International Baccalaureate Diploma (IB) DP Core: Theory of Knowledge (TOK) Syllabus

DP Core: Theory of Knowledge (TOK) syllabus — full chapter and topic list

Expand any chapter to see its topics and sub-topics. This is the whole examinable outline for DP Core: Theory of Knowledge (TOK) in International Baccalaureate Diploma (IB), not a summary of it.

1. 1

   Knowledge and the Knower

   4 topics

   • Nature and Scope of Knowing
     • Personal knowledge vs. shared knowledge
     • Knowledge claims and knowledge questions
     • First-order vs. second-order questions
   • The Knower's Perspective
     • Influence of culture, community, and upbringing
     • Cognitive and confirmation bias
     • Values, assumptions, and worldview
   • Belief, Truth, and Justification
     • Justified true belief and its critiques
     • Coherence, correspondence, and pragmatic theories of truth
   • Doubt, Certainty, and Open-Mindedness
2. 2

   Optional Themes

   5 topics

   • Knowledge and Technology
     • Algorithms, big data, and machine learning
     • Misinformation and the post-truth environment
     • Surveillance, privacy, and digital ethics
   • Knowledge and Language
     • Language as carrier and shaper of knowledge
     • Translation, ambiguity, and connotation
   • Knowledge and Politics
     • Power, propaganda, and the control of knowledge
     • Expertise, authority, and democratic decision-making
   • Knowledge and Religion
   • Knowledge and Indigenous Societies
3. 3

   Areas of Knowledge

   5 topics

   • The Natural Sciences
     • Scientific method, induction, and falsification
     • Paradigm shifts and scientific revolutions
   • The Human Sciences
     • Observation, modeling, and the observer effect
     • Ethics of human-subject research
   • Mathematics
     • Proof, axioms, and deductive certainty
     • Discovery vs. invention debate
   • History
     • Sources, evidence, and historiography
     • Bias, perspective, and selection
   • The Arts
     • Aesthetic judgment and interpretation
     • Art as a vehicle for knowledge
4. 4

   Assessment Components

   3 topics

   • TOK Exhibition
     • Selecting an IA prompt
     • Choosing three real-world objects
     • Written commentary and justification
   • TOK Essay on a Prescribed Title
     • Unpacking the prescribed title
     • Developing arguments and counterarguments across AOKs
     • Use of real-life examples and evaluation
   • Assessment Criteria and the Knowledge Framework

DP Core: Theory of Knowledge (TOK) flashcards for International Baccalaureate Diploma (IB)

25 of 51 cards from the DP Core: Theory of Knowledge (TOK) deck — real questions with worked answers.

1. In TOK, what is the difference between 'shared knowledge' and 'personal knowledge'?

   Shared knowledge is the product of more than one person—communal, structured, systematic, and subject to checks (e.g., disciplines). Personal knowledge depends heavily on an individual's experiences, perspective, and skills ('knowledge by acquaintance' and procedural know-how).

2. Name the three main types of knowledge often distinguished in TOK.

   (1) Propositional knowledge ('knowing that'—facts/claims); (2) Procedural knowledge ('knowing how'—skills); (3) Knowledge by acquaintance ('knowing of'—direct familiarity with people, places, things).

3. What is the classical tripartite definition of knowledge (JTB)?

   Knowledge is Justified True Belief: a person knows a proposition P if (1) they believe P, (2) P is true, and (3) they have justification for believing P.

4. What is a Gettier problem, and what does it challenge?

   A Gettier problem is a case where someone has a justified true belief that intuitively does not count as knowledge (the justification is true by luck). It challenges the sufficiency of the JTB definition of knowledge.

5. Distinguish belief, truth, and justification as the three components scrutinised in TOK epistemology.

   Belief is a mental attitude of accepting a claim as true; truth is the correspondence/quality of a claim matching reality; justification is the reasons, evidence, or warrant supporting the belief.

6. Name three major theories of truth discussed in TOK.

   Correspondence theory (truth = matching reality/facts), Coherence theory (truth = fitting consistently within a system of beliefs), and Pragmatic theory (truth = what works/is useful in practice).

7. What is the 'knower's perspective,' and why does it matter in TOK?

   It is the standpoint—shaped by culture, language, values, experiences, and biases—from which an individual produces and evaluates knowledge. It matters because it shapes what we notice, accept, and how we interpret evidence.

8. Define 'confirmation bias' and give its relevance to the knower.

   Confirmation bias is the tendency to seek, interpret, and remember information that confirms pre-existing beliefs while discounting contrary evidence. It distorts a knower's evaluation of evidence and undermines objectivity.

9. What is the difference between first-order and second-order knowledge questions in TOK?

   First-order questions are about the world within a discipline (e.g., 'What causes inflation?'). Second-order (knowledge) questions are about knowledge itself—how it is produced, evaluated, and justified (e.g., 'How do we decide which economic model to trust?').

10. What are the elements of the TOK 'knowledge framework' used to analyse areas of knowledge?

    Scope (subject matter/problems), Perspectives (viewpoints/historical and cultural context), Methods and tools (how knowledge is produced/verified), and Ethics (ethical issues involved).

11. List the two TOK 'core' and the named areas of knowledge in the current course.

    Core: the Core theme (Knowledge and the Knower) plus optional themes. Areas of Knowledge: History, the Human Sciences, the Natural Sciences, Mathematics, and the Arts.

12. Name the optional themes in the current TOK course (students choose two).

    Knowledge and Technology, Knowledge and Language, Knowledge and Politics, Knowledge and Religion, and Knowledge and Indigenous Societies.

13. What is the distinction between 'doubt' and 'certainty' as treated in TOK?

    Doubt is suspension or questioning of belief due to lack of conclusive justification; certainty is a state (psychological or epistemic) of being completely convinced. TOK stresses that subjective certainty does not guarantee truth.

14. What is Cartesian (methodological) doubt?

    Descartes' method of systematically doubting everything that can possibly be doubted to find an indubitable foundation for knowledge, arriving at 'cogito ergo sum' (I think, therefore I am).

15. Define 'open-mindedness' as an intellectual virtue in TOK.

    The disposition to seriously consider alternative viewpoints and revise one's beliefs in light of new evidence, while still applying critical evaluation—not uncritical acceptance of everything.

16. What is the difference between scepticism and relativism?

    Scepticism questions whether we can have certain or any knowledge; relativism holds that truth or knowledge is relative to a framework (culture, individual) with no universal standard. Scepticism doubts; relativism denies a single objective standard.

17. How does technology act as both a tool and a shaper of knowledge?

    As a tool it extends our capacity to gather, store, and analyse information (e.g., instruments, computers). As a shaper it influences what knowledge is produced, who has access, and how we think (e.g., algorithms, search engines, AI).

18. What is an 'echo chamber' / 'filter bubble' and its epistemic risk?

    An online environment where algorithms and self-selection expose users mainly to agreeable information, reinforcing existing beliefs and reducing exposure to diverse perspectives—amplifying bias and misinformation.

19. In the technology theme, what epistemic concern does the 'black box' nature of AI raise?

    That AI systems can produce outputs (predictions, decisions) without transparent, interpretable reasoning, making it hard to justify, verify, or attribute responsibility for the knowledge claims they generate.

20. How does language shape knowledge according to the linguistic relativity (Sapir–Whorf) hypothesis?

    It claims the structure and vocabulary of a language influence or determine how its speakers perceive and think about the world—stronger version (determinism) vs weaker version (influence).

21. What is the difference between denotation and connotation, and why does it matter for knowledge?

    Denotation is a word's literal, dictionary meaning; connotation is the emotional/cultural associations it carries. Connotation can frame and bias how knowledge claims are received (e.g., 'freedom fighter' vs 'terrorist').

22. Define 'ambiguity' and 'vagueness' as problems language poses for knowledge.

    Ambiguity is when a term has more than one distinct meaning; vagueness is when a term lacks a precise boundary of application. Both can obscure or distort the communication and justification of knowledge.

23. How can language be used as a tool of political power over knowledge?

    Through framing, euphemism, propaganda, controlling terminology, and 'doublespeak'—shaping what is thinkable, legitimising some claims and delegitimising others (cf. Orwell's Newspeak).

24. In the Knowledge and Politics theme, what is meant by 'expertise' versus 'populism' as sources of authority?

    Expertise grounds knowledge claims in specialised training and disciplinary methods; populism appeals to the 'will of the people' or common sense. Tension arises over who should be trusted to produce/validate political knowledge.

25. What is 'fake news' / disinformation, and how does it differ from misinformation?

    Disinformation is false information spread deliberately to deceive; misinformation is false information spread without intent to deceive. Both threaten reliable shared knowledge in the political sphere.

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