IB Theory of Knowledge: Knowledge Questions Explained

The Theory of Knowledge (TOK) course is a fundamental part of the International Baccalaureate Diploma Programme. The course is intended to encourage students to think critically about the nature of knowledge, and to consider the ways in which different areas of knowledge are interrelated. Students should demonstrate their ability to question the assumptions and biases that underlie different forms of knowledge, and to recognize the value of different perspectives.

The course is structured around one core theme, knowledge and the knower, and five optional themes, from which students are required to study two:

• Knowledge and technology
• Knowledge and language
• Knowledge and politics
• Knowledge and religion
• Knowledge and indigenous societies

These themes are designed to be explored through knowledge questions, which are questions about how knowledge is produced, acquired, shared and used.

The IB explains knowledge questions and each of its themes in its TOK Guide, for first assessments from 2022. This is a lengthy document, so we’ve summarised the most important points about knowledge questions for you here. You’ll also find helpful tips for you to excel at the Exhibition, the Essay, and understanding TOK more broadly. Remember to also read our article on the TOK areas of knowledge to fully understand how to smash TOK.

Source: IB TOK Guide.

What is a knowledge question?

Knowledge questions are, as their name suggests, questions about knowledge. Expert IB TOK tutors explain that this means assessing:

• What knowledge is
• How knowledge is produced
• How knowledge is acquired and shared
• The uses of knowledge
• And who answers these questions

It is therefore different to the study in all other IB subjects, which study pieces of knowledge rather than the concept of knowledge. The nature of these questions mean the answers are contestable - there is no right answer.

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How are knowledge questions used in TOK?

Knowledge questions are explored through key TOK concepts, which you should use to analyse your own questions in your Essay and Exhibition. These concepts include:

• Certainty
• Values
• Interpretation
• Evidence

Using a real-life example to create a more generally applicable knowledge question is a key skill of TOK.

How are knowledge questions organised?

Knowledge questions are organized into a “knowledge framework” consisting of four common elements.

Scope: It explores how each theme/area of knowledge fits within the totality of human knowledge, and also considers the nature of the problems that each theme/area of knowledge faces and tries to address.

Perspectives: This component emphasizes the significance and impact of viewpoints and surroundings. It encompasses consideration of the perspectives of the students and what shapes them, as well as the ways in which various individuals or communities perceive or approach knowledge in different fields of study. It also entails considering historical perspectives and how knowledge evolves over time.

Methods and tools: This element focuses on exploring the methods, tools and practices that we use to produce knowledge. This includes the building of conceptual frameworks, the establishing of traditions and practices, as well as the methodologies employed by formal disciplines. It also includes consideration of the cognitive and material tools that we have available to help us in the pursuit of knowledge, and of how these tools have changed as a result of technological developments.

Ethics: This element focuses on exploring ethics and the ethical considerations that have an impact on inquiry in the different themes and areas of knowledge. This includes aspects such as the relationship between facts and values, and how ethical and epistemic values are built into the quest for knowledge. It also includes questions relating to knowledge and inequality and injustice. It is crucial that TOK discussions about ethics focus on the knowledge questions that are woven into, and implied, in the ethical issues being discussed, rather than the focus being on debating the ethical issues themselves

Have a look at our comprehensive set of IB Study Notes and IB Practice Questions, developed by expert IB teachers and examiners!

Examples of how knowledge questions should be used

If you are studying the views of two different historians in a History lesson, potential knowledge questions are:

• How can we decide between the judgments of experts if they disagree with each other?
• What types of evidence are valid to produce knowledge about the past?
• What role does the interpretation of evidence play in producing knowledge?
• How significant are individuals in the creation of historical knowledge?
• What ethical responsibilities does a historian have to the public?
• How does the evidence used in history differ from evidence used in other areas of knowledge?
• Is historical knowledge most significant to knowers from that culture?
• What is the purpose of producing historical knowledge?

Experienced IB tutors recommend to look through each of the above examples yourself, and try to identify where the four key concepts come up (evidence, interpretation, values, and certainty), and where the four key organisations of knowledge questions are evident (scope, perspectives, ethics, and methods and tools).

For example, the question “How does the evidence used in history differ from evidence used in other areas of knowledge?” is obviously about evidence, it considers methods and tools used to produce knowledge, and invites some discussion about interpretation, certainty, and perspectives.

These questions could be used in a TOK essay - for instance, in the November 2022 question: “Why do we seek indisputable evidence when it is so often unattainable? Discuss with reference to two areas of knowledge.”