Changing your mind A . Write down one thing you used to believe* and now do not

1. TaK – What is Knowledge? • Changing your mind • A.Write down one thing you used to believe* and now do not • B.Write down one thing that you believe now and think that you will believe forever • For A., ask yourself – and write down: • What made you believe it in the first place? • How did you come to change your belief? • For B., ask yourself – and write down: • What made you believe this in the first place? • Is there anything you can imagine that would change your mind? • Discuss in pairs *believe: to accept as true

2. What is Knowledge? • A definition: Knowledge - • the body of truths or facts accumulated in the course of time; • certain understanding (as opposed to opinion); TaK – What is Knowledge?

3. Different kinds of Knowledge A person with genuine knowledge of a subject does not merely have information about it, but understands how the various parts are related to one another to form a meaningful whole. An analogy: Information is to knowledge what bricks are to a building. While you cannot have a building without bricks, a building is more than just a heap of bricks TaK – What is Knowledge?

4. Different kinds of Knowledge • Different personal characteristics and experiences affect what people know. • There are different levels of knowledge: • A superficial grasp • A good understanding • A complete mastery TaK – What is Knowledge?

5. Different kinds of Knowledge • Knowing How (Skills) … • To swim • To dance • To solve maths problems • etc… • Knowing That … • It is cold • 2+2=4 • Obama is US President • etc… TaK – What is Knowledge?

6. Different kinds of Knowledge TaK – What is Knowledge? *Tacit: understood without being openly expressed *Articulated: can be clearly expressed in words

7. Different kinds of Knowledge Knowing in your IB Programme subjects TaK – What is Knowledge? (Other 5 Subject Groups?)

8. TaK – What is Knowledge? Origins of Knowledge observation etc thought ?’s ?’s family television internet ?’s “What is true?” “What can I know?” “What should I believe?” “How can I be sure?” books intuition etc ?’s teachers religion friends ?’s dreams Definitions: True - conforming to reality or fact; not false Know – to understand from experience; to apprehend clearly and with certainty ?’s feelings experience

9. TaK – What is Knowledge? • Knowledge is true belief that has been arrived at by a ‘reliable process’ (by observation, experiment, reasoning etc) . Not just ‘true for me’, but ‘true for all’ • (Validity of the justification – ‘poor, unreliable justification’ or ‘excellent, reliable justification’ leading to ‘weaker’ or ‘stronger’ forms of knowledge) • Knowledge = justified, true belief Belief-knowledge continuum -10 | Impossible -5 | Unlikely 0 | Possible +5 | Probable +10 | Certain Belief Knowledge Doubt

10. TaK – What is Knowledge? Christopher Columbus discovered America in 1492 Human beings are descended from apes Murder is wrong Aliens have visited earth at some time in its history All metals expand when heated Human beings have an immortal soul If A is bigger than B and B is bigger than C, then A is bigger than C Belief-knowledge continuum -10 | Impossible -5 | Unlikely 0 | Possible +5 | Probable +10 | Certain Belief Knowledge Doubt

11. Two approaches: Reason (Rationalism): Logic, Reasoning, Sitting and Thinking Perception (Empiricism): Experience, Observation, Going and Looking “What is true?” “What can I know?” “What should I believe?” “How can I be sure?” Definitions: True - conforming to reality or fact; not false Know – to understand from experience; to apprehend clearly and with certainty TaK – What is Knowledge?

12. TaK – What is Knowledge? Areas of Knowledge Origins of Knowledge observation etc Mathematics thought ?’s Science ?’s family Knowledge Trials television Social Science internet “What is true?” “What can I know?” “What should I believe?” “How can I be sure?” ?’s books History intuition etc ?’s teachers Arts religion friends ?’s Ethics feelings ? ?’s experience

13. TaK – What is Knowledge? Theory of Knowledge Diagram Mathematics Ways of Knowing Natural Sciences Sense Perception Ethics Reason Knower(s) Emotion Areas of Knowledge Human Sciences Language Arts History

14. TaK – What is Knowledge? Open- mindedness *Scepticism *Scepticism: the doctrine that absolute knowledge is impossible, either in a particular domain or in general.

15. TaK – What is Knowledge? Scepticism Open- mindedness Will believe almost anything…

16. TaK – What is Knowledge?

17. TaK – What is Knowledge? Open- mindedness Scepticism Will believe almost nothing…

18. TaK – What is Knowledge?

19. TaK – What is Knowledge? Good Judgement Open- mindedness Scepticism • We need to find a balance between being open to new ideas that challenge our ways of thinking, • while keeping in mind than human beings are *credulous animals who are sometimes willing to believe strange things on the basis of little evidence *credulous: willing to believe or trust too readily, especially. without proper or adequate evidence