Essay Title 4: Do we underestimate the challenges of taking knowledge out of its original context and transferring it to a different context? Discuss with reference to two areas of knowledge.

In this blog I will be examining how to meet the requirements of the fourth Theory of Knowledge essay in the May 2024 exam series: Do we underestimate the challenges of taking knowledge out of its original context and transferring it to a different context? Discuss with reference to two areas of knowledge.

The theory of knowledge essay is a great opportunity to develop your ideas a bit further in one of the subjects you have a great interest in. This essay introduces an interesting idea- taking knowledge out of the field in which it was created and placing it in a different context. You could look at how knowledge is created in History for example and then try and place it in a different time period- what a challenge! The examples you choose, as ever, are important here and should be tied to real life situations that resonate with you as a knower. 

In any good TOK essay there are a number of prerequisites that are important to ensure you have a good basis to your answer. We will look at these with particular reference to this question and consider some ideas and real life situations that you can use to ensure you are maximising your marks from this task. You should use the structure below to shape your essay. Remember the essay is limited to 1600 words so make sure that you use your allocation wisely. There are 8 paragraphs listed below meaning you should write around 200 words for each one. 

The key thing about the TOK essay is that you need to make sure every part of it contributes towards answering the question, whether it is through an example or with direct reference to the question itself. This will give your essay focus and keep you on track. 

You should follow these steps to give your essay the required structure: 

Introduction: Unpack the title and state your opinion on the question. Initially what are your thoughts? 

In your introduction it is essential that you demonstrate that you understand the key terms in the essay and that you outline your answer to the question in the title. This doesn’t mean that you write out a series of key terms and definitions, you should use them in sentences effectively to show your understanding. The definition of the key terms in this essay in a TOK context are below: 

Key Terms: 

Underestimate: Make the wrong judgement about how difficult it is to move knowledge between contexts. Do we think it is too easy? 

Original Context: This can be interpreted as the place, subject or world where the knowledge was originally created or accepted. This could be a cure for a virus that was created in a lab by a natural scientist, a theory created by a human scientist in psychology or a painting created by an artist. They are created or used in a place where people who are dealing with the knowledge have a good understanding of it and can use it to its full potential. 

Different Context: Let’s imagine that the formula for the cure created by the natural scientist was presented to a group of primary school students. That would be taking the knowledge from the context of a doctorate level lab to a primary school. From understanding to non-understanding in one step! 

Challenge: This can be understood here as the difficulties or the problems of transferring this knowledge. A question of the usefulness of the knowledge after it has been moved could be considered here as well. 

Transferring: Moving from one place to another. This could be from one classroom (subject) to another. From one age group to another, from one level of understanding to another. 

This question gives you the opportunity to choose two of your own areas of knowledge here. I am going to choose History and Natural Sciences. Choose AOK that enable you to explore examples that you are really interested in and make links with your other subjects. 

Body paragraph 1: Claim 1 linked to History (Not underestimating) 

Claim 1: There is a huge challenge taking knowledge from one time period of History to another. 

Here you could examine the accuracy of an interpretation of a series of events in two different time periods. Consider the way the knowledge was created (and by whom) in the first place. Primary accounts of events in Tudor England for example have been interpreted in a number of different ways by different Historians to such an extent that there are different interpretations for what was essentially the same event. Over analysis of knowledge can cause problems/challenges in History 

Body paragraph 2: Claim 2 linked to History 

To provide an alternative point of view in this area of knowledge you could also discuss the idea that knowledge about History can be conveyed easily through technology and the ability to share past events has become easier over time. For example, footage of the Iraq war in the 2010’s is a lot more accurate in terms of its pictures and video footage than footage of the First World War. This can also enable you to discuss the idea of reliability of the transference of knowledge too. (See next paragraph) This may lead us to underestimate how hard it is to transfer this knowledge accurately. 

Body paragraph 3: Implications on History as an AOK overall. Consider possible links to the core or optional themes. 

The transference of knowledge is the essence of the study of History and in this paragraph you can emphasise how knowledge of historical events continues to change over time depending on interpretation and new sources becoming available. You can also discuss how new ways of recording History are making it easier to pass knowledge onto future generations. Link back to whether or not you think we underestimate the challenge of transferring knowledge in History. 

Also, possible thinkers who can help you with your thought processes, and provide quotes to support your ideas with evidence in History are: 

EH Carr, Winston Churchill, John Lewis Gaddis

Body paragraph 4: Claim 2 linked to Natural Sciences 

Taking knowledge from a laboratory context and applying it in the real world is a significant challenge for us all. – Is this underestimated in Physics? 

This is difficult largely due to the controlled conditions that are created by natural scientists. In Physics for example if you create an aerodynamic environment for testing the latest Formula 1 car it is highly unlikely that the environment will be replicated on the track. There are too many variables- wind, rain, the human driver. So applying the knowledge you have learnt in the lab to the real world is a significant challenge in this context. 

Body paragraph 5: Counterclaim 2 linked to Natural Sciences. 

Alternatively the transference of knowledge about some, less technical areas of Natural Science is easier to transfer if you are happier to accept the knowledge on a simple level. Taking Newton’s apple away from his garden and applying the same experiment in a school classroom is relatively easy to recreate and interpret. The accuracy of the experiment may not be the same but if you are willing to work with general theories you can transfer the knowledge with less of a challenge.

Body paragraph 6: Implications on Natural Sciences. 

The implications of these issues on the Natural Sciences is already apparent. This is the reason that controlled environments exist in labs, to ensure that the recreation of the knowledge is as accurate and useful as possible. (Not underestimated) 

To take knowledge out of its original context is dangerous in the Natural Sciences, it could cause many problems, especially when attempting to replicate the production of a product that is used on humans, or humans rely on for safety. 

Also, possible thinkers who can help you with your thought processes, and provide quotes to support your ideas with evidence in the Natural Sciences are: 

Neil deGrasse Tyson, Ben Goldacre, James Clerk Maxwell. 

Overall conclusion: summarise your main perspectives and explain how your findings implicate the real world and overall areas of knowledge you have chosen. Remember to use the idea of a challenge in this conclusion and answer the main question- do we underestimate the challenge of transferring knowledge between different contexts? 

Final Thoughts: 

The highest scoring essays in TOK do the following:

• They are insightful, convincing, accomplished and lucid (from the markscheme) 
• They demonstrate how TOK appears in the real world by using real world examples. 
• They are supported by academic thinkers. 
• They answer the question accurately. 

Thank you for reading. Read my guide to question 5 here!

Good luck with your essay!