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What counts as knowledge? - Coggle Diagram
What counts as knowledge?
Definiton
-it means what qualifies as a knowledge and what does not
-knowledge is whether ;
i) information vs knowledge
ii) belief vs knowledge
iii) opinion vs knowledge
Key TOK concepts
Justification – Is the claim supported by evidence or reasoning?
Truth – Does it correspond to reality or shared understanding?
Belief – Does someone accept it as true?
Evidence – What proof supports the claim?
Evidence – What proof supports the claim?
Perspective – Does what we consider “knowledge” depend on who we are or where we come from?
Areas of Knowledge (AOKs)
a. Natural Sciences
How we know things: Scientists test ideas through experiments and evidence.
What counts as knowledge: Facts that can be proven again and again.
Example: Water boils at 100°C at sea level. It’s testable and repeatable.
b. History
• Knowledge is constructed from interpretations of evidence (documents, artifacts).
• “Knowledge” of the past can be revised as new sources emerge.
• Example object: A history textbook. It represents collective but evolving knowledge.
c. Mathematics
How we know things: Using logic and proof.
Example: 2 + 2 = 4 — true everywhere, doesn’t depend on opinion.
What counts as knowledge: Statements proven to be true by reasoning.
Cognitive Tools (how humans produce knowledge)
Perception (Sense & Technology): Determines what we can observe and verify. Instruments expand human senses.
Language: Shapes what we recognize as “knowledge.” Example: historical facts rely on how they’re recorded linguistically.
Memory: Stores and transmits knowledge across generations; influences personal knowledge.
Knowledge Frameworks
Optional Theme
Knowledge and Technology
Focus: How technology changes what can count as knowledge (e.g. AI data, deepfake evidence).
Example: Satellites allow knowledge about climate that humans couldn’t access before.
Link: Expands sense perception and challenges authenticity of digital info.
Knowledge and Religion
Focus: How technology changes what can count as knowledge (e.g. AI data, deepfake evidence).
Example: Satellites allow knowledge about climate that humans couldn’t access before.
Link: Expands sense perception and challenges authenticity of digital info.
Knowledge and Politics
Focus: Who controls what is accepted as “true” knowledge in society.
Example: Governments shaping narratives through censorship or propaganda.
Link: Shows how power and authority decide what counts as “knowledge.”
Core Theme: Knowledge and the Knower
Focus: How personal experience and identity shape what we consider as knowledge.
Example: A person may treat traditional healing as knowledge because of lived success, even if science disagrees.
Link: Shows that “what counts” is deeply tied to personal justification systems.