciences that has value, but no effect
human
on the world?
encountered in your studies.
what sense can it be neutral?
Which words did you choose and why?
the human sciences.
the following questions.
that humans are knowable to themselves.
evaluation and analysis of empirical evidence.
208