Theory of Knowledge

Head of Department: John Sprague  jts@sevenoaksschool.org

Shall I teach you what knowledge is? When you know a thing, to recognise that you know it; and when you do not know a thing, to recognise that you do not know it. That is knowledge.
Confucius

Many educational courses lay great emphasis on the acquisition of facts, but this can sometimes result in students thinking that it is a simple matter to acquire knowledge or perhaps even truth. In Theory of Knowledge we introduce some of the complexities and problems associated with knowledge, and hope to introduce students to the 'real' world of knowledge, which they will meet properly later on at university and beyond. We look at what we believe to be true, the reasons we have for holding these beliefs and whether or not the reasons for holding them are good reasons. It is an extremely wide ranging course, and deals with

  • Subject-related issues (is there such a thing as the scientific method? What makes a great piece of art? How reliable are history books?)
  • Personal and contemporary issues (how can I know what is right? To what extent can we trust the media? How am I influenced by my culture?)
  • Perennial philosophical problems (Can we know if God exists? Are humans predictable? Do our senses give us the truth?)

While Theory of Knowledge demands and helps to develop rigour and logical analysis, it goes well beyond what a traditional course in critical thinking might involve. The aim is to introduce students to a whole range of ideas and debates and to allow them to see their own perspectives, beliefs and opinions in the light of the perspectives, beliefs and opinions of others. As such it demands openness, sensitivity and respect, and students spend a good deal of the course exploring their own views and those of their peers in a collaborative way.

The course is assessed via an internally marked 10 minute oral presentation and an externally marked 1200-1600 word essay. The grades from these are combined with the grade from the Extended Essay to give up to 3 points towards a candidate’s total score for their Diploma. This may seem like a small amount for such an ambitious course, but this system allows students to pursue Theory of Knowledge without undue pressure on results. It also allows to teachers to direct the classes towards the central IB philosophical mission of promoting “intercultural understanding and respect” by creating “active, compassionate and lifelong learners who understand that other people, with their differences, can also be right ”.