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#8 "Analyse the strengths and weaknesses of using faith as a basis for knowledge in religion and in one area of knowledge"


sanross

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How can I structure my essay??? I have lots of ideas what to mention in my essay but I have no clue in which order to list my ideas in the essay. I also choose the question 9: Analyse the strengths and weaknesses of using faith as a basis for knowledge in religion and history.

I hope you can help me!!! Please reply!!! thank you for all answers xxx

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There is no real way to structure a TOK essay which applies to all essays. It just requires a bit of common sense and of course looking at your individual examples. Looking at the question there is one obvious way to split it up - into strengths and into weaknesses. Look at all your examples and see which illustrate strengths and which illustrate weaknesses, then think about the most logical way to put them into an essay. The one which shows what you consider to be the 'major' strength or weakness is the one I'd do first, and then the others afterwards. Doing the first part of your essay on strengths (after an introduction) and the second part on weaknesses before a conclusion makes a lot of sense, no?

Also remember they're asking you for two areas of knowledge (although I'd dispute religion as an area of knowledge myself...) so make sure you act comparatively. For instance, if you have a strength from one which contrasts neatly (or indeed compares well) with the strength in the other area, put them together.

Basically, just use common sense. You want your essay to make your argument very clear and logical, so just organise your points so they give the most cohesive argument whilst also most effectively highlighting all the differences you're pointing out.

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Can I write on more than 1 other area of knowledge? for example can I write about religion, history, and science?

Hi Benjii Boy,

I still maintain that the question is not implying that 'Religion' is an Area of Knowledge, it is simply asking you to consider "knowledge in religion" to evaluate faith. So be careful how you write your essay and consult your teacher's opinion on whether you should describe Religion as an AoK.

The question states 'and in one area of knowledge' meaning that you should consider religion and one AoK. So you will have to choose between history and science.

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what are the major disadvantages of using faith as a basis for knowledge in religion and history?? I cannot think of a single disadvantage:( please help me!

Hi Honney,

Would defining faith help you develop a solution to your problem? Think extreme: say we as humans were given the oppurtunity to trade our four Ways of Knowing for a new Way of Knowing, faith, would we benifit or not? If all we used was faith in a particular aspect of our lives what are the disadvantages? What if what we believe in is wrong? Would we ever know?

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Guest kenshi64

So, to kick start a discussion what puzzles me is Sandwich's post, where she says that faith can be used as a basis of knowledge to begin with because of its disregard for knowledge and just believing or w.t.t.e.(words to that effeect). - I second this point with the infinite regress argument which can be found on the evidentialism Wiki page. Where there's an inifinitely long chain of belief being supported by other unconfirmed beliefs and this goes on because of the lack of evidence, in a way rubbishes any knowledge etc gained on the basis of faith. So If faith can't support itself one thinks can it be used to obtain knowledge which is a confirmed fact ( note the irony :D)in any AOK at all!?

Help me out with this! :)

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  • 4 weeks later...

Hello Everyone! :D

I'm actually doing the same topic.

I was wondering what are the WAYS OF KNOWING concerned with this question? Is faith the only way of knowing involved? Or is it just a "basis of knowldege"? And if so, what are the WOK involved?

I am really confused!!

Thanks!

Edited by IBdoomed931
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  • 3 weeks later...

Hello! :D

Hmm, I'm doing the same topic too and I'm finding it a bit difficult to understand. But I got some help from these sites :)

http://answers.yahoo.com/question/index?qid=20110626030415AAv4ayD

http://uk.answers.yahoo.com/question/index?qid=20110510133120AAJ5bCg

They don't answer the questions directly but i guess help you think of what to write and give you some sort of an idea perhaps?

Do we have to discuss a worldly issue in this essay? like with Christianity or Muslims or something?

Besides the strengths and weaknesses and using another area of knowledge, what else do we have to include?

Thanks! :D

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  • 2 weeks later...

How can I structure my essay??? I have lots of ideas what to mention in my essay but I have no clue in which order to list my ideas in the essay. I also choose the question 9: Analyse the strengths and weaknesses of using faith as a basis for knowledge in religion and history.

I hope you can help me!!! Please reply!!! thank you for all answers xxx

It has to have a flow to it... What are some of your ideas?

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how would i approach the same question when Im doing my area of knowledge on human science and the stem cell research?

would I have to pick a religion as well to answer the question?

You can begin by introducing both concepts while making references to other AOK's and WOK's . Then you can raise KI's as you move on. No you DO NOT have to pick a religion. But it would be good to mention a few different religions different perspectives on stem cell research etc. After all thats what TOK's all about. Different perspectives.

Read some sample TOK essays: http://ggsbbint.ggs.vic.edu.au/ib_tokessays/index.html

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I think you can consider the knoledge issues of the question and then write on that. some knowledge issue might be what can we know from faith?,can faith be used as a basis for knowledge? these kind of questions will help you gather the information you need for this essay.

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  • 1 month later...

Sorry if this is old, but I haven't an idea as to what religion has to do with faith. Aren't they the same thing? It's quite impossible for me to find an advantage / disadvantage for using faith in religion. Furthermore, for disadvantages, I don't know of any religion that doesn't use faith as a basis for knowledge for comparison. The only example that I can come up with is the entire Christian - Islam - Judaism, but that's cliche and I really don't want to be using it. This makes me very confuzzled.

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  • 2 weeks later...

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