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Reason As A Way of Knowing

The document discusses reason as a way of knowing. It includes a quote from Albert Einstein cautioning against making the intellect an absolute authority. The document then lists learning outcomes related to understanding reason as a way of knowing, including its strengths and weaknesses. It provides guidance for writing a TOK essay evaluating reason as a way of knowing, including developing notes on the topic and planning the essay structure before writing.

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2K views4 pages

Reason As A Way of Knowing

The document discusses reason as a way of knowing. It includes a quote from Albert Einstein cautioning against making the intellect an absolute authority. The document then lists learning outcomes related to understanding reason as a way of knowing, including its strengths and weaknesses. It provides guidance for writing a TOK essay evaluating reason as a way of knowing, including developing notes on the topic and planning the essay structure before writing.

Uploaded by

nepaliain
Copyright
© Attribution Non-Commercial (BY-NC)
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
Available Formats
Download as DOCX, PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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Reason as a way of knowing

“We should take care not to make the intellect our god: it has, of course, powerful
muscles, but no personality. It cannot lead: it can only serve” Albert Einstein

Learning Outcomes
Knowledge and Understanding
 Understand how we acquire new knowledge about the world using reason
 Understand why reason is attractive to us as a source of knowledge as it seems
to give us certainty
 Understand how reason relates to language, perception and emotion
 Appreciate that real life problem solving requires imagination and creativity, and
more than simple logic
 Understand the role of reason in different areas of knowledge
 Be able to evaluate reason as a way of knowing
Skills
 Make notes and reference quotes
 Use i-movie or a recorded keynote presentation
 Use Inspiration to plan an essay
 Present to and teach others

 Write a TOK essay


 Self and peer assess using the criteria for a TOK essay

(Suggested duration 8 hours research and planning + 2 hours writing plus a


homework to complete essay)

Essay Title
“Evaluate the strengths and weaknesses of reason as a way of knowing.”
(Question for TOK essay 2008.9)

Reasoning, logic and critical thinking form a knowledge force, and the interplay of
sound reasoning with the other ways of knowing is significant. Reason can fill in the
gaps that the other ways of knowing sometimes leave behind.

Discuss
How does reason fill the gaps in your other areas of study currently?
(Eg Quantum Physics, a dead artist’s intention)

Create a notes document to collate your ideas, quotes, evidence as you research
reason as a way of knowing. Keep your references as you go!
Key Terms and Strengths Problems of .. Links to other
Concepts WOK in terms
of similarities
and
differences
Rationalist approach
Induction and
Deduction
Assumption, conjecture
Analogical, creative,
logical reasoning
Logic and fuzzy logic
Axiom
Truth and validity
Fallacies
Generalisations
Inference
Vertical and lateral
thinking
Laws of thought
Critical Thinking

What do other thinkers, philosophers have to say about Reason?


Kant http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d-t8VxLPEJQ

Make a video/recorded Keynote/poster as a group that explains key ideas from


Bertrand Russell, Aristotle, Descartes, Freud and explain the key ideas and their
implications to the rest of the class. You are expert and need to be able to answer

Think about how we acquire new knowledge about the world using reason

“We cannot be sure that the laws of logic do not simply describe the ways we think
rather than the way the universe is...It is an act of faith to assert that our thoughts have
any relation to reality at all…Reason itself is a matter of faith” G.K. Chesterton

Can you understand why reason is attractive to us as a source of knowledge as it


seems to give us certainty?

Find your favourite quotes about reason or logic. Create a quote wall in your TOK
classroom. (Quotemaster is a good starting place)

Can you appreciate that real life problem solving requires imagination and creativity,
and more than simple logic?
Watch
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xEkj9ghjNMU&feature=related
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DfPeprQ7oGc
Dr Quantum Double Slit Experiment Particles vs. waves

Do you understand the role of reason in different areas of knowledge?


What kinds of bad reason can be typically found in History?
Can Mathematics be reduced to logic?

Investigate the role and add to your notes. What further questions can you think
of? Put them on the WIKI and answer someone else’s.

How does reason relate to language, perception and emotion?


Can emotion be rational?
Should we trust reason rather than perception?
Can vague language lead to bad reasoning? Is language at the very core of
reasoning?
Is religious faith rational or irrational?

Investigate the links between the WOK and make notes on your views

Resources
Project Implicit www.implicit.harvard.edu
A series of Implicit Association Tests (IATs)
“IAT measures implicit attitudes and beliefs that people are unwilling or unable to
report”

The Argument Clinic sketch Monty Python


http://www.infidels.org/library/modern/mathew/sn-python.html
Also see the “She’s a Witch” sketch on youtube

Essay “Why Smart People defend Bad Ideas”


http://www.scottberkun.com/essays/essay40.htm

Now you are able to evaluate Reason as a Way of Knowing


Writing the essay
STEP ONE: Unpack the title what is it asking, what does evaluate mean?
STEP TWO: Read the TOK essay criteria and discuss what you understand from it.
STEP THREE: What different approaches that you could take in terms of an overall
structure for this essay

One way might be to compare the strengths of reason vs weaknesses of other WOK
and to compare the weaknesses of reason vs strengths of other WOK what other ways
can you think of organizing your ideas?

TOK Criteria made easy!


Criterion A is about your understanding of the knowledge issue
State the KI in the introduction
Explore and analyse the WOKs
Compare and contrast the WOKs

Criterion B is all about your perspective as a knower


Think for yourself make it personal
Link to your experiences
Be aware of your own viewpoint and how your perspective has been shaped

Criterion C is about the quality of your analysis of the KI


Support your claims with evidence and examples
Present the counterclaims that present different views
Use multiple voices to make the claims and counter claims ie quote other people

Criterion D is about how well you organize your ideas


Plan your essay - how are you are going to develop your argument
Keep your focus on the essay title – check every paragraph and write a sentence that
keeps refocusing on the title as you develop your argument
Reference you examples, quotes, evidence
Use the terminology where appropriate

Use Inspiration to plan your essay BEFORE you start to write it

Now write 1,200 – 1,600 words on the title

“Evaluate the strengths and weaknesses of reason as a way of


knowing.”

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