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Can there be knowledge that is independent of culture? Discuss with…
Can there be knowledge that is independent of culture? Discuss with reference to mathematics and one other area of knowledge.
PT No. 1 May 2022
- the question suggests that
knowledge is normally dependent on culture
- but the word "can" invites you to consider whether there may be exceptions to that dependence which would require the knowledge to be universal and not tied to a time or place
- it asks you to explore whether or not there can be knowledge that is independent of culture in mathematics and one other area of knowledge of your choice
- the word “can” also invites you to argue that there cannot be any knowledge that is independent of culture
- Culture can, for example, encompass our customs, lifestyle, religion (or no religion), our
values, the way we think, our beliefs, our traditions
- when discussing culture, you may take a narrow view referring to a particular set of local practices or a wide one which, at the extreme, would include the whole of humanity
- You are likely to define and discuss the meaning of culture as it is pivotal to the title
however, defining culture alone, no matter how detailed the definition, does not answer the question just as defining knowledge alone, does not answer the question
What is required is to discuss the dependency, or lack of dependency, of knowledge on culture with reference to the two AOKs
- No specific definition of culture is assumed or
expected
- If knowledge is a human construct, then it can be seen to be dependent on culture
- In the areas of knowledge of your choice, you will probably find examples of knowledge which
is independent of culture such as that water expands when it freezes.
- Our cultures can be seen as filters through which we see and know the world - they shape our perspectives about values, customs, etc.
- This is perhaps what is meant by knowledge not being possible independent of culture. It would seem that we cannot separate ourselves from our cultures, so is this also true of the knowledge that we acquire and/or produce?
- Mathematics is a required AOK for this question and may be seen as the closest to providing knowledge that is independent of culture, such as that the sum of even numbers is always even or that c2 = a2 + b2 for a right-angled triangle drawn on a plane.
- Examples of knowledge dependent on culture can also be found in all AOKs, including mathematics, such as, perhaps, systems of counting and numbering.
- The degrees of the dependence or independence of knowledge on culture will reveal much about the knowledge we acquire and produce as well as its significance.
- Culture is one of the central concepts of TOK
- in some situations it may not be so easy to recognize when knowledge is dependent on culture, especially for those within the culture
you might discuss the difficulty of stepping
back from one’s own culture in order to gauge the extent of the dependence
On the other hand, those outside a culture may not have full access to its knowledge and may come to incorrect conclusions about the dependence of the knowledge on culture.