What insights does your chosen media article provide us with reference to ‘Knowledge & the Knower’?
In general, here is a summary of what 'Knowledge & the Knower' actually means in TOK + why we are concerned about it:
Knowledge & the knower is the ‘core theme’ of the TOK course, dealing with YOU as a knower about the world, inviting you to think about things like what shapes your perspectives, where your values come from, and how you navigate the cognitive world.
It also looks at which ‘communities of knowers’ (or epistemic communities) you might belong to, and how these affect your understanding of the world. These epistemic communities might be anything from the religious organization you are a part of, to the football team you support.
It therefore interlinks extensively with the areas of knowledge and the optional themes.
QUESTIONS TO THINK ABOUT:
Did certains events really happen? If not, what are the implications of this? What aspects of our memory can we trust? Is memory a useful way of knowing? Which areas of knowledge are most affected by the fact that memory is ‘reconstructive’?
Article on false memories - focus on Knowledge & the knower and Human sciences
Link to article for reference: https://www.theguardian.com/science/2018/jul/18/what-is-your-earliest-childhood-memory-and-did-it-really-happen
WHAT THE STORY DEALS WITH:
What is your earliest childhood memory – and did it really happen?
A new study suggests that many first memories are actually fictional and based on photographs and family stories. We would like to hear about what you believe is your earliest recollection
KEY TERMS FROM THE ARTICLE: :
THE INSIGHTS IT PROVIDES US WITH ABOUT 'KNOWLEDGE & THE KNOWER
childhood memory
formative interaction
actually remembered
being informed by photographs and family anecdotes
first memory
reliability
research
academics
infancy
prams
fictional memories
imagining
fragments
fragments then become a memory
memories and experiences
nappies
the article is essentially just saying that when people claim they have recalled or remembered a memory from when they were toddlers or infacts, researches debate it may also be due the constant repition of reminders through photographs and family stories that lead us to think we have remembered the event, when, in actuality, it might have been fictional
it speaks about the realiability of self perception
it talks about the infleunces from others and they shape and change our perspectives, or even memories from a certain time or ocassion
I believe that it was somewhat encapsulated when mentioning the story the article deals with
this conflict between thinking we know something (self perception) and if the precieved truth is the actual truth (realiability)
do we really know something or do we think we do just because we are constantly reminded of something that we supposedly did?
really demonsrates how we are so influenced by external factors and how people's words and perceptions and change our scopes and perspective entirely