45 replies to this topic

[Gaurang Kumar]

Hi everyone
i needed help to think of a few supporting points and evidence for my ToK final essay.

The question i chose to do my paper on is:  "Knowledge is generated through the interaction of critical and creative thinking. Evaluate this statement in two areas of knowledge."
i know the question seems easy enough and i already got part of my intro done, but im really bad when it comes to essays and ToK is not my best subject.
All replys will be helpful!

Thx a lot.

[Sandwich]

Well have you decided which areas of knowledge to focus on? I suggest one with a lot of interaction of said modes of thinking, and one where you reckon it's limited. Gives you plenty of counterarguments.

[Gaurang Kumar]

i was planning on doing mathematics as one area but i dont know about the other area of knowledge

[Sandwich]

Well, just go through them and consider to yourself: how and in what ways do I/people of the past have to think critically to gain knowledge in this subject? Same for creative thinking. Then go for the one which you can explain the best It's in your interest to do this 'cause you've got to write the explanation too.

I assume Maths is going to be your one with hardly any creative thinking in.

You should also look at the word 'generated'. Do we 'generate' knowledge, or do we come across it? And how are you going to define 'critical' thinking?

[bbtqueen]

when it says 'evaluate in two areas of knowledge', is it set in stone that there can only be two AK mentioned in the essay? or can there be more ?
i'm thinking of using engineering as an example, but i'm not quite confident about it because if it's true that we're only allowed to mention two AKs, engineering is a mix of science and math and aesthetics. ...D:

[Julia32]

Art and English

[MV.IB]

Can someone help me please? I'm doing art and mathematics

[Psyched4IB]

Julia32, on Jan 26, 2011 - 02:17, said:

Art and English

I don't think English is a AoK...
Isn't Language a WoK?

[Desy Glau]

can I write on 3 AOKs? I know it obviously asks me to use 2 AOKs but will I be penalised if I use 3? or do I better play safe?

[Sandwich]

dessskris, on Apr 30, 2011 - 17:03, said:

can I write on 3 AOKs? I know it obviously asks me to use 2 AOKs but will I be penalised if I use 3? or do I better play safe?

I doubt you'll be actively penalised but you're penalising yourself, you shouldn't be able to write about more than 2 in sufficient detail in such a small number of words. Doing 3 means you're not doing a sufficiently good job of the 2 others. I would definitely only use 2.

[Desy Glau]

okay, I've got examples in Maths, Econs (Human Sci?), Literature and Natural Sci.
which two AOKs out of those do you suggest me to pick?
thank you!

[Desy Glau]

can anybody hint me a little on what they mean by 'critical thinking'?

I've read the definitions of 'critical' from various sources/dictionaries but I still don't really get it.

is it as simple as being able to make judgements?
I had this impression that thinking critically means when we are told something we evaluate first whether it's true or not. is it what is actually meant by 'thinking critically'?

[Keel]

Desy Glau, on Jun 16, 2011 - 13:29, said:

can anybody hint me a little on what they mean by 'critical thinking'?

I've read the definitions of 'critical' from various sources/dictionaries but I still don't really get it.

is it as simple as being able to make judgements?
I had this impression that thinking critically means when we are told something we evaluate first whether it's true or not. is it what is actually meant by 'thinking critically'?

In the context of the question it would mean reason, more specifically deductive reasoning.

[Desy Glau]

do you mind elaborating a little more? my teacher didn't explain much about deductive reasoning. he said it's just like:
major premise: all A is B
minor premise: C is A
conclusion: C is B
that's it! how is that critical at all?

[Keel]

Desy Glau, on Jun 16, 2011 - 13:49, said:

do you mind elaborating a little more? my teacher didn't explain much about deductive reasoning. he said it's just like:
major premise: all A is B
minor premise: C is A
conclusion: C is B
that's it! how is that critical at all?

One approach which people take towards ToK is that they take the words in the question or quote and try to define them to the extent where it allows no flexibility whatsoever. Don't do that. Critical thinking simply means a process of thought/ a thinking process which is logical. Given that the premises you stated were true, the conclusion must be true as the argument is valid. That is critical thinking. You were correct to say that in evaluation you use critical thinking. Evaluation is basically trying to find the limitations of the argument; this is usually done through finding flaws in the premises or proving that the argument is not valid.

[Desy Glau]

can my knowledge issue be a question that begins with "To what extent can X be ...?"

[Keel]

Desy Glau, on Jun 17, 2011 - 14:16, said:

can my knowledge issue be a question that begins with "To what extent can X be ...?"

Catch number two, the main knowledge issue is always in the question. You must decode the knowledge issue in the question and explore it, then reach a judgement about such a knowledge issue. So its not like in the presentation where you can come up with your own. The 'sub-knowledge issues; or derived knowledge issue are really the paragraphs of your essay. So what is the knowledge issue hidden in the question? Look at the question, it takes a position (imagine the first sentence in quotes) so its basically providing and answer; what is it an answer to? The question is the knowledge issue.

[JonathanSpencer]

This is interesting. I am thinking maybe critical thinking is always also creative. So you could maybe challenge the question like that.

[Desy Glau]

is it necessary to discuss all the 4 ways of knowing in this essay?

any ideas anyone in Natural Sciences or Maths?

[Desy Glau]

can anybody give an example of how one generates knowledge through both critical and creative thinking?