24 replies to this topic

[Joachim T]

Does anyone here know what the prescribed titles in TOK for 2013 is? One of my teachers said it should be online, but I can't seem to find it anywhere!

Edited by Joachim T, Mar 29, 2012 - 15:36.

[Emy Glau-ski]

They're doing something differently this year with the TOK titles. Instead of releasing 10 titles right away for the November and May candidates (like the Nov 2011 May 2012, Nov 2010 May 2011, etc) they are splitting it up for the November 2012 and May 2013 students. They released six titles for the November students (I feel bad for them, all of them are quite awful ) but just for that session alone. They will release six more titles for the May 2013 students later in the year that will be exclusively for them.

If you can't find it online it probably means it hasn't been released yet (or someone hasn't gotten unlazy enough to upload them yet .gif' class='bbc_emoticon' alt='XD' /> )

[Vol de Mort]

Ask your teacher again. They are supposed to be available on the OCC (ask him/her to search around there).

[HiggsHunter]

Ask your teacher again. They are supposed to be available on the OCC (ask him/her to search around there).

In that case is there any problem with a teacher telling a student the titles now? Or is it explicitly stated that they are confidential at present?

[Desy Glau]

Ask your teacher again. They are supposed to be available on the OCC (ask him/her to search around there).

In that case is there any problem with a teacher telling a student the titles now? Or is it explicitly stated that they are confidential at present?

I believe teachers are free to give their students the essay titles at any time.

[Joachim T]

Ask your teacher again. They are supposed to be available on the OCC (ask him/her to search around there).

In that case is there any problem with a teacher telling a student the titles now? Or is it explicitly stated that they are confidential at present?

I believe teachers are free to give their students the essay titles at any time.

I don't think they are, due to the fact IB isn't so fond of letting students be able to prepare or work on things for a long period of time. This also goes for the extended where IB suggests one only use 40 hours (I believe) to complete it.

Thanks for all the answers very helpful.

[Joachim T]

It's August now and the TOK Prescribed Essay Titles still haven't been published. According to some of the teacher at my school the IB is releasing them in November.

[carpediem]

No, they're releasing the titles on the 1st of September. The Director of IB in my school told us this last week, so I'm pretty sure he's got the correct date.

[Sword (Hubert Pomorski)]

Brace yourself! The TOK essays are coming!


1. In what ways may disagreement aid the pursuit of knowledge in the natural and human sciences?
2. “Only seeing general patterns can give us knowledge. Only seeing particular examples can give us understanding.” To what extent do you agree with these assertions?
3. “The possession of knowledge carries an ethical responsibility.” Evaluate this claim.
4. The traditional TOK diagram indicates four ways of knowing. Propose the inclusion of a fifth way of knowing selected from intuition, memory or imagination, and explore the knowledge issues it may raise in two areas of knowledge.
5. “That which can be asserted without evidence can be dismissed without evidence.” (Christopher Hitchens). Do you agree?
6. Can we know when to trust our emotions in the pursuit of knowledge? Consider history and one other area of knowledge.

[FaridaEzzat]

Are these the final prescribed titles? Where did you get them from?

[Gaby]

Are these the final prescribed titles? Where did you get them from?

They are. I also got them, from my TOK teacher.

[Florian Priv]

hey these are the titles for MAY 2013






1. In what ways may disagreement aid the pursuit of knowledge in the natural and human sciences?
2. “Only seeing general patterns can give us knowledge. Only seeing particular examples can give us understanding.” To what extent do you agree with these assertions?
3. “The possession of knowledge carries an ethical responsibility.” Evaluate this claim.
4. The traditional TOK diagram indicates four ways of knowing. Propose the inclusion of a fifth way of knowing selected from intuition, memory or imagination, and explore the knowledge issues it may raise in two areas of knowledge.
5. “That which can be asserted without evidence can be dismissed without evidence.” (Christopher Hitchens). Do you agree?
6. Can we know when to trust our emotions in the pursuit of knowledge? Consider history and one other area of knowledge.


I hope this helps

Attached Files

•  TOK 2013.pdf   23.54K   116 downloads

[aljallabi14]

THANK YOU GUYS!

[Tariq Ameer]

You are not welcome

[johnmcmorrow]

Do you guys know where we can find the titles?

[maereth]

johnmcmorrow you mean for november 2012? Just google it. 'TOK prescribed titles november 2012' should work Though I'm surprised you don't know them when it's so close to your exams... And for may 2013 read few posts above ;p

[IB-Adam]

" 1. In what ways may disagreement aid the pursuit of knowledge in the natural and human sciences? "

Any ideas? Is it because we can get different kinds of knowledge in the sciences that both can be found to be useful to society? For instance different models that both are said to be true, but to a certain limit?

[JonathanSpencer]

Hi ... check out this TOK essay ideas blog for May 2013 topics.

[MariusIBDP]

" 1. In what ways may disagreement aid the pursuit of knowledge in the natural and human sciences? "

Any ideas? Is it because we can get different kinds of knowledge in the sciences that both can be found to be useful to society? For instance different models that both are said to be true, but to a certain limit?

I think it's about those models, that are both useful and both seem to be true, but oppose each other (Keynes vs. Neoclassical in Economics, String Theory vs Quantum in Physics). When there are multiple expert campus representing different theories they try their best to find faults in opponents theory, to fix all the mistakes/gaps in their theory, etc. Hence, disagreement leads to competition, which greatly improves those different models or creates an unified ultimate model. To conclude disagreement leads to competition, which aid in pursuit of knowledge.
At least that's how I understand it. I also think it'd be better to take more examples from human sciences, because there is more disagreement than in experimental.
I won't pick this topic, because I have only Biology SL from experimental sc., and I'm not particularly good at it, but still seems like a pretty good topic.

[Sword (Hubert Pomorski)]

I interpreted 1st topic in the same as you, Marius, but I've been wondering: what may be counter-argumentation? Because in the science every disagreement is good. It is why science goes on. It is why I wonder if I do not take another approach: disputes between science and other fields.