Theory of Knowledge - Course Companion for Students Marija Uzunova Dang Arvin Singh Uzunov Dang
users’ posting behaviour than algorithmicbyof content (Bakshy et al 2015). Of course,rankingseems a convenient conclusion for Facebookthatbut Kartik Hosanagar, professor atresearchers,we acquired our news media from a randomly selectedIfof Facebook users, nearly 45 percent of newsgroupby liberals and 40 percent seen by conservativesseenFacebook would be cross-cutting. But we acquireonnews stories fromour friends. As a result, thethesefound that only 24percent of news storiesresearchersby liberals’ friends were cross-cutting and aboutsharedpercent of stories shared by conservatives’ friends35cross-cutting. Clearly, the like-mindedness of ourwerefriends traps us in an echo chamber.Facebooknewsfeed algorithm further selects which of theThenews stories to show you. This is based on yourfriends’interaction with friends. Because we tend to engagepriorwith like-minded friends and ideologically similarmorethe newsfeed algorithm further reduces thewebsites,of cross-cutting news stories to 22 percentproportionliberals and 34 percent for conservatives. Facebook’sforworsens the echo chamber, but not by much.algorithmquestions about whether our onlineThenetworks produce echo chambers andsocialbubbles, and to what extent these havefilterpolitical effects, remain open. Thispolarizingof lack of consensus is one that showsproblemrepeatedly in this book. Different knowledgeupfrom the knower? Can they beindependent“neutral”?politicallyin 1999 about the production ofWritingunder colonialism, Linda Tuhiwaiknowledgeargues that the nature and validity ofSmithforms of knowledge became commoditiesspecificWharton School, believes that the study wastheand agrees that it is “the like-well-designedof our Facebook friends that traps usmindednessan echo chamber”, explaining as follows.inthe question is which of these news stories doFinally,click on. The researchers nd that the nal proportionwecross-cutting news stories we click on is 21 percentofliberals and 30 percent for conservatives … . Weforprefer news stories that are likely to reinforce ourclearlyviews rather than challenge them.existingwe believe a research study conducted byShouldresearchers that absolves the company’sFacebookand places the blame squarely on us? Ialgorithmsthe study is well-designed. That said, I disagreethinka key conclusion of the Facebook study. It is truewithour friendship circles are often not diverse enough,thatFacebook can easily recommend cross-cuttingbutfrom elsewhere in its network (e.g. “what elsearticlesFacebook users reading?”). That the news beingare[in] our feeds is from our friends is ultimately ashownwithin the academic disciplinescommunitiesdeveloped processes for reaching consensushavedealing with disagreement. But what aboutandpublic? theresearch institutions developed systemsWestern“organizing, classifying, and storing newforabout the world. Within the contextknowledge”colonialism, this practice of gathering andofknowledge can be viewed as part of astoringof “power and domination”.systemII. PerspectivesIII. Methods and toolsIII. Methods and toolsconstraint that Facebook enforces.(Hosanagar 2016)Are the tools and methods of knowingI I I . M E T H O D S A N D T O O LSof colonial exploitation. Smith explains how43
III. Methods and toolsLorde said you can’t dismantle the master’sAudrewith the master’s tools. I think about this powerfulhouseradicals, liberals, conservatives, and reactionaries,Byin the masters’ knowledge is seen aseducationinevitably to consciousness of oppression andleadingand so to the subversive desire for equalityexploitation,justice. Liberals support and reactionaries opposeandfree education, public schools, uncensoreduniversalmetaphor seems to say that education isLorde’sto social change. If nothing the masterirrelevantcan be useful to the slave, then education inusedmasters’ knowledge must be abandoned. Thus anthemust entirely reinvent society, achieve aunderclassknowledge, in order to achieve justice. If they don’t,newis plausible. Revolutions generally fail. But I see theirThisbeginning when the attempt to rebuild the housefailurework of thinkers such as Linda TuhiwaiTheand Ursula K. Le Guin draws our attentionSmithhow the tools and methods of producingtoalso have politics. These tools andknowledgeused to describe and explain the world,methods,be used to liberate and empower, or tocanand misrepresent. They are the productsoppressthe politics of their time. We explore this inofthe link to find out more about MariaFollow“Balkanism”.Todorova’sterms: WestsplainingSearchBalkansthe(a) Who has the power to legitimize1.and who does not?knowledge,(a) What are some global currents in the2.of knowledge production?politicseverybody can live in it becomes an attempt to grabsothe saws and hammers, barricade Ole Massa’s tool-alland keep the others out. Power not only corrupts, itroom,Work becomes destruction. Nothing is built.addicts.change with and without violence. ReinventionSocietiespossible. Building is possible. What tools have we toiswith except hammers, nails, saws—education,buildto think, learning skills?learningthere indeed tools that have not been invented,Arewe must invent in order to build the house wewhichour children to live in? Can we go on from whatwantknow now, or does what we know now keep us fromwewhat we need to know? To learn what people oflearningthe women, the poor, have to teach, to learn thecolour,we need, must we unlearn all the knowledgeknowledgethe whites, the men, the powerful? Along with theofand phallocracy, must we throw away sciencepriesthooddemocracy? Will we be left trying to build withoutandtools but our bare hands? The metaphor is rich andanyI can’t answer the questions it raises.dangerous.Said draws attention to this in his bookEdwardMaria Todorova, writing in theOrientalism.of Western imaginations of the Balkans,context“Balkanism”. When these views are givenoffersthey become internalized and holdlegitimacy,not just to describe the world, but to shapepowerBut can these same tools—concepts, theories,it.reclaimed as tools of liberation?explanations—beare the consequences of this forWhatknowledge about the Balkans?creatingWhat steps can we take to use knowledge3.further social justice and engagedtoPerhaps the most widespread act of4.is voting. What kinds ofcitizenshipare useful and necessary inknowledgethis political act?performingthe next section, we look at the issues ofIninvolved in deciding who to vote for.knowledge2The master’s toolsmetaphor, trying to understand it.discussion at the universities for exactly the same reason.the revolution will fail.(Le Guin 2004)depth in each chapter on the AOKs.For reflection(b)Considering knowledgecitizenship?Consider the following questions.(b)Where does this power come from?44
- Page 1 and 2: THEORY OFO X F O R D I B D I P L O
- Page 3 and 4: University Press is a department of
- Page 5 and 6: ContentsCORE THEMEOPTIONAL THEMESiv
- Page 7 and 8: lucky circumstance brings you to th
- Page 9 and 10: I. Scopecan seem abstract, intimida
- Page 11 and 12: I. Scopeis complicated by power and
- Page 13 and 14: I. ScopeWhat factors limit our know
- Page 15 and 16: I. ScopeII. PerspectivesTOK we exam
- Page 17 and 18: II. Perspectivesmay have inherited
- Page 19 and 20: II. Perspectivesto Quassim Cassam,
- Page 21 and 22: III. Methods and toolsterms: NYT Ne
- Page 23 and 24: III. Methods and toolsof it? What m
- Page 25 and 26: III. Methods and toolsIV. Ethics(b)
- Page 27 and 28: IV. Ethicsin TOK is about the explo
- Page 29 and 30: Knowledgeand politics 2is concerned
- Page 31 and 32: I. Scopehas been great concern, esp
- Page 33 and 34: I. Scopeadministrative systems, had
- Page 35 and 36: I. Scopethis book we engage with th
- Page 37 and 38: II. Perspectives“Overton window
- Page 39 and 40: II. Perspectivesopposed to scientif
- Page 41 and 42: II. Perspectivesobjective “fact o
- Page 43 and 44: II. Perspectives7 deals with public
- Page 45 and 46: II. Perspectiveshe adds, ‘It wasn
- Page 47 and 48: II. Perspectivesargued that interne
- Page 49: II. Perspectivesmedia users report
- Page 53 and 54: III. Methods and toolsShould we tes
- Page 55 and 56: III. Methods and toolsend of the po
- Page 57 and 58: III. Methods and toolsIV. Ethicsthe
- Page 59 and 60: IV. Ethicsoffence enters the pictur
- Page 61 and 62: IV. Ethicsenabled by technology. Pr
- Page 63 and 64: IV. Ethicsa 2018 article for the Ne
- Page 65 and 66: Knowledgeand technology 3does it me
- Page 67 and 68: I. Scopereach of human-made objects
- Page 69 and 70: I. Scopeterms:SearchSubmarineTelege
- Page 71 and 72: section explores what we know about
- Page 73 and 74: 3.5a shows Margaret Hamilton,Figure
- Page 75 and 76: II. Perspectivesterms: How weSearch
- Page 77 and 78: the challenges outlined in the disc
- Page 79 and 80: 2013 a team of researchers publishe
- Page 81 and 82: III. Methods and toolsAccuracy (sel
- Page 83 and 84: that object is a black hole, from w
- Page 85 and 86: IV. Ethicsand when those who stand
- Page 87 and 88: are instances in which the“[There
- Page 89 and 90: example of ethical action amongAnoc
- Page 91 and 92: IV. Ethics(using 840 billion words
- Page 93 and 94: is trained on data sets. It is this
- Page 95 and 96: I. Scopehaptr vnturs yond languags
- Page 97 and 98: I. Scopelanguags ar only on spifiHu
- Page 99 and 100: I. Scopedsriing mthods, prsptivs an
III. Methods and tools
Lorde said you can’t dismantle the master’s
Audre
with the master’s tools. I think about this powerful
house
radicals, liberals, conservatives, and reactionaries,
By
in the masters’ knowledge is seen as
education
inevitably to consciousness of oppression and
leading
and so to the subversive desire for equality
exploitation,
justice. Liberals support and reactionaries oppose
and
free education, public schools, uncensored
universal
metaphor seems to say that education is
Lorde’s
to social change. If nothing the master
irrelevant
can be useful to the slave, then education in
used
masters’ knowledge must be abandoned. Thus an
the
must entirely reinvent society, achieve a
underclass
knowledge, in order to achieve justice. If they don’t,
new
is plausible. Revolutions generally fail. But I see their
This
beginning when the attempt to rebuild the house
failure
work of thinkers such as Linda Tuhiwai
The
and Ursula K. Le Guin draws our attention
Smith
how the tools and methods of producing
to
also have politics. These tools and
knowledge
used to describe and explain the world,
methods,
be used to liberate and empower, or to
can
and misrepresent. They are the products
oppress
the politics of their time. We explore this in
of
the link to find out more about Maria
Follow
“Balkanism”.
Todorova’s
terms: Westsplaining
Search
Balkans
the
(a) Who has the power to legitimize
1.
and who does not?
knowledge,
(a) What are some global currents in the
2.
of knowledge production?
politics
everybody can live in it becomes an attempt to grab
so
the saws and hammers, barricade Ole Massa’s tool-
all
and keep the others out. Power not only corrupts, it
room,
Work becomes destruction. Nothing is built.
addicts.
change with and without violence. Reinvention
Societies
possible. Building is possible. What tools have we to
is
with except hammers, nails, saws—education,
build
to think, learning skills?
learning
there indeed tools that have not been invented,
Are
we must invent in order to build the house we
which
our children to live in? Can we go on from what
want
know now, or does what we know now keep us from
we
what we need to know? To learn what people of
learning
the women, the poor, have to teach, to learn the
colour,
we need, must we unlearn all the knowledge
knowledge
the whites, the men, the powerful? Along with the
of
and phallocracy, must we throw away science
priesthood
democracy? Will we be left trying to build without
and
tools but our bare hands? The metaphor is rich and
any
I can’t answer the questions it raises.
dangerous.
Said draws attention to this in his book
Edward
Maria Todorova, writing in the
Orientalism.
of Western imaginations of the Balkans,
context
“Balkanism”. When these views are given
offers
they become internalized and hold
legitimacy,
not just to describe the world, but to shape
power
But can these same tools—concepts, theories,
it.
reclaimed as tools of liberation?
explanations—be
are the consequences of this for
What
knowledge about the Balkans?
creating
What steps can we take to use knowledge
3.
further social justice and engaged
to
Perhaps the most widespread act of
4.
is voting. What kinds of
citizenship
are useful and necessary in
knowledge
this political act?
performing
the next section, we look at the issues of
In
involved in deciding who to vote for.
knowledge
2
The master’s tools
metaphor, trying to understand it.
discussion at the universities for exactly the same reason.
the revolution will fail.
(Le Guin 2004)
depth in each chapter on the AOKs.
For reflection
(b)
Considering knowledge
citizenship?
Consider the following questions.
(b)
Where does this power come from?
44