89 replies to this topic

[jonathan810]

For my TOK essay I choose this question:

"The vocabulary we have does more than communicate our knowledge; it shapes what we can know." Evaluate this claim with reference to different areas of knowledge.

However, my problem is that I cant think of points for this topic..

Can anyone help?

Thanks in advance  

[sweetnsimple786]

Why did this title sound appealing to you?

Easiest place to start off is listing the courses you're taking and seeing if you can use them to support the claim.
For example, I took

English
Spanish
History
Biology
Physics
Math

So the languages are going to be important. I speak Hindi and practice Islam. It can be really hard to explain ideas that are worded in Persian, Sanskrit, Arabic, or Gujarati in English because some things don't translate fully. So how can I explain something important to me if I can't find the words to make you understand what I'm talking about?
We see this idea manifested in literature and history and in everyday interactions among people that could influence politics or who gets nominated for a Nobel prize or what gets labeled as pseudoscience.
Not only that but when you learn about a new concept that you've never thought about, you can sometimes kind of feel as your horizon is expanding. I remember when I started learning what pluralism was and how it's different from just diversity. It kind of blew my mind. It also made me realize that I still don't fully understand pluralism.
Same thing with fictitious forces in physics. I took physics for two years while doing the IB program. My teachers told me there was no such thing as centrifugal force. I go to college and take a mechanics course, and we have a unit on fake forces such as centrifugal forces which are real when you look at some frames. Also Newton's laws only work for certain circumstances. If you're not in that circumstance, throw out what you've always learned and use relativity. But relativity only works for certain circumstances. Use quantum mechanics. But that only works under certain circumstance. Use string theory. Where does it end? How can I know that I'm actually learning how the world works and not just a simplified model of it? And how can I decide when something is oversimplified?
If that didn't make sense, don't worry about it. Look at your courses and consider the role that language plays as you try to acquire knowledge.

[jonathan810]

Thank you very much!!!! What you've said makes perfect sense,just that I haven't thought of the question like that before.

for the topic, i guess it was because it was the one that looked the most appealing.

[Narwhal90]

Hello, I am starting to write my essay on this topic as well. I will ask my instructor this question when I get back from break, but for now, here it is:
When the topic states "it shapes what we can know," does it just mean it biases/colors the knowledge we communicate, or can it also mean that it influences HOW we can know things? also, referring to the above post, is discussing different languages relevant? I thought it says "the vocabulary we have," so wouldn't just talking about our native language work?

I guess that was more than one question...

Thank you!

[sweetnsimple786]

Narwhal90, on Jan 03, 2011 - 02:25, said:

When the topic states "it shapes what we can know," does it just mean it biases/colors the knowledge we communicate, or can it also mean that it influences HOW we can know things?

I read it as saying that the vocab we have access to/know/use can limit what we can know and influence how we share knowledge and how we receive knowledge. The last part meaning how we interpret some kind of knowledge from someone. When I think of blue and you think of blue, are we thinking the same shade? Are we both even thinking shades? Skies? Water?

About that last phrase meaning how we can know things: I think that's fine to interpret it like that. I'm not sure I understand what you mean completely. [which is kind of what this question's about ] But I think you're talking about two people gaining knowledge differently because of our individual differences? Like I might weigh reason more heavily and you might use perception more when we both are given the claim "There is life outside of Earth." We may have different trains of thought but come to the same conclusion, whether we both think the statement to be true or false.  

Quote

also, referring to the above post, is discussing different languages relevant? I thought it says "the vocabulary we have," so wouldn't just talking about our native language work?

I think you could be safe just talking about your native language. I also think that bringing up a different language will give you a strong point to shape or back up your argument, depending on what stage of the argument you're in. There are lots of unique, strong points that you can make and back up, though, so bringing another language into your discussion may only take up extra words and be unnecessary because your argument is strong without it.

The reason that I think bringing in other languages can be validated is because you can interpret "the vocabulary we have" to mean the vocabulary you use or you possess or you have access to. All slightly different. I know what ennui means, but I won't use that in speech. Possibly because I'm not sure if I'd pronounce it correctly
Also, I don't know any Russian, but with my good friend Google, I can borrow a word or phrase from it. Now do I understand it? What if I tried to communicate my latest results from science class or my thoughts on the text we read in lit class to a native speaking Russian?
My point is that the vocabulary we have isn't limited to one language. You don't have to address another language if you don't want to, but I think you should unless you've already got a solid argument where bringing in another language seems irrelevant to your points.

[ibfreak94]

hiii im planning on doing this title also but im having difficuly with the counterclaim aspect of the essay.. i dont really know what to put.. if someone could help i would sincerely appreciate it =)

[Sandwich]

Have you tried thinking of knowledge for which we have no words? i.e. does language really 'shape' what we can know, or do we know things other than what we have words for, things which are still knowledge despite our inability to articulate them?
I'd imagine many emotions could fit into this category, perhaps, as a little hint...

[vira.may]

I'm planning on doing this for my TOK essay as well

[Kristina Mladenovic]

today i got the same topic to write my essay! I have a tok maniac friend, she understands everything and sees every little hint of work easily. If she helps me i would gladly help you!!!

[citizenoftheuniverse]

A cool phrase you guys could add into your essays: lexical gap. It means when there isn´t a word for something. I bet that idea will come up somewhere when writing an essay about this topic, so it is better to have more sophisticated language to impress your teacher!  

[DexterD]

Oh oh oh!
I'm doing this question too!  

[Ice Cream is really yummy]

Narwhal90, on Jan 03, 2011 - 02:25, said:

Hello, I am starting to write my essay on this topic as well. I will ask my instructor this question when I get back from break, but for now, here it is:
When the topic states "it shapes what we can know," does it just mean it biases/colors the knowledge we communicate, or can it also mean that it influences HOW we can know things? also, referring to the above post, is discussing different languages relevant? I thought it says "the vocabulary we have," so wouldn't just talking about our native language work?

I guess that was more than one question...

Thank you!

I'm still fairly new at this, but I DO believe that thinking of the different perspectives and ways of looking at the questions-- through different specs-- is what the IB wants. It's part of many grading scales (IB Style).... but then again, I would really appreciate it if someone were to confirm my statement.

[Clark Kent]

Hey I'm doing my ToK essay on #7, which is "Vocabulary does more than communicate our knowledge, it shapes what we can know. Evaluate this claim".

In one of my points, I used David Malouf's An Imaginary Life as a point. The idea i tried to raise was that the main character Ovid was able to learn about humanity's connection with nature and spirituality at Tomis (where he was exiled to) even though he was unable to speak the language. This could have meant that not knowing the language opened up the opportunity for more potential knowledge to be gained, since he was not confined to a language anymore, but had to learn everything without being able to rely on a set of vocabulary.

The main reason I wouldn't use this is because it is an example from literature, which is essentially fictional. So, if i was to relate this to the AoK of "Art", how would i relate this to fictional literature if such art is not "real-life"?

[Leo Bulaev]

I ve decided to make this my essay topic, because i find it appealing.
So vocabulary is the door to further knowledge? what are some examples of this?

[Desy Glau]

is it necessary to elaborate other ways of knowing? I mean other than vocabulary (language)

as for the AOK, will 3 AOKs do?

Sandwich, on Feb 27, 2011 - 12:46, said:

Have you tried thinking of knowledge for which we have no words? i.e. does language really 'shape' what we can know, or do we know things other than what we have words for, things which are still knowledge despite our inability to articulate them?
I'd imagine many emotions could fit into this category, perhaps, as a little hint...

Can you elaborate the 'emotions' part a little more? I agree that sometimes it's just hard to express your feelings in words but is that really a knowledge?

[Keel]

Emotion is said to be one of the most pure yet meaningless ways of knowing. So yes you are correct to query the validity of emotion as a way of knowing. However, if you feel an emotion, it must exist, agreed? Emotion usually has a trigger. So if you feel an emotion after the trigger, can you not infer something about the trigger? But then again what does that emotion really mean in relation to reality? I would argue it requires heavy inductive reasoning to grasp what each emotion feels like. But even then, each trigger is likely to cause a slightly different emotion. How would you be able to tell the similarities and differences between each occurrence and generalise effectively? I guess I've explored too many counter-arguments to emotion which shouldn't be the main focus within your essay but they still need a brief mention if you do use emotion.

[onejpu2]

This is my first time writing a ToK essay, luckily it's just a practice one...but I'm wondering how you put the knowledge issue into the paper? Do you phrase it as the question and then answer it? Ex: I thought a knowledge issue might be vocabulary that isn't words, like music notes or numbers or soccer tricks? Is this even a knowledge issue or am I way off the mark? Thanks!

[Keel]

onejpu2, on Mar 31, 2011 - 23:03, said:

This is my first time writing a ToK essay, luckily it's just a practice one...but I'm wondering how you put the knowledge issue into the paper? Do you phrase it as the question and then answer it? Ex: I thought a knowledge issue might be vocabulary that isn't words, like music notes or numbers or soccer tricks? Is this even a knowledge issue or am I way off the mark? Thanks!

This is my view on ToK essays. Because a essay question is given to you, your main task is to answer that question. The question itself is a knowledge issue and can be seen the main knowledge issue in your presentation and your job in the essay is to try and analyse as many sides of the argument/views as possible to come to a judgment of the quote. Hence a paragraph is unlikely to explore a different knowledge issue; it is more likely that your will be exploring a different area of knowledge or 'environment' where this knowledge issue applies. So, the example you gave is not exploring a different knowledge issue to the title which is whether language can limit our knowledge ect. It is simply exploring a different medium of 'language' and seeing whether the rule (quote) applies there. Thus, you don't really need to mention 'knowledge issue' at all because the entire essay should really be focused on the knowledge issue provided in the question. Hope that made sense.

[Robb]

1984 is a good example for this essay

doublethink
newspeak

and also the use of the words ''Big Brother'' and ''Orwellian'' in today's society are all examples i found useful.

[Desy Glau]

how would you define 'vocabulary'?

I found out that vocabulary doesn't only refer to words that we know but also things like facial expression and body language. how do you say that when giving a proper definition, then?