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International Baccalaureate
Theory of Knowledge (TOK) Essay
“Given that every theory has its limitations, we need to retain a multiplicity of theories to
understand the world.” Discuss this claim with reference to two areas of knowledge.
Candidate Code: hxv048
Word Count: 1,599
, 2
Since the ancient beginning of human cognitive development, theories have been utilised
to acquire knowledge about the world. A theory is defined as ‘a supposition or a system of ideas
intended to explain a phenomenon’ (Oxford Dictionary, n.d.). It explains relationships between
concepts to help us comprehend our observations and ‘understand’ the world by grasping its
nature, significance and explanation for being (University of Florida, 1996). In this essay, I have
defined the ‘understanding’ power of a theory to mean its accuracy and acceptance as a piece of
shared knowledge. However, there is a widespread assumption that theories contain an inherent
degree of uncertainty which arises from their limitations and which render them contemplative
ideas instead of fact or absolute truth. Based on this assumption, the prescribed title questions
whether we need to rely on various knowledge systems to form reliable knowledge about our
surroundings. To a certain extent, this may imply that the more theories used to support an idea,
the more accurate this idea is, suggesting that theories are ‘building blocks’ upon which
knowledge can be constructed. This essay will integrate shared and personal knowledge in
connection with relevant ways of knowing to explore the extent to which theories can be
complementary and accepted based on their limitations.
I will employ a range of ways of knowing (WOKs) to analyse theories in the natural
sciences and human sciences areas of knowledge (AOKs). While reason is the mechanism
behind the logical development of theories, most theories are built upon past theories and thus
also rely upon memory. Whereas scientific experiments can lead to knowledge by sense
perception, scholars in ‘abstract’ fields such as astrology depend on imagination to form theories.
Similarly, faith is strongly upheld by religious believers in sustaining their beliefs about the
world. The limitations of each theory is a direct result of the combined limitations of the WOKs
that created it. In other words, the knowledge system starts from a combination of WOKs to the
International Baccalaureate
Theory of Knowledge (TOK) Essay
“Given that every theory has its limitations, we need to retain a multiplicity of theories to
understand the world.” Discuss this claim with reference to two areas of knowledge.
Candidate Code: hxv048
Word Count: 1,599
, 2
Since the ancient beginning of human cognitive development, theories have been utilised
to acquire knowledge about the world. A theory is defined as ‘a supposition or a system of ideas
intended to explain a phenomenon’ (Oxford Dictionary, n.d.). It explains relationships between
concepts to help us comprehend our observations and ‘understand’ the world by grasping its
nature, significance and explanation for being (University of Florida, 1996). In this essay, I have
defined the ‘understanding’ power of a theory to mean its accuracy and acceptance as a piece of
shared knowledge. However, there is a widespread assumption that theories contain an inherent
degree of uncertainty which arises from their limitations and which render them contemplative
ideas instead of fact or absolute truth. Based on this assumption, the prescribed title questions
whether we need to rely on various knowledge systems to form reliable knowledge about our
surroundings. To a certain extent, this may imply that the more theories used to support an idea,
the more accurate this idea is, suggesting that theories are ‘building blocks’ upon which
knowledge can be constructed. This essay will integrate shared and personal knowledge in
connection with relevant ways of knowing to explore the extent to which theories can be
complementary and accepted based on their limitations.
I will employ a range of ways of knowing (WOKs) to analyse theories in the natural
sciences and human sciences areas of knowledge (AOKs). While reason is the mechanism
behind the logical development of theories, most theories are built upon past theories and thus
also rely upon memory. Whereas scientific experiments can lead to knowledge by sense
perception, scholars in ‘abstract’ fields such as astrology depend on imagination to form theories.
Similarly, faith is strongly upheld by religious believers in sustaining their beliefs about the
world. The limitations of each theory is a direct result of the combined limitations of the WOKs
that created it. In other words, the knowledge system starts from a combination of WOKs to the
