TOK Presentations

Today, you will be discussing your ethics topics in your groups and attempting to come up with Knowledge Issues. I would like everyone to be working on this document.

We will also take a look at how you'll be assessed for each presentation.

Criteria

Also, look at page 49-50, 57-60 in the TOK Guide.

TOK Dropping Knowledge

http://www.droppingknowledge.org/bin/forums/list.page

Click on the link to be taken to the forums of Dropping Knowledge. This is a great resource for coming up with thought-provoking questions and prompting good discussions.

We will be setting up a schedule in which each of you will be responsible for coming to class with a question that you present. Your job will be to lead the class in a discussion as you explore whatever issues are raised.

 

As we review our Knowledge Issues, please go to this folder and find the document with your name on it (you can edit now!). Paste your KI Table into that document and discuss all of the KIs with your groups. Then we'll discuss the summaries with the entire class.

 

https://docs.google.com/document/d/1lp60dhMjce5pzgusqDZg3kDNG4ghh5knUO0VCq6VSOs/edit?usp=sharing

https://docs.google.com/document/d/1V68UDAkZvQxpXMJisWZBvH64crsdvpaKLXEImA8E0Hk/edit?usp=sharing

https://docs.google.com/document/d/1L6GlGm4sVQkws5UCHQ21vTr0Qb-WY3dMq0IH_H1ezbQ/edit?usp=sharing

Ethics

1) You are speeding down the road homeward. You are in panic because you just heard on the radio that earthquake experts have detected an earthquake in the sea a few minutes ago. There’s a 99% chance that there will be a medium sized tsunami as a result. You are now about 5km away from the beach. Here, the tsunami will probably not strike so badly, but you are still in danger of drowning (even though you're a pretty good swimmer). When you pass a bus stop, you see three people waiting for the bus, not aware of the upcoming tsunami:

1. A pregnant woman, who cannot swim well in her condition.
2. Your boyfriend/girlfriend, whom you love very much. He/she swims very well.
3. The person who once saved your life, who cannot swim at all.

There is only one extra seat in your car, what do you do?

 

2) A husband and his wife lived in a beautiful mansion on an island surrounded by a river outside of New York City. One day the husband had to go out to the city to attend to some business. Before leaving, he told his wife "Do not leave the mansion today or you will be severely punished."

As the husband went off to his days work, the wife changed clothes and prepared for a little journey of her own. The wife had a lover not far from the mansion. Despite the husband's warning, she could not resist such a perfect opportunity to spend the day with him.

So the wife went and laid with her lover during the afternoon and then returned to the mansion. When she reached the bridge to the mansion, she found a most unpleasant surprise. A madman was dancing around on the bridge waiving a sharp, very large knife and on seeing the wife proclaimed in a loud voice, "Do NOT cross this bridge woman, for my God has instructed me to stab and kill all of those who try." And the madman continued to dance back and forth with the vigilant eyes of a hound dog before a storm. There was little doubt that this man's insanity would lead him to follow through on his threat.

The wife now began to worry that she would not find a way back into the mansion before the husband arrived home. Off in the distance she spotted a ferryman. The wife ran over to the man and explained to him there was a madman on the bridge and that she needed passage into the mansion. The ferryman said that he would give her passage across the river for twenty dollars. The wife did not have twenty dollars and explained to the ferryman that if she did not get back into the mansion that she would be severely punished. The ferryman said, "I'm sorry madam, but I have a business to run here. The price for passage is twenty dollars."

Realizing that she was getting nowhere with the ferryman, the wife ran back to her lover's home. She explained the situation of the madman, her husband's approaching return, and the need for twenty dollars to gain passage from the ferryman. After hearing this tale of woe, the lover looked sympathetically at the Wife and simply said, "I'm sorry dear, but I cannot help you."

Flustered more now than before, the Wife ran straight to her best friend's home and told her in tears her tale. She told her friend the entire story of how she had gone to see her lover, how he wouldn't help her, about the madman, the her husband's warning, and the ferryman's requirement of twenty dollars that could get the Wife out of this mess. The friend listened quietly throughout the whole tale and afterwards cleared her throat saying, "I told you to stop messing around with that lover of yours. You have no one to blame for the situation that you are in but yourself. I will not help you."

The wife was now shocked and dismayed. She had no one else to turn to, and did not want to be severely punished for disobeying her husband. Not knowing what else to do, the Wife went back to the bridge. The madman looked as attentive and crazy as before, waiving his dagger with glee. He was still shouting warnings to others near the bridge not to try and cross. In desperation, the Wife ran across the bridge. The madman let out a wild scream on seeing this, chased the Wife down, and stabbed her to death.

(adapted from http://www.americasdebate.com/forums/simple/index.php/t10998.html)

Put in order from 1-6 who you believe is responsible for the wife' death

(1 being most responsible, 6 least):
the husband
the wife
the lover
the madman
the ferryman
the friend

Be ready to explain your decision.

After that, your table will have to come to an agreement on the order. Finally, we'll try to come to a class agreement.

Reason/Emotion Essay

Link

Fallacies

Today we're going to discuss 'Fallacies'. These are little 'tricks' that people will use when they're arguing in order to 'win'. Sometimes people don't even know that they're using these fallacies -- they are just a natural danger that comes from 'logical' thinking.

Take a look at this wonderful TOK resource for some more information on Logical Fallacies (by the way, this site is an excellent resource for the entire TOK course).

In groups of 2 or 3, you will choose one of the fallacies we've studied and come up with a 3-minute skit that demonstrates that fallacy. The audience will try to guess what your fallacy is. Try to make it fun, but also difficult.

Then, also in your groups, come up with a 60-second presentation of the fallacies you've been assigned. Try to fit as many examples of your logical fallacy into each minute as you can.

Group 1: post hoc ergo propter hoc, circular reasoning, ad ignorantium

Group 2: Ad hominem, equivocating, the loaded question

Group 3: Ad ignorantium, false dilemma, the loaded question

Group 4: post hoc ergo propter hoc, ad hominem, ad ignorantium

Group 5: circular reasoning, equivocating, false dilemma

 

Reason Definitions

Be aware of the following definitions for Thursday's class.

• Reasoning:
  
  
  
  • The process of reaching conclusions by a process of connected thought
  
  
  
  


• Logic:
  
  
  
  • The science of reasoning, proof, thinking, and inference; as a field of study, logic involves the systematic study of the patterns of argument and in particular—those patterns of arguments that are valid
  
  
  
  


• Logical:
  
  
  
  • Correctly reasoned; an argument is logical if the conclusion follows from the premises
  
  
  
  


• Premise:
  
  
  
  • a basis, stated or assumed to be true, on which reasoning proceeds
  
  
  
  


• Inference:
  
  
  
  • A conclusion derived from premises
  
  
  
  


• Syllogism
  
  
  
  • a series of statements involving premises followed by an inference (or conclusion)
  
  
  
  


• Truth
  
  
  
  • A proven fact
  
  
  
  


• Validity
  
  
  
  • Having general acceptability, based on evidence (can be disproven)
  
  
  
  

Logic

Answer the following questions at your table.

1. Imagine you are in a room with 3 switches. In an adjacent room there are 3 lamps (let's say in lamps which are on a regular table), each switch belongs to one lamp. All are off at the moment. It is impossible to see from one room to another. No help from anybody else is allowed.How can you find out which switch belongs to which bulb, if you may enter the room with the bulbs only once?


2. A table tennis ball (= a ping pong ball) fell into a tight deep pipe - it is about 30 cm long, buried in concrete pavement, having firm metal bottom, only 1 cm of the pipe is above the ground so it cannot be moved. The pipe was only a bit wider than the ball, so you cannot use your hand.How would you take it out, with no damage?


3. How can you throw a ball as hard as you can and have it come back to you, even if it doesn't hit anything, there is nothing attached to it, and no one else catches or throws it?

4. A man lives on the tenth floor of a building. Every morning he takes the elevator down to the lobby and leaves the building. In the evening, he gets into the elevator, and, if there is someone else in the elevator - or if it was raining that day - he goes back to his floor directly. Otherwise, he goes to the seventh floor and walks up three flights of stairs to his apartment. How come?


5. A farmer is standing on one bank of a river, with a fox, a chicken, and a bag of grain. He needs to get to the other side of the river, taking the fox, the chicken, and the grain with him.
   However, the boat used to cross the river is only large enough to carry the farmer and one of the things he needs to take with him, so he will need to make several trips in order to get everything across.
   In addition, he cannot leave the fox unattended with the chicken, or else the fox will eat the chicken; and he cannot leave the chicken unattended with the grain, or else the chicken will eat the grain. The fox is not particularly partial to grain, and may be left alone with it.
   How can he get everything across the river without anything being eaten?

Syllogisms:

Premise 1: All humans are mortal

Premise 2: Einstein was a human

Conclusion: Einstein was mortal

 

Premise 1: All male teachers at SWA are handsome Olympic athletes

Premise 2: Mr Brian is a male teacher at SWA

Conclusion: Therefore, Mr Brian is a handsome Olympic athlete!

 

P1: Time is money

P2: Unemployed people have a lot of time

C: Therefore, unemployed people are rich!

 

Come up with two syllogisms and post them as a comment on my blog

 

 

LANGUAGE and VALUES

"I am firm; you are obstinate; he is a pig-headed fool” was an example used by Bertrand Russell to indicate how the same event, fact, or in this case person, can be described in different ways according to the point of view of the speaker.

Other examples might be:

- I am a freedom fighter: you are a guerrilla: he is a terrorist.

- I have reconsidered the matter: you have changed your mind: he has gone back

on his word.

- I enjoy a good meal: you eat more than is good for you: he is greedy.

- I almost won: you didn't win: he lost.

- I'm thinking: you're daydreaming: he's got nothing to say.

- I'm taking a break: you're relaxing: he's laying around.

Answer all questions as a comment to this post.

1. Create two more examples where the words you choose create a different connotation.

2. Look up the word ‘black’.  Note its definition.

     Look up the word ‘white’.  Again, note the definition.

     What, if anything, can you conclude?

3. What is the difference between a devout believer and a fanatic?

4.  When the soldiers in ‘America’ in 1775 were fighting against the British, were they freedom fighters or terrorists?  Justify your choice.

Also, write down another historical event where the outcome could have been described very differently. How has language been used to 'create value' in the case you describe. (Note: don't use WWII, that's too easy.)

A Hello By Any Other Name...

Does Language Shape the Way We Think?

Wikipedia Article

Skim the articles and answer the following questions on your own blog:

1. Summarize the Sapir-Whorf Theory of Language


2. In what ways is the theory an accurate picture of Language (give examples where it works)


3. Why has it been discredited?

Lost in Translation

Read the above article, and then form groups of three or four, with at least two native languages represented. Try to come up with five examples of words that you 'just can't translate' for each other. Do you best to come up with a 'close enough' translation, but try to think of words that just 'don't work' in any other language. Post them as a comment here with the best definition you can come up with.

Here's an excellent example from the best television show of all time, Arrested Development:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X_qGbv-tV6U

TOK Essay Tips

READ THIS WEBSITE! (Especially the Essays section, but the entire thing is useful.)

1) Use the Outline Documents: Document 1 Document 2
These will GREATLY help your essay structure.

 

2) Your introduction should CLEARLY state your position on the matter. Be aware that TOK topics are almost always 'vague', meaning they are never simply 'yes or no'. Papers that take an extreme position in either direction don't tend to do as well. What you need to do is show that it's "Yes, but..." or "No, but..." and then show both sides.

 

3) Make it "SEXCI"! Use the following method to structure each of your body paragraphs:

S = statement or knowledge claim
E = example or evidence to support the claim
eX = explanation of how the example/evidence is relevant or supports the claim
C = counter-argument (which follows the ‘statement – example – explanation’ procedure above)
I = implication (So what? If we accept all this, what follows? What connections can we make with the other ideas about knowledge? What is the Knowledge Issue?)

You'll notice that the first three points basically follow the same format as a 'normal' essay (ie English paper). When you get to the C and the I, we get to the TOK stuff.

Here are a couple of essays that have been graded. Take a look at the comments the teachers gave.

 

4) General hints and tips:

1. Using cliched examples - please avoid flat earth theory; heliocentric theory; long descriptions of the evolution of atomic theory (we're grateful that while the Second World War is still mentioned, this and the holocaust is being used to a lesser degree).

2. Personal examples - many studetns are beginning to see the sense of using their experience of the IB or personal lives as part of their exploration of the KIs linked to a question.  Do this sparingly but with focus.

3. Structure - often students write long rambling introductions.  There's no need - write 10-12 lines making sure that you articulate your intentions clearly and precisely.

3. Definitions - by all means use a dictionary to clarify the meaning of words in your own minds, but avoid giving these definitons verbatim in your essays.

5. Citations and bibliography - not essential since you're not writing a research essay, but if you use specific source material learn how to use and present citations and a bibligraphy in the correct way.

6. Implications - many essays could earn higher grades by developing the implications of an argument or point - asking the question 'so what?' or 'what wider consequences does this line of thinking suggest?' at the end of a paragraph.  Challenge yourselves to highlight the social, politcal, economic, ethical...implications of your ideas.

7. Exploration not description - this means providing both sides of an issue you're looking at; the arguments and counter arguments.  Too many students simply settle for a brief narrative of events or examples.

8. Evidence and proof - learn the distinction between these and reflect on how 'evidence' is crucial when thinking about methodology in different AoKs.

9. Real life examples - you'll be used to using these when constructing your presentations, but there's no reason why you can't build them into your essays too.

10. Language - the vocabulary you use reflects the quality of your thinking.  A sophisticated and articulate mind will be signalled by the elegance and flexibility of the language with which you write.  You can only find the words to say what you want by reading widely.

Here's another site with more hints and tips. READ THEM!

Filling in the ______s

 

Read this funny article and think about the following questions:

What is the connection between the article and the famous figures from Gestalt psychology (above)?
What other Way of Knowing is this related to?
What is the difference between what is being said and what is being understood?
Can you think of situations where this could result in miscommunication?
What Areas of Knowledge would be most affected by this concept?

TOK Homework - Language

Post the ‘script’ (or a brief summary) from another group’s skit and write a paragraph explaining how the ‘rules’ broke down and Language was no longer an efficient way to transfer ideas. Post as a comment on my blog.

Definition of Language

Just a reminder about the definition of Language

- Symbolic

- Has ‘rules’ that are agreed upon

- Has intention

The Science of Beauty

(http://studio-grd.com/golden-ratio/)

How subjective is beauty? We often think that it's all according to 'taste' and completely dependent on the individual, but scientists, biologists, and mathematicians have long been fascinated by certain ratios and proportions of things that are considered 'beautiful'. You may have heard of the Fibonacci Number (from The Da Vinci Code), and you can read more about it here.

Do you think beauty can be scientifically calculated? Respond as a comment.

Also, here's the link for today's documentary:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ou2USR1MBrk&feature=relmfu

Seeing is Believing?

(taken from: http://i0.kym-cdn.com/photos/images/original/000/080/267/if-seeing-is-believing-can-blind-people-believe.jpg)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Oe3St1GgoHQ

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vblhBmHKW5s

What do the previous movies tell us about our senses? About our ability to 'decide not to believe'? (This is something called 'Suspension of Disbelief')

Put the AoKs in order (most use of Perception to least)

Respond as a comment to the following:

1) Do we use sense perception in different ways in our different areas of knowledge? How does it function in the Arts when compared to the Sciences?

2) To what extent does the artist make an advantage out of the subjective nature of sense perception, while the scientist regards it as an obstacle to be overcome? (Use specific examples.)

The Matrix and the Cave

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zRNMZEDOBrM

Activity 1 (make a blog post)

1. Would you want to be released from the Matrix? Why or why not?


2. Can you think of any institutions or concepts in our world that are like the Matrix?


3. How is the way you understand the world, your ideas and beliefs, shaped by the actions of others?


4. Who has the power to shape your ideas and beliefs? In what ways is this good and in what ways is it not so good?

Extension: Read Plato's Allegory of the Cave to get an idea of where the filmmakers got the idea for the movie.

Activity 2 (respond as a comment)

Let's pretend there is a machine that would let you experience absolutely ANYTHING that you wanted. If you've seen Total Recall, it's something like that (or the Holodeck on Star Trek). Be a rockstar, write a novel, become an astronaut, fall in love, invent cold fusion -- you could experience ANYTHING you wanted, just by programming the machine. You wouldn't be 'actually' experiencing these things; you'd be floating in some tank of water, being fed vitamins and nutrients through a tube. The illusion would be so perfect that you wouldn't know that it's an illusion.

1. Do we care about certain things independent of the experiences they create for us? For example, is being in reality important even if the experience isn’t pleasant?


2. Is it better to live happily in the Matrix than miserably in reality? Why or why not?


3. How do we know that we are not in an experience machine? Can we prove we are not? How do we know that what we perceive is real?

Trip Reflection

 

Now that we're back from our trips, let's reflect a bit on our blogs. Please include some pictures (if you took some).

• what do you think the purpose of the trips is?


• what did you learn about your classmates?


• what did you learn about yourself?


• what did you learn about the world?


• what was your favorite activity during the trip?


• is there anything you would change if you had to do it again?


• do you have any advice for the next year group?

Knowledge Issues

Okay, your first formal assessment is to be handed in on September 18. Your taks is to create a Knowledge Issue right from the bottom up. You will be responsible for finding an article that you're interested in and creating the 5 'layers' of the Knowledge Issue sheet:



Also include a write-up that will explain how you moved from each layer of the table. How did you get from a 'Poor' Knowledge Issue to an Intermediate one? What did you expand or emphasize? Take a look at this keynote for review if you're stuck.

If you get really stuck trying to find an article, there's a whole bunch of them here.

Good luck, TOKers!

To Tattoo or not to Tattoo? Is that the question?

 



http://abcnews.go.com/blogs/headlines/2012/06/japanese-city-cracks-down-on-tattoos/

What does the above article tell us about the different perspectives that individuals and cultures can have?

http://mrhoyestokwebsite.com/Presentations/Hints%20&%20Tips/Example%20Knowledge%20Issues.htm

TOK - Is there life on other planets?

Take a look at the following links.

• 
  

  http://www.aliensthetruth.com

  
  


• 
  

  http://www.seti.org

  
  


• http://astrobiology.nasa.gov/ask-an-astrobiologist/popular/

Which one do you trust the most?

What is it about the justifications and the 'truth' of each site that causes you to believe/disbelieve them?

Post your responses as a comment below.

Also, read pages 1-12 in your textbook over the break.