Theory of Knowledge (TOK)
 
TOK plays a special role in the DP by providing an opportunity for students to reflect on the nature of knowledge, and on how we know what we claim to know. It offers students and their teachers the opportunity to reflect critically on diverse ways of knowing and on areas of knowledge and consider the role and nature of knowledge in their own culture, in the cultures of others and in the wider world. In addition, TOK prompts students to: be aware of themselves as thinkers, encouraging them to become more acquainted with the complexity of knowledge, and recognize the need to act responsibly in an increasingly interconnected but uncertain world. See how Victoria Kao (Class of 2024) expertly frames her exploration in the opening paragraph of her TOK essay:

"Subjectivity represents judgements determined from personal preferences or feelings and, when inputted into different contexts and mediums, induces different responses... Contrary to conventional thought, however, subjectivity in the arts is not overly celebrated, since entrenched artistic traditions and political contexts are often limitations in the acceptance of an artist’s subjectivity. Conversely, when approaching subjectivity in history, subjectivity receives greater scrutiny, considered less acceptable since the subject deals with interpreting past events. In this sense, subjectivity in history is unfairly condemned, with condemnation of subjectivity arguably antithetical to the inherency of subjectivity in historical study and debate... This essay will evaluate these themes, explore how subjectivity is received within these subject areas, and argue for a nuanced view on the role of subjectivity, one that can account for both the necessary requirement and inexorable debate that arises within both fields."

Read Devin Chang's (Class of 2020) riveting conclusion in his TOK essay:

「綜上所述,描述與解釋之間的界線受到不同知識領域的真實性而有所不同。歷史領域受到誤植記憶以及情感導致描述中語言使用變得主觀,並和解釋相互矛盾;藝術領域中的非感官式藝術作品,追求其藝術作品所帶出的抽象概念而非視覺上的美感,使描述與解釋之間的界線變得清晰。然而回歸到描述解釋以及主客觀之間的關係,語言仍然扮演重要的角色,當人們對於事物或事件的了解越深,懂的如何包裝語言,情感也相對被語言所包裝,那麼界線是否又再次變的真實?」