Theory of Knowledge - Course Companion for Students Marija Uzunova Dang Arvin Singh Uzunov Dang
how often people meditate, how muchaskingthey lose, how much they argue withsleepfamily, and how often they feel anger ortheirdisappointment.has many critics; for example, the YaleGNHWilliam Nordhaus has describedeconomiststatistics as “absurd“. In 2004, thehappinessstated that “the Himalayan kingdomEconomistBhutan is not in fact an idyll in a fairy tale. It isofto perhaps 900,000 people most of whomhomein grinding poverty”. Itis unclear whetherlivemean to say that Bhutan should abandoncriticsin favour of the more conventional GDP.GNHhas also been criticized for violatingBhutanrights of ethnic minorities in the name ofhumanculture”,and the country is dealing“preservinghigh youth unemployment. Observerswithpointedly noted that it ranked 95th onhave2019World Happiness Report. There is antheirony about the World Happinessinterestingrankings: to what extent can differentReportcompare their respective happinesscountriesAre measurements of happinessrankings?generalizable?should certainly not paint a romantic orWepicture, as many have made the mistakeidyllicdoing, and many of Bhutan’s leaders willofmake clear. Bhutanese Prime Ministercarefullysaid in an address to the United NationsThinley“Bhutan is not a country that has attained(2012):… . Like most developing nations, weGNHstruggling with the challenge of fulfillingarebasic needs of our people” (Office of thetheMinister and Cabinet 2012). But with aPrimeapproach guided by GNH, Bhutan haspolicysignificant progress on key developmentmadeincluding life expectancy, childindicatorseducation and poverty reduction.mortality,has achieved most of the MillenniumItGoal targets, is the only carbonDevelopmentcarbon than it emits) and maintains 72%morecover, said Lyonpo Damcho Dorji, Foreignforestof Bhutan in 2015. Ironically, betweenMinisterand 2018, GDP in Bhutan more than tripled.2008Bhutan, New Zealand has gone theAfterin defining a policy stance measuredfurthestwellbeing as opposed to economic growth.byMay 2019 Prime Minister Jacinda ArdernIna budget that put social wellbeingunveiledahead of economic growth in policyindicatorsAll new spending must be directeddecisions.one of five objectives: improvingtowardshealth, reducing child poverty andmentalchild wellbeing, supportingimprovingPeoples, transitioning to a lowcarbonIndigenoussustainable economy and thriving in aage. To measure progress toward thesedigitalNew Zealand is using 61 indicators, fromgoals,to trust in government institutions tolonelinessquality. Grant Robertson, New Zealandwaterhave knowledge about how a country isTowhether it is doing better or worse thandoing,and whether efforts to move it in abefore,direction are working, measurementparticularnecessary. What we can and cannot measure,ishow we choose to measure it, are issuesandknowledge that have powerful real-lifeofTo explore the ethical dimensionsconsequences.producing and applying knowledge based onofsee section IV.measurements,III. Methods and toolsIII. Methods and toolsNew Zealand’s prosperity is about much morethan GDP growth. . . . If we’ve got this so-calledrockstar economy, how is it that we have the worsthomelessness in the OECD? How is it that you can’tswim in most of New Zealand’s rivers and lakes?How is it that child poverty had grown to the extentit has? The answer, in my view, was because thegovernment wasn’t suciently valuing those things.And if it wasn’t being valued properly, it wasn’t beingmeasured, and if it wasn’t being measured, it wasn’tbeing done.(quoted in Roy 2019)finance minister, says:negative country in the world (offsetting 12 timesAnyone who believes exponential growth can go onforever in a nite world is either a madman oran economist.(Boulding 1973)235
III. Methods and toolsis the scope for experimentation in theWhatsciences? Psychology is somewhathumanamong the human sciences in thisuniqueAn often heard lament about the lackregard.predictive power of disciplines such asofand political science is based on theeconomicsor impossibility of doing controlleddifficultyIs there special value in knowledgeexperiments.helps to accurately predict the outcomes ofthatand reforms?policiesthere is value in experiments, asCertainlyand behavioural economicspsychologyshown, with the success of randomizedhavetrials. However, one challenge withcontrolledevidence is that it is liable toexperimentaland can provide a false sensemisinterpretationcertainty. Section I discussed the falloutofeconomics’ overreliance on mathematicalofand physics envy. This section hasmodelsthe problems of knowledge thathighlightedarise from sampling, such as the WEIRDcan(see III.1). Next we consider the limitationsbiasexperiments, and experimental results, inofhuman sciences. But first, a cautionary taletheterms: Hari AddictionSearchYouTubethe linked video, Johann HariInto show that everything we know abouttriesis wrong. The topic of fallibility—theaddictioncapacity to be wrong, and the realizationhumanbeing wrong—is a key issue in TOK. It is aofknowledge to develop and self-correct,wayforwatching the video on the originalAfterstudies done on caged rats as welladdictionthe 1970s “rat park” experiments, considerasfollowing questions.theWhat were the shortfalls of the rat cage1.and how do we protect againststudies,At what point do you think scientists2.enough data to make a policyhaveWhich criteria should the knowledge3.by scientists satisfy?producedHow can scientists protect against being4.and recommending somethingwrongAlexander’s “rat park” study helpedBrucepivot the narrative of addiction away fromtomoral and mental failings of addicts, andtheaddiction as an adaptation to socialtowardsThe study went unnoticed for manydislocation.whilst governments around the worldyears,to pursue a “war on drugs”. Criticismcontinuedthis expensive, aggressive and ultimatelyofpolicy, which often involvesunsuccessfulhas grown and so has interest inincarceration,study. There is now a widespread—Alexander’snot universal—understanding that morethoughis needed for people struggling withcompassionaddiction.discarding the important impact ofWithoutpark study and wildly popular TEDtheratshould acknowledge that efforts totalk,wethe experimental results have beenreplicateThere are also significant concernsinconclusive.the experiment. One of the design flaws,aboutexample, seems to be that in the originalformale and female rats were separated,studiesin the rat park study they werewhereastogether. The main question, though,mixed8III.5 Experimentation in the humanFor discussion and reflectionsciencesKnowing about and acting onaddictionrepeating them in the future?recommendation?harmful?5. What is the role of the public?about rats, drugs and parks.but it can also shake our confidence.236
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- Page 235 and 236: III. Methods and toolsMargaret Mead
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- Page 289 and 290: I. Scopehas the status of women art
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how often people meditate, how much
asking
they lose, how much they argue with
sleep
family, and how often they feel anger or
their
disappointment.
has many critics; for example, the Yale
GNH
William Nordhaus has described
economist
statistics as “absurd“. In 2004, the
happiness
stated that “the Himalayan kingdom
Economist
Bhutan is not in fact an idyll in a fairy tale. It is
of
to perhaps 900,000 people most of whom
home
in grinding poverty”. Itis unclear whether
live
mean to say that Bhutan should abandon
critics
in favour of the more conventional GDP.
GNH
has also been criticized for violating
Bhutan
rights of ethnic minorities in the name of
human
culture”,and the country is dealing
“preserving
high youth unemployment. Observers
with
pointedly noted that it ranked 95th on
have
2019World Happiness Report. There is an
the
irony about the World Happiness
interesting
rankings: to what extent can different
Report
compare their respective happiness
countries
Are measurements of happiness
rankings?
generalizable?
should certainly not paint a romantic or
We
picture, as many have made the mistake
idyllic
doing, and many of Bhutan’s leaders will
of
make clear. Bhutanese Prime Minister
carefully
said in an address to the United Nations
Thinley
“Bhutan is not a country that has attained
(2012):
… . Like most developing nations, we
GNH
struggling with the challenge of fulfilling
are
basic needs of our people” (Office of the
the
Minister and Cabinet 2012). But with a
Prime
approach guided by GNH, Bhutan has
policy
significant progress on key development
made
including life expectancy, child
indicators
education and poverty reduction.
mortality,
has achieved most of the Millennium
It
Goal targets, is the only carbon
Development
carbon than it emits) and maintains 72%
more
cover, said Lyonpo Damcho Dorji, Foreign
forest
of Bhutan in 2015. Ironically, between
Minister
and 2018, GDP in Bhutan more than tripled.
2008
Bhutan, New Zealand has gone the
After
in defining a policy stance measured
furthest
wellbeing as opposed to economic growth.
by
May 2019 Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern
In
a budget that put social wellbeing
unveiled
ahead of economic growth in policy
indicators
All new spending must be directed
decisions.
one of five objectives: improving
towards
health, reducing child poverty and
mental
child wellbeing, supporting
improving
Peoples, transitioning to a lowcarbon
Indigenous
sustainable economy and thriving in a
age. To measure progress toward these
digital
New Zealand is using 61 indicators, from
goals,
to trust in government institutions to
loneliness
quality. Grant Robertson, New Zealand
water
have knowledge about how a country is
To
whether it is doing better or worse than
doing,
and whether efforts to move it in a
before,
direction are working, measurement
particular
necessary. What we can and cannot measure,
is
how we choose to measure it, are issues
and
knowledge that have powerful real-life
of
To explore the ethical dimensions
consequences.
producing and applying knowledge based on
of
see section IV.
measurements,
III. Methods and tools
III. Methods and tools
New Zealand’s prosperity is about much more
than GDP growth. . . . If we’ve got this so-called
rockstar economy, how is it that we have the worst
homelessness in the OECD? How is it that you can’t
swim in most of New Zealand’s rivers and lakes?
How is it that child poverty had grown to the extent
it has? The answer, in my view, was because the
government wasn’t suciently valuing those things.
And if it wasn’t being valued properly, it wasn’t being
measured, and if it wasn’t being measured, it wasn’t
being done.
(quoted in Roy 2019)
finance minister, says:
negative country in the world (offsetting 12 times
Anyone who believes exponential growth can go on
forever in a nite world is either a madman or
an economist.
(Boulding 1973)
235