ToK Essays Nov 2024

There's no one agreed version of history. So how can we trust any of it?

There is a branch of knowledge, akin to pseudo-scientific knowledge like ‘flat Earth theory’, in which one can seem to have absolute certainty and full confidence, because the truth of that knowledge is somehow ‘guaranteed’ or ‘underwritten’ by a higher power. Faith-based knowledge.

In this BBC documentary film about Atheism, Jonathan Miller visits the absent Twin Towers to consider the religious implications of the 9/11 terror attacs and meets Arthur Miller and th

In science it is not only OK to be wrong, it is an unavoidable and perpetual state - depending, of course, on how you define "wrong". We lack a complete understanding of the universe, and al

So how do we untangle this potential problematic knot in our concepts?
The idea is that knowledge has both a subjective and objective element to it. That is, knowledge exists on a ‘spectrum’ – a sliding scale, if you like – of objective reason and subjective emotion; of certainty and confidence which do not always go in the same direction.

Recent speculations in physics reveal that believers and nonbelievers may have more in common than they think.

An inevitable part of the internet age, some conspiracy theories appear and then fade, but in the US particularly, creationism seems firmly embedded in religion, education and pseudoscience.

The one law of physics that virtually all scientists believe will never be found to be wrong is the second law of thermodynamics.…

There is no single 'true' version of history - pretending there is merely props up the status quo, rather than advancing our understanding

In 1739, a mysterious Roman dodecahedron was found in England. Since then, more than 100 have been found, mostly in ancient Gault, typically dating from the 2nd or 3rd century. No contemporary mention survives and their meaning and function has been lost to history. All we can do is speculate: they were toys, tools, instruments, religious objects.

Peterson’s claim that “medicine kills more people than it helps” is the latest in a long line of demonstrably false claims – yet his fans continue to hang off his every word

Now, consider a clichéd example when we seem to have the utmost certainty and confidence in knowledge and they both seem to be moving in the same direction: 2 + 2 = 4. On the one hand, this is something you cannot doubt, isn’t it? You know this with 100% certainty.. You might actually be very confident about you

As you dig into the definitions of these two key terms in these prompts – ‘confidence’ and ‘certainty’ – you’ll start to see that they appear to overlap in meaning. At times, you might even think they’re synonymous and can be used interchangeably. But take a step back. There is a relationship between the concepts but they are not the same.

Is there really a plan to end Western society by destroying traditional masculinity, or are these beliefs just old prejudices in modern dress?

Haim Eshed, former head of Israel’s Defense Ministry, claims aliens are working with the US government. I'd like to see some evidence.

Catch up on your favourite BBC radio show from your favourite DJ right here, whenever you like. Listen without limits with BBC Sounds.