ToK style

Problems of Knowledge

Knowledge as organized common senseA mental map of reality, includes

True vs false Reasonable and unreasonable Right and wrong

Common Sense

Mercator Projection

Value of these maps?Hobo Dyer Projection

Done on a 1:1 scale? How do you use maps? Challenges of google

maps while driving or walking?

Paradox of cartography

Is there such a thing as a perfect map?

“There are two ways to slide easily through life: to believe everything, or to doubt everything; both save us from thinking”

Ways of knowing are routes to our certainty. Examples of 4, used recently by you (see ToK

overview)

Certainty - at least you can prove it!

Do you think it is seriously possible you could be dreaming right now?

Why even bother thinking of this?

Radical Doubt - a fun little game to play

There is not such thing as absolute truth that exists in an objective way independent of what anyone happens to believe is true.

Instead, truth is relative and may be different for all individuals and cultures

Since there are no grounds for saying one opinion is better than another, we must conclude all points of view are of equal value.

See ToK overview for reflection

Relativism - to hedge your bets

So, how do we decide what we should believe?The role of

judgementA balance of

scepticism and open minded-ness

Great marketplace of beliefs – the internet. How do we decide what to follow, or believe? (See ToK overview)

Dangers ofGullibility- so much

fun!

Examples- (ToK overview)

Scepticism-Closing your mind to

new ideas – meteorites, continental drift, airplanes, gay marriage…

‘My view is that there is such a thing as being too open minded. I am not open minded about the earth being flat, about whether Hitler is alive today, about claims by people to have squared the circle, or to have proven special relativity wrong. I am also not open minded with respect to the paranormal. And I think it is wrong to be open-minded with respect to these things, just as I think it is wrong to be open-minded about whether or not the Nazis killed six million Jews in World War II.’ Douglas Hofstadter

Comment on this quote, explain why agree/disagree

Evidence - if there is some for the argumentThe fallacy of ‘argument ad ignorantium’ lies in

not providing any. Think ‘You cannot prove there are no little green men on Mars!’

Which is an example of such?Since many people claim to see ghosts, it is likely

they exist.Many members of the Society of Paranormal

believe in ghosts.Ghosts must exist because no one has proved

that they do not.It is true for me that ghosts exist.

Reasonable knowledge it does exist…

Answer in the overview…

Then consider why we should look for evidence which counts against our beliefs. Confirmation bias.

Your horoscope?

How would you go about proving that a species has become extinct?

Not to be confused with all of common sense

Although we should be open to new ideas, the more unlikely something is relative to our current state of knowledge, the stronger the evidence should be before we take it seriously.

Sagan ’Extraordinary claims require extraordinary evidence” examples, or agree/disagree?

Coherence - does it fit?

Tobacco exec – cigarettes same as gummy bears.

1997 – Marshall Applewhite, Heaven’s Gate, Hale-Bopp comet, 39

Do you think we should respect the beliefs of a racist or sexist person? Give reasons in overview

ORFind two examples of beliefs you think are

both misguided and dangerous. In overview…

Who cares?