tok essay 2023 may

IB ToK Essay Titles and Topics: May 2023

Here are links to ideas and suggestions relating to the the six May 2023 IB ToK Essay topics:

• Topic 1. Is replicability necessary in the production of knowledge? Discuss with reference to two areas of knowledge.
• Topic 2. For artists and natural scientists, which is more important: what can be explained or what cannot be explained? Discuss with reference to the arts and the natural sciences.
• Topic 3. Does it matter if our acquisition of knowledge happens in "bubbles" where some information and voices are excluded? Discuss with reference to two areas of knowledge.
• Topic 4. Do you agree that it is "astonishing that so little knowledge can give us so much power" (Bertrand Russell)? Discuss with reference to the natural sciences and one other area of knowledge.
• Topic 5. Are visual representations always helpful in the communication of knowledge? Discuss with reference to the human sciences and mathematics.
• Topic 6. To what extent is the knowledge we produce determined by the methodologies we use? Discuss with reference to history and one other area of knowledge.

Title 1: Is replicability necessary in the production of knowledge? Discuss with reference to two areas of knowledge.

Thoughts to consider with essay 1 include:

• the distinction between necessary and sufficient requirements
• the relation between replicability and objectivity
• the relation between replicability and sharable perspectives

These thoughts, and others, will be developed here shortly: come back soon!

Title 2: For artists and natural scientists, which is more important: what can be explained or what cannot be explained? Discuss with reference to the arts and the natural sciences.

Thoughts to consider with essay 2 include:

• the relation between explicability and effability
• the limits of language and expressibility
• the relation between explanation, understanding and knowledge

Title 3: Does it matter if our acquisition of knowledge happens in "bubbles" where some information and voices are excluded? Discuss with reference to two areas of knowledge.

Thoughts to consider with essay 3 include:

• can there be purely subjective knowledge?
• can there be purely objective knowledge?
• what is required to share another's perspective?

Title 4: Do you agree that it is "astonishing that so little knowledge can give us so much power" (Bertrand Russell)? Discuss with reference to the natural sciences and one other area of knowledge.

Thoughts to consider with essay 4 include:

• the varieties or types of power
• is knowledge always inversely proportional to power
• could one have power without any knowledge?

Title 5: Are visual representations always helpful in the communication of knowledge? Discuss with reference to the human sciences and mathematics.

Thoughts to consider with essay 5 include:

• the relevance of truth to representation
• the distinction between practical and theoretical knowledge
• is written language a visual representation?

Title 6: To what extent is the knowledge we produce determined by the methodologies we use? Discuss with reference to history and one other area of knowledge.

Thoughts to consider with essay 6 include:

• the difference between a method and a methodology
• can any knowledge be unmethodically?
• must a methodology be consciously deployed?
• 1. Is replicability necessary in the production of knowledge? Discuss with reference to two areas of knowledge.
• 2. For artists and natural scientists, which is more important: what can be explained or what cannot be explained? Discuss with reference to the arts and the natural sciences.
• 3. Does it matter if our acquisition of knowledge happens in "bubbles" where some information and voices are excluded? Discuss with reference to two areas of knowledge.
• 4. Do you agree that it is "astonishing that so little knowledge can give us so much power" (Bertrand Russell)? Discuss with reference to the natural sciences and one other area of knowledge.
• 5. Are visual representations always helpful in the communication of knowledge? Discuss with reference to the human sciences and mathematics.
• 6. To what extent is the knowledge we produce determined by the methodologies we use? Discuss with reference to history and one other area of knowledge.
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May 2023 TOK Essay Prompts + SAMPLES and Suggestions

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• Writing Metier

Every year, students anxiously wait for the IB to announce the TOK essay topics. So this year is not an exception; IBO has also announced 2023 May titles for IB TOK essay. The TOK essay can be quite a challenging one to write for most students. Therefore it’s extremely important to select a TOK essay topic that suits you better.

UPD! November 2023 TOK essay prompts released!

Most students struggle with the idea of writing a TOK essay since it can indeed be very tough owing to its different structure. Most students plan for days on end so that they can see just the proper structure in mind, with suitable examples so that they can give their best to what they are doing.

Btw… ⏩ We can write a ToK essay for you ⏪

To be able to score well, you need to plan accordingly. The idea is to make sure to do a great job and that can only happen when you know what exactly is expected of you and how you get through that. To better understand the TOK essay and have ample considerations, here is the list of TOK essay titles for May 2023 explained by professional IB writers.

You can get a few ideas from here about how you’re supposed to work on these. With these ideas, you are sure to do a sound job with your TOK essay . Furthermore, you will find links for 2 different May 2023 TOK essay samples that were written by our IB experts. Feel free to use them for inspiration.

TOK essay titles and questions for May 2023

Below you will find an updated list of TOK essay prompts for the May 2023. We have also added some suggestions from our expert TOK essay writers for your ease. Enjoy reading 😉

Is replicability necessary in the production of knowledge? Discuss with reference to two areas of knowledge.

In this essay, it is important to focus on the world’s replicability. Next, the distinction between necessary and sufficient requirements need to be made. After that, the focus should be on how objectivity is related to replicability. You can give examples of several experiments that have been done and whether or not they have been replicated.

In line with your thought process, you can further work towards explaining that in further detail and making your point much clearer this way. Based on the examples you give, you can also talk about the different ways of knowing, which can help you explain this in a much better way, in line with the requirements of IB.

For artists and natural scientists, which is more important: what can be explained or what cannot be explained? Discuss with reference to the arts and the natural sciences.

With this title, you can see that there are two areas of knowledge already given. This means that you don’t have a free hand to choose topics yourself. You essentially have to differentiate between what can be explained and what cannot. Some things are easier to explain, whereas others aren’t. Using examples from art and natural sciences, you can offer your explanation here.

The examples you choose need to be as such that it makes it much easier for you to make that distinction. Once you do that, select your ways of knowing as well so that you can comply with the IB requirements .

Does it matter if our acquisition of knowledge happens in “bubbles” where some information and voices are excluded? Discuss with reference to two areas of knowledge.

In this essay, the main focus is on bubbles. The idea is to explore what bubbles mean in this context. We can see that “bubbles” here refers to knowledge that is subjective in all ways. The idea is to explore whether or not knowledge can be subjective in all ways or whether it can be objective as well. This is important to understand in all contexts first. Subjective and objective knowledge can be explored using different areas of knowledge.

However, the areas of knowledge should be selected based on the fact that it should be very easy to make that switch and understand how these two differ in context. Additionally, you can also shed light on what is required to share another person’s perspective on the situation. It is only once you know you can make that distinction as clear as ever.

Do you agree that it is “astonishing that so little knowledge can give us so much power” (Bertrand Russell)? Discuss with reference to the natural sciences and one other area of knowledge.

In this essay, the main focus has to be on this quote given. The idea is to see how knowledge can give us power. We have always heard how knowledge can make us powerful. Here, the idea is to see how that can happen using several different examples.

One area of knowledge is already given. The other area of knowledge is up to your choice. So based on that, you need to choose examples that will help you understand this better. You can talk about how these two areas of knowledge have allowed us to make the most of our lives, which is how we have become so powerful.

Below you will find a May 2023 TOK essay sample completed by our IB experts at WritingMetier.com

Are visual representations always helpful in the communication of knowledge? Discuss with reference to the human sciences and mathematics.

Here, the main focus needs to be on visual representation and how they represent the truth in most situations. The idea is to see what these visual representations are and how they allow for the communication of knowledge to happen in the best way possible. You also have to make the distinction between practical and theoretical knowledge here.

As you can see, two areas of knowledge are already given here: human sciences and mathematics. So you have to make use of these only and use relevant examples to explain this.

To what extent is the knowledge we produce determined by the methodologies we use? Discuss with reference to history and one other area of knowledge.

The main keyword here that you need to focus on is methodologies. You have to speak about what methodologies are and how they allow you to understand things in the best possible way. You need to use history as one area of knowledge, and you can choose the other area of knowledge yourself.

The idea is to help you understand this in the best way possible so that you can make a clear point about how the methodologies employed helped you get to this conclusion.

And again, sharing an example of an APA format IB TOK essay on title #6 that can be used as a guide. Yes, it’s also written by one of our expert IB TOK writers, and if you want, you can get assistance from these writers no matter the urgency of your task.

If you might have missed some of the previous TOK essay titles with samples or topics for previous years, below I’m sharing the links.

The year 2022:

• November 2022 TOK essay prompts
• May 2022 ToK essay titles

Previous years’ prompts:

• November 2021 ToK Essay titles
• May 2021 Theory of Knowledge essay prompts

Choose IB TOK essay topic wisely, my friend 😉

With these suggestions and explanations for each May 2023 TOK essay topic, you can write a good TOK essay!  If you are facing tough deadlines and want someone to lend you a hand – WritingMetier.com is here to help.

You can always buy a custom TOK essay that will be written under your instructions and following one of the May 2023 prompts. Not forgetting about the latest changes in the IB criteria.

We can guarantee this because we have been in the IB writing services business for 4+ years now and have already completed hundreds of different IB papers. Order your essay now and get a 5% discount.

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Vasyl Kafidoff is a co-founder and CEO at WritingMetier. He is interested in education and how modern technology makes it more accessible. He wants to bring awareness about new learning possibilities as an educational specialist. When Vasy is not working, he’s found behind a drum kit.

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TOK DISCUSSIONS

Theory of knowledge prescribed titles

May 2023 examination session

Is replicability necessary in the production of knowledge? Discuss with reference to two areas of knowledge.

For artists and natural scientists, which is more important: what can be explained or what cannot be explained? Discuss with reference to the arts and the natural sciences.

Does it matter if our acquisition of knowledge happens in “bubbles” where some information and voices are excluded? Discuss with reference to two areas of knowledge.

Do you agree that it is “astonishing that so little knowledge can give us so much power” (Bertrand Russell)? Discuss with reference to the natural sciences and one other area of knowledge.

Are visual representations always helpful in the communication of knowledge? Discuss with reference to the human sciences and mathematics.

To what extent is the knowledge we produce determined by the methodologies we use? Discuss with reference to history and one other area of knowledge.

May 2023 Title #1

Is replicability necessary in the production of knowledge?

Discuss with reference to two areas of knowledge.

“Replicability” means the quality of being able to replicate in general. And specifically, it applies to scientific experiments that need to be replicated. In simple words, a scientific experiment must be able to be done multiple times, under the same conditions, and produce the same results every single time.

As you noticed, “scientific experiment” is constantly being used. And this is a hint for you to know that if you want to choose this title for your TOK essay, you will have The Natural and Human Sciences as your AOKs. The other three remaining AOKs can be somehow chosen but without any amazing results. In the Arts, replicating an artwork makes it “fake,” “unauthentic,” and “worthless.” And if you think of the scientific process of authenticating an artwork by performing a scientific test, well, then firstly, it is science and not art anymore; secondly, that would be a one-time process, nothing to be replicated. In History, no experiments can be done, due to the nonexistence of “material;” and in Mathematics, this is out of the question.

Now that you know what your AOKs are you can think about the rest. The main keyword is “replicability,” which we already explained. However, there is another one crucial to the discussion; “necessary.” The title question asks whether replicability is “necessary” or “complementary?” Can a scientist conclude the results of an experiment after one or two times, and is the experiment being able to be replicated only an “extra mile?” Or is this a vital feature of any scientific experiment that cannot be avoided?

You know how things go in a biology lab. The results come out every time. And you are eager to want to see the same results regardless of the process and conditions. This is called “confirmation bias,” one of the biggest enemies of scientists.

You should introduce “replicability,” talk about its necessity and discuss the obstacles in the way; biases, hard-to-replicate conditions, price or scarcity of materials, and many more.

Things to avoid:

The usages of natural sciences in the process of knowledge production, or authentication in arts and history.

Over explanation of the scientific experiment rather the reason for the necessity of replicability.

Long introduction and conclusion parts.

Briefly introduce a scientific experiment and how scientists replicate it. Bring a personal example from your biology or chemistry lab experience. Find two contrasting real-life examples; one that the scientist replicated the experiment many times and produced solid scientific knowledge, and one that the scientist rushed the experiment or was biased toward their hypothesis/prediction and as a result, produced insufficient knowledge, one in human sciences and one in natural sciences (or if you have time and motivation, two for each). And compare those experiments and conclude that replicability is “necessary” (crucial) in natural sciences, and necessary but harder to achieve in human sciences.

May 2022 Title #2

Artists “explain” through expression, and natural scientists “explain” through words, charts, diagrams, etc. What the title question actually asks is not whether something can be explained or not, but the methods of explanation.

In the theme of “knowledge and language,” we learn that all ways of communication can be considered language, which is also used to explain. Artists “explain” their feelings, emotions, concepts, social issues, and many more concepts in their artworks. Song lyrics, as a form of literature, explain what artists went through during a period of their life. A painting explains beauty, horror, dignity, or poverty. Installations mostly explain the perception of space, and performance art tries to picture a social phenomenon. All these are artists’ attempts to “explain” something that cannot (easily) be explained through words, charts, numbers, or in any other “scientific” way. Therefore, artists choose to “express” rather than “explain.”

On the other than, scientists who are not dealing with creativity, choose more direct and evidential ways of communication. They try to bring facts and put them in numeral, statistical, and visual representations to “explain” a phenomenon.

And sometimes, a concept cannot be explained in any way, like love, faith, and emotional pain. This is artists’ call for action in knowledge production. In your personal life, many times you tried to explain a situation by hand gesture instead of talking. In team sports and army missions, the team leader explains the tactics or situation by gestures, as they cannot communicate with words.

Another big difference between artists’ and scientists’ ways of communication is in the consumption of knowledge. Artworks are usually open to interpretation. The audience understands the art in different ways based on how they interpret the “explanation” of the artist. Contrary to that, the results of scientists’ works, which are scientific publications, are rarely open to interpretations, at least not by ordinary people.

Discussing the arts and the natural sciences instead of artists and scientists. (Do not discuss the areas of knowledge. Discuss the expert knowers in these AOKs, who are artists and scientists.)

Over explanation of the story behind an artwork or a scientific process. (Focus your discussion on how the artist or the scientist “explained” in expressive or evidential ways.)

Introduce the “explained” and “unexplainable.” Bring a personal example from your life when you expressed with (or without) words, and compare it with the time you wrote a long explanation for a physics question. Find one real-life example from the arts, where the artistic expression was their way of explaining. And then find a real-life example in science, where the scientist extensively explains a phenomenon or a solution to a problem. If you have time and enthusiasm, you can bring two RLEs for each area of knowledge. In the end, conclude, by comparing your RLEs, that artists tend to find the “unexplained” more important, and for scientists, “explainables” are more important.

May 2023 Title #3

The answer is, “of course, it does.” However, this is not enough for a TOK essay.

In the core theme of “knowledge and the knower,” we learn about filter bubbles as one of the drawbacks of the Internet. But, what are filter “bubbles?”

Nowadays, the majority of people acquire knowledge (or better say information) from social media and internet websites. Social media distribute knowledge based on their algorithms to their subscribers. However, this distribution is only based on what the subscriber “likes” or what they might like. Imagine offering a range of snacks to a group of kids. Each kid chooses one; candy, snack bar, dried fruits, gummy bears, or chips. You continue giving each kid only the type of candy that they initially chose. In this way, they stay unaware of other snacks, and each kid continues to “believe” that his/her type of snack exists. Kids live in their own “snack bubble.”

The same thing happens when social media algorithms filter the information (knowledge) that we consume and keep us unaware of other things that happen in the world. You should also know that these “bubbles” are not a new phenomenon. For millennia rulers, governments, and people themselves kept individuals in information/knowledge bubbles for a variety of purposes.

Within the area of knowledge of history, the knower remains unaware of events and perspectives outside their “bubble.” They may even develop a misunderstanding about the scope of their history and culture, concluding that their culture is the most important or dominant one.

In The Human Sciences, the same bubble is formed around the knowledge of economics, anthropology, and human behavior.

In The Natural Sciences, filter bubbles make the person believe that the entire world suffers or deals with a pandemic the same way as their country (or their bubble).

Within The Arts, a knower inside a bubble shares the same values for artistic beauty without knowing that there are varieties of other values among other nations or groups.

And in Mathematics, you may think that all the advancements in this area of knowledge were the results of “your” mathematicians.

Gender equality, gender identity, religion, and diversity are the most common and controversial issues these days. Filter bubbles force an individual to believe that “everyone” on earth shares the same values and perspectives on a topic as theirs, and whoever thinks otherwise is “wrong” and should be “corrected” or “silenced.”

Confirmation bias is the basis for designing these bubbles. When “acquisition of knowledge happens in “bubbles” where some information and voices” (perspectives) “are excluded,” the knower acquires “selective knowledge” that feeds their confirmation bias and continue to search for more information that they find appropriate.

This way of knowledge acquisition creates self-serving bias. The knower only accepts the knowledge in their favor and rejects any opposing view, as they feel entitled to their points of view.

Attribution bias is another byproduct of “bubbles.” Assumptions, judgments, and labeling are the results of such bias that make the person attributes a presumed characteristic to a member of a group based on their mere association with that group.

You can also study more about conformity bias, gender bias, and response bias (social-desirability bias) to have a better understating of the effects of bubbles on research in different areas of knowledge.

Focusing on knowledge production. (You may find several examples of bubbles and biases in research studies. However, these examples can be discussed under the production of knowledge and not knowledge acquisition.)

Over explanation of a bubble instead of how the bubble affects our acquisition of knowledge.

Taking a side in your discussion pro or against a point of view. (Your language for your arguments should be as neutral as possible and shows your awareness of different points of view.)

Introduce and explain bubbles and how they form during our acquisition of knowledge (mostly by social media). Continue to briefly explain how bubbles affect our knowledge acquisition and perspectives. Choose a discipline from human sciences, and natural sciences or arts. History and mathematics can also be chosen as AOKs; however, developing arguments in these areas of knowledge needs vast knowledge and interest to masterfully discuss your real-life examples. Find one RLE for each AOK (or two for each if you have time and interest) and discuss “how” bubbles affected the way the knowers acquired knowledge. Conclude your essay by comparing real-life examples and conclude that while “it matters” if we acquire knowledge inside bubbles, the effects and consequences are different (less or more severe) in different areas of knowledge.

May 2023 Title #4

“We know very little, and yet it is astonishing that we know so much, and still more astonishing that so little knowledge can give us so much power,” is the complete quote.

Bertrand Russel was astonished by the contradictory nature of human knowledge and the disproportionate power that our little knowledge brings us. The title question, however, is focused on astonishment. Therefore, I must warn you from the beginning not to think about assessing the “correctness” of Russell’s perspective on knowledge. You may have different points of view on knowledge, power, and their relationship. But, I suggest you keep them to yourself.

It might be a stupid question to ask from a generation that was born into technology, which is one of the main symbols of the power of knowledge. Is it astonishing to you? Can anything astonish you? What do you find astonishing when it comes to human achievements? This is the question that guides you write your TOK essay.

The Natural Sciences is already chosen as one of the AOKs, and the reason is obvious; no other area of knowledge demonstrates the power of human knowledge like this one. It also makes your job easier. Based on the assumption you are astonished by human sciences (and all its glory), you can find another area of knowledge that is less, or more, astonishing and compare it with the first one.

Writing a TOK essay on this prescribed title is less challenging but personal. Because different people are amazed by different things and to different degrees. And as you will explore whether this disproportionate power comes from little knowledge, and the fact that we know a lot, yet still very little astonishes you or not, you have the right only to talk on your behalf; not any group or the entire human race. Therefore, it is a personal matter.

Some may suggest describing the power of knowledge and different “good” and “bad” applications of such power. It is highly recommended that you stick to the fact that knowledge gives us power and only focus on the level of fascination with such power.

Analyzing the quote. (Just accept the quote as true and discuss whether you can relate to it.)

Discussing in general, on behalf of your generation, or the human race.

Discussing Bertrand Russell’s background or his philosophy. (Stick to the point.)

Over explanation of technical details of a real-life example.

Start by directly talking about your relation to the quote. Choose your approach in choosing the second AOK; more or less astonishing. Find one real-life example for each AOK (or two for each if you have time and interest) that you really find interesting and mesmerizes you about how humanity could achieve such power (advancements). Conclude, based on your preference, whether you find these advancements astonishing. If so, which area of knowledge has been more successful? And if you find all the power that knowledge gives you “normal,” then explain the reason.

May 2023 Title #5

Are visual representations always helpful in the communication of knowledge?

Discuss with reference to the human sciences and mathematics.

When you see the adverb “always” in a title question, you should know that’s the first keyword. And the closest explanatory word is most probably the second one.

You must focus your discussions on whether something is always helpful or not. Therefore, discussing that “something” takes you off the path and you won’t receive a high mark.

What are “visual representations?” In the human sciences and mathematics, as the title demands, visual representations are images, charts, diagrams, graphs, shapes, lines, etc. These representations complement the knowledge that is being communicated. Are they “always” helpful in the communication of knowledge? This is the questions you should explore.

You can find real-life examples that support the (always) usefulness of visual representations in these two areas of knowledge. Or contrasting RLEs that show they are “sometimes” (or most of the time) useful. You do not want to bring all evidence against the usefulness of visual representations in the communication of knowledge because that is not true.

Using these representations has different degrees of importance in different disciplines of human sciences (whichever you are interested in). In psychology, usually, brain illustrations are used to help the audience understand how the brain functions. In social sciences, charts and graphs are commonly used as visual representations for the results of statistics and surveys alongside diagrams.

In economics, visual representation is a crucial element in the communication of knowledge. You can find many more examples in other disciplines of human sciences. In mathematics, most of the time, mathematicians only communicate knowledge through numbers, especially in pure mathematics. However, in applied mathematics images and diagrams are often used. Remember, some branches of applied mathematics are cross-disciplinary and enter the realm of human sciences, like mathematical finance, probability, risk, and statistics.

Discussing visual representations in other areas of knowledge; history, the arts, and the natural sciences. (Focus your discussion only on the human sciences and mathematics.)

Over explaining the method of communication of knowledge instead of its usefulness.

Introduce your discussion by explaining/defining visual representation, focused on the demanded areas of knowledge. Find one RLE for each AOK (and two if you have time and interest for each) and explore the helpfulness of visual representations in the communication of knowledge. It is better for one of your RLEs to “prove” the helpfulness of these representations and the other to show that they are a necessity. If you intend to find four real-life examples (two for each AOK), you can use a combination of examples with or without visual representations to guide your discussion toward one area of knowledge. Conclude based on your chosen real-life examples, that visual representations are “always” helpful in one AOK and not “always” necessary in the other. Or it is “always” helpful in both areas of knowledge. This is your essay, after all, and you can decide on the degree of the helpfulness of these representations in the communication of knowledge in the AOKs of the human sciences and mathematics.

May 2023 Title #6

To what extent is the knowledge we produce determined by the methodologies we use?

Discuss with reference to history and one other area of knowledge.

Many would immediately jump into the comparison between “methodology” and “method.” Don’t do that!

One of the four elements of the TOK knowledge framework is “methods and tools.” The IB guide describes this element, “This element focuses on exploring the methods, tools and practices that we use to produce knowledge… as well as the methodologies employed by formal disciplines.” As you can see, methods and methodologies are covered by this element of the knowledge framework. It means that although there are differences between the method and the methodology that you should be aware of, and you must explore the methodologies of your real-life examples, not the methods, there is no need to explain the differences in your essay.

One of the areas of knowledge is already determined; history. A historian may interview a source as a “method” of gathering evidence. Whether the historian should interview or not is a “methodology.” Basically, in any area of knowledge, there are many methods and tools for research. Should the expert use these methods or not, or which combination of methods is better, is the methodology the expert uses to produce knowledge. Again, you do not need to explain this difference. You should only know the difference not to make a mistake and to focus your discussion on exploring the methodology used in any real-life example.

For this prescribed title, you can choose any of the other four AOKs alongside history. This is an advantage that students can choose (at least one AOK) based on their interests. Therefore, choose the area of knowledge you know well and have mastered discussing.

You intend to write your TOK essay. Which prescribed title should you choose? You can ask your TOK teacher to assign a title to you. You can brainstorm with your classmate to choose the easiest title. You can read the explanations and suggestions on the TOK website and forums. You can analyze each title yourself. Or you can choose a title randomly. These are different methods. Which methods you choose is your methodology. This is an oversimplified example for you to understand the difference between a method and methodology.

In the human sciences, surveys, interviews, analyzing past papers, observations (and many more) are research methods. Applied research, problem-oriented research, problem-solving research, qualitative research, etc., are the methodologies human scientists use. Each of these methodologies includes a combination of methods to reach the best results.

In the natural sciences, the scientific method is “the methodology;” however, scientists devise their methodologies mostly in the experiment stage of the scientific method. A scientist chooses how to perform an experiment. For example, in biology, experimental biology is opposed to theoretical biology; manipulate and observe the experiment or use mathematical modeling. There are several other methodologies that scientists use in natural sciences that you learn in your subject courses, or you can find out about them with some research.

In the arts, examining the techniques and tools that the artist use in comparison with the movement that they follow is an example of choosing different methodologies in knowledge production in arts.

In mathematics, mathematicians may choose different approaches to solve a problem; verbally, graphically, by example, etc.

Defining and comparing methods and methodologies.

Over explaining the methodology used in knowledge production. (Mention the methodology and explore “how” the usage of that methodology helped the expert produce knowledge.)

Focusing on the methods and tools, instead of the methodology.

Exploring cross-discipline studies between two (or more) areas of knowledge.

Introduce your approach to writing your TOK essay and bring a personal example (of your methodology) in studying chemistry, biology, history, etc. Choose the second AOK. Find one RLE for each AOK (and two for each if you have time and interest). Mention the methodology that the expert used in producing knowledge in that example. Explore and explain how they reached the results based on their chosen methodology. Analyze the pros and cons of using that methodology. (If possible) Anticipate what would have happened if they had chosen a different methodology. Conclude your essay by comparing different methodologies in your examples, and express “to what extent” methodologies affect the knowledge that is produced. In some areas of knowledge, methodologies do not make a big difference in the produced knowledge, and in some AOKs different methodologies result in different (or contrasting) results.

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TOK Essay Titles May 2023

Tok essay titles may 2023: what they mean and essay examples.

TOK and TOK Essay a Definitive Guide Series: Part 5

TOK and TOK Essay: a Definitive Guide Series Part 5

Welcome to our Theory of Knowledge (TOK) and TOK Essay a Definitive Guide Series! In this series of articles, you will learn everything there is to know about the IB TOK course, TOK exhibition, and writing a compelling TOK essay. So let’s get started!

In May 2023, International Baccalaureate (IB) Diploma Programme students were presented with a new set of Theory of Knowledge (TOK) Essay titles. These essay titles serve as the foundation for students to explore and analyze knowledge claims, and critically reflect on the nature of knowledge itself. The TOK Essay is an essential component of the IB Diploma Programme, requiring students to demonstrate their understanding of the ways of knowing and areas of knowledge, while engaging in philosophical and critical thinking. The May 2023 TOK Essay titles encompass a wide range of thought-provoking questions that challenge students to investigate various aspects of knowledge, truth, ethics, and the role of perception in shaping our understanding of the world. Let’s look into each May 2023 TOK Essay Title, explore what they mean and what to include in your essay.

May 2023 TOK Essay Titles

Is replicability necessary in the production of knowledge discuss with reference to two areas of knowledge., for artists and natural scientists, which is more important: what can be explained or what cannot be explained discuss with reference to the arts and the natural sciences..

• Does it matter if our acquisition of knowledge happens in “bubbles” where some information and voices are excluded? Discuss with reference to two areas of knowledge.
• Do you agree that it is “astonishing that so little knowledge can give us so much power” (Bertrand Russell)? Discuss with reference to the natural sciences and one other area of knowledge.

Are visual representations always helpful in the communication of knowledge? Discuss with reference to the human sciences and mathematics.

To what extent is the knowledge we produce determined by the methodologies we use discuss with reference to history and one other area of knowledge., understanding the title.

Title 1 of the May 2023 TOK essay prompts explores the concept of “replicability” and its role in assessing the quality of knowledge. It delves into the idea of reproducing knowledge in the same context consistently and questions whether replicability guarantees the validity of knowledge.

The essay examines the field of natural sciences and how replicating experiments often leads to credible results, instilling confidence in the reliability of knowledge. However, it also calls for an evaluation of whether reproducing knowledge in the same manner is essential for knowledge production.

Moreover, the essay considers whether replicability holds the same significance in other areas of knowledge. It explores how replicability can be distinguished from plagiarism, particularly in creative domains such as the arts. It ponders the possibility of replicating an artwork to produce identical pieces and how this affects the knowledge each replicated artwork generates.

Overall, the essay explores the role of replicability in different domains of knowledge and analyzes its implications for the quality and authenticity of knowledge.

Examples of the May 2023 TOK Title 1 Essay

Replicability, or the ability to reproduce results or findings through independent experiments or observations, plays a crucial role in the production of knowledge. It ensures that knowledge is reliable, verifiable, and can withstand scrutiny. In this response, I will discuss the significance of replicability in two areas of knowledge: scientific research and history.

Scientific Research:

In the field of scientific research, replicability is considered fundamental. It is essential for validating scientific claims and theories. When an experiment or study can be replicated by other researchers, it increases confidence in the reliability and accuracy of the findings. Replicability allows for the detection of errors, biases, or anomalies, as well as the potential identification of confounding variables or alternative explanations.

For example, in the field of medicine, drug trials undergo rigorous testing and replication to ensure that the results are consistent across different populations, settings, and timeframes. This replication process helps to establish the effectiveness and safety of a new treatment or drug. Replicability also enables the scientific community to build upon existing knowledge, refine theories, and make advancements in various disciplines.

While history is not a science in the strict sense, replicability still holds significance in historical research. In history, replicability manifests as the ability to verify and cross-reference information from multiple sources. Multiple accounts, primary sources, artifacts, and historical records are examined to corroborate events and narratives. Replicability allows historians to confirm the accuracy and authenticity of historical claims and interpretations.

For instance, when studying a specific historical event like World War II, historians rely on various sources such as diaries, letters, photographs, official documents, and testimonies. By cross-referencing these sources and replicating findings, historians can establish a more comprehensive and reliable understanding of the past. Replicability in historical research helps to mitigate biases, misinformation, and revisionism, ensuring a more accurate representation of historical events.

In both scientific research and historical analysis, replicability serves as a safeguard against biases, errors, and misinterpretations. It enhances the credibility and robustness of knowledge production by subjecting claims and findings to independent scrutiny. Replicability fosters a culture of transparency, accountability, and collaboration within these areas of knowledge, ultimately contributing to the advancement of our understanding of the world.

Title 2 of the May 2023 TOK essay prompts presents a unique twist in its wording. Instead of asking for an explanation of which  ideas can or cannot be explained, the essay calls for an evaluation of perspectives on the importance of two types of ideas: those that can be explained and those that cannot.

The essay examines the field of natural sciences, where there is vast potential for research. While natural science may not be able to prove all facts, it can theoretically describe them, highlighting the significance of ideas that can be explained within this domain.

On the other hand, in the realm of the arts, there are contextual artworks, such as historical art, that seek explanations based on evolving traditions. This implies that ideas which cannot be easily explained also hold importance in this creative field.

The essay task focuses on evaluating differing viewpoints regarding the relative importance of ideas that can be explained versus those that cannot be. It encourages an exploration of the value and  significance of both types of ideas across different areas of knowledge.

In summary, the essay prompts the evaluation of perspectives on the importance of ideas that can be explained versus those that cannot, drawing examples from the natural sciences and the arts to illustrate the differing contexts in which these ideas hold relevance.

Examples of the May 2023 TOK Title 2 Essay

For artists and natural scientists, the importance of what can be explained versus what cannot be explained can vary based on the specific nature of their disciplines. Let’s examine this distinction in the context of the arts and the natural sciences.

In the realm of the arts, the exploration of what cannot be easily explained often takes precedence. Artists often delve into the subjective, emotional, and abstract aspects of human experience that elude simple explanations. They aim to evoke emotions, provoke thought, and engage the audience on a deeper level.

Artistic creations, such as paintings, sculptures, music, dance, and literature, often seek to express complex ideas, emotions, or perspectives that go beyond the limitations of language or rational comprehension. Artists often tap into their intuition, imagination, and creativity to communicate the ineffable aspects of the human condition. In this context, what cannot be easily explained holds great significance as it allows for the exploration of the mysterious, the ambiguous, and the sublime.

For example, abstract art, poetry, or avant-garde performances often embrace ambiguity and open interpretation. They encourage viewers or audiences to engage with the artwork personally and subjectively, allowing for a range of individual responses and meanings. The elusive and unexplained aspects of art contribute to its richness, diversity, and ability to provoke introspection and emotional resonance.

The Natural Sciences:

In contrast, the natural sciences primarily focus on understanding and explaining the natural world through empirical observations, data analysis, and the formulation of testable theories. In the natural sciences, the emphasis is on what can be explained based on evidence and logical reasoning. Scientists seek to uncover underlying patterns, mechanisms, and causal relationships through systematic investigation and experimentation.

While there are still many phenomena in the natural sciences that are not yet fully explained, the goal is to continually expand our knowledge and provide explanations based on observable evidence. Scientists strive for replicability and the ability to predict and control phenomena through established theories and models. They work towards uncovering the underlying laws and principles that govern the physical, biological, and chemical processes in the natural world.

For instance, in physics, the pursuit of understanding the fundamental laws of the universe and explaining natural phenomena, such as gravity, electromagnetism, and quantum mechanics, relies on developing comprehensive theories that provide explanatory frameworks . The focus is on identifying patterns, making accurate predictions, and providing explanatory power to phenomena.

In summary, for artists, what cannot be explained often takes precedence, allowing for exploration of subjective experiences, emotions, and abstract concepts. In contrast, for natural scientists, explaining phenomena based on empirical evidence and logical reasoning is of primary importance. Both perspectives contribute to our understanding of the world, but their priorities and approaches differ in terms of what they consider significant and valuable.

Does it matter if our acquisition of knowledge happens in “ bubbles ” where some information and voices are excluded? Discuss with reference to two areas of knowledge.

Title 3 of the May 2023 TOK essay prompts presents a fascinating concept of “knowledge bubbles,” referring to isolated environments where certain knowledge ideas persist without much variation or exploration.

In the realm of human sciences, the essay raises the question of whether these knowledge bubbles hinder our ability to take responsibility for exploring new knowledge. It explores how these bubbles can create limitations in our understanding of the world and hinder our progress in generating new ideas.

On one hand, in the natural sciences, knowledge tends to solidify over time, gaining certainty through long-held beliefs and established theories. However, this prompts questions about the importance of acquiring knowledge solely from within a known knowledge zone, where ideas align with the prevailing beliefs of that particular community.

Overall, the essay allows for a wide range of opinions and encourages exploration of the impact of knowledge bubbles on our pursuit of new knowledge. It challenges us to consider whether relying solely on established beliefs limits our ability to engage in critical thinking and explore alternative perspectives.

Examples of the May 2023 TOK Title 3 Essay

The matter of acquiring knowledge within “bubbles,” where certain information and voices are excluded, is a topic of great importance. It raises concerns about the potential limitations, biases, and distortions that can arise when our knowledge is confined to narrow perspectives or echo chambers. Let’s discuss this issue with reference to two areas of knowledge: social sciences and journalism.

Social Sciences:

In the field of social sciences, it is crucial to consider multiple perspectives and voices to gain a comprehensive understanding of human behavior, societies, and cultures. Excluding certain information or voices can result in a skewed and incomplete understanding of complex social phenomena.

For instance, in studying the effects of socioeconomic factors on educational attainment, it is essential to consider diverse perspectives from various socioeconomic backgrounds. Excluding certain voices can lead to an incomplete understanding of the challenges and barriers faced by different communities, potentially perpetuating social inequalities.

Furthermore, social sciences often rely on interdisciplinary approaches and collaborations, drawing insights from sociology, psychology, anthropology, economics, and more. By embracing diverse perspectives and voices, researchers can integrate multiple lenses and address complex issues more effectively.

Journalism:

In journalism, the exclusion of voices and information within “bubbles” poses significant challenges to the integrity and accuracy of news reporting. Journalists play a crucial role in informing the public and holding power to account. When information and voices are excluded, it can lead to biased reporting, misinformation, and a lack of critical analysis.

Diverse voices and perspectives are essential in journalism to provide a comprehensive and accurate portrayal of events and issues. Excluding certain voices can lead to narratives that are one-sided, lacking context, or distorted. It is important for journalists to actively seek out and include diverse sources to provide a more nuanced understanding of the world.

Moreover, journalism serves as a crucial tool for democracy, fostering informed citizenry and facilitating public discourse. When information and voices are excluded, it can hinder the ability of individuals to make informed decisions, contribute to public debates, and hold power accountable.

In summary, the exclusion of information and voices within “bubbles” can have detrimental effects on knowledge acquisition in various areas. In the social sciences, it can lead to incomplete understandings of complex social phenomena and perpetuate inequalities. In journalism, it can result in biased reporting, misinformation, and hinder public discourse. Embracing diverse perspectives and actively seeking out a range of voices is essential to promote a more comprehensive, accurate, and inclusive acquisition of knowledge.

Do you agree that it is “ astonishing that so little knowledge can give us so much power ” (Bertrand Russell)? Discuss with reference to the natural sciences and one other area of knowledge.

Title 4 of the May 2023 TOK essay prompts introduces a humorous aspect, reminiscent of the saying “little knowledge may be dangerous.” The question raises whether one is surprised by the observation that possessing limited knowledge can give individuals a sense of power or authority over that knowledge. It highlights the common phenomenon of individuals with little knowledge becoming trapped in an illusory web, overestimating their own understanding.

In the natural sciences, there can be instances where individuals overestimate their capabilities in asserting knowledge claims. This overconfidence can lead to erroneous conclusions or an inflated sense of expertise.

Similarly, in the human sciences, it is not uncommon for people to become overwhelmed and overrate their own abilities. They may possess a limited understanding of complex concepts and mistakenly believe they have a higher level of expertise than they actually do.

Overall, the essay prompts an examination of the tendency for individuals with limited knowledge to overestimate their command of that knowledge. It explores this phenomenon in both the natural and human sciences, emphasizing the potential dangers and pitfalls of overconfidence in one’s own understanding.

Examples of the May 2023 TOK Title 4 Essay

The statement by Bertrand Russell, “It is astonishing that so little knowledge can give us so much power,” highlights the transformative impact that even a limited understanding can have in certain areas of  knowledge. Let’s explore this idea in the context of the natural sciences and technology.

Natural Sciences:

In the natural sciences, even a relatively small amount of knowledge can yield significant advancements and empower us to manipulate the natural world. Throughout history, breakthroughs in scientific understanding have led to remarkable technological innovations and applications.

For example, consider the field of physics. Newton’s laws of motion and universal gravitation, formulated with a relatively limited understanding of the natural world at the time, revolutionized our understanding of mechanics. These principles provided the foundation for the development of numerous technologies, including the construction of bridges, the design of vehicles, and the exploration of space. From the limited knowledge of the laws of motion, we gained the power to build complex structures, travel vast distances, and even send spacecraft beyond our planet.

Similarly, in the field of genetics, the discovery of the structure of DNA by Watson and Crick with their limited knowledge at the time unlocked an unprecedented understanding of the genetic code. This knowledge paved the way for advancements in genetic engineering, gene editing technologies like CRISPR, and the decoding of the human genome. From a limited understanding of the structure of DNA, we gained immense power to manipulate and modify genetic information,  potentially revolutionizing fields such as medicine, agriculture, and biotechnology.

Technology:

In the realm of technology, it is astonishing how even a small amount of knowledge can empower us to create innovative tools and systems that have a profound impact on our lives. Advancements in computer science and information technology provide a compelling example.

With a relatively limited understanding of programming languages and computer architecture, we have harnessed the power of computers to transform various aspects of our lives. From simple algorithms and binary logic, we have developed complex software systems, artificial intelligence, and communication networks that enable instant global connectivity. The knowledge required to build these systems may be relatively small compared to the vastness of the universe, but it has given us the power to automate tasks, access vast amounts of information, and revolutionize fields such as healthcare, finance, and entertainment.

However, it is important to note that with great power also comes great responsibility. The potential consequences of wielding such power require ethical considerations and responsible use to ensure that the benefits of knowledge are harnessed for the betterment of society.

In conclusion, the quote by Bertrand Russell captures the idea that even a modest amount of knowledge can yield significant power in certain areas of knowledge, such as the natural sciences and technology. From these limited understandings, we have gained the ability to transform the world around us, develop groundbreaking technologies, and shape the course of human civilization.

Title 5 of the May 2023 TOK essay prompts is likely to be intriguing for visual learners as they may feel a strong personal connection to it. The key word in the title is “always,” which implies that knowledge is consistently produced and received in a unidirectional manner. However, communication itself is a bidirectional concept.

The essay offers an opportunity to delve into areas where statistical data serves a different purpose in its production compared to its interpretation. It raises questions about the reliability of such data, particularly in predictive analysis. The focus is on understanding the distinction between the production of statistical data and the subsequent interpretation of that data, highlighting potential discrepancies and challenges.

Visual learners may particularly resonate with this topic as they can explore the visual representation of data and how it influences the communication and interpretation of knowledge. It encourages an examination of the complexities involved in the production, communication, and interpretation of statistical data.

In summary, the essay title emphasizes the unidirectional nature of knowledge production and reception, while highlighting the bidirectional nature of communication. It prompts an investigation into the different purposes of producing and interpreting statistical data, raising questions about reliability and the role of visual representation in knowledge communication.

Examples of the May 2023 TOK Title 5 Essay

Visual representations can be highly effective in the communication of knowledge in various fields, including the human sciences and mathematics. However, their usefulness may vary depending on the context and the specific nature of the knowledge being conveyed. Let’s explore this topic in relation to the human sciences and mathematics.

Human Sciences:

In the human sciences, which encompass disciplines such as psychology, sociology, anthropology, and linguistics, visual representations can play a valuable role in enhancing understanding and communication.

Visual representations, such as charts, graphs, diagrams, and maps, can help convey complex data, patterns, and relationships in a concise and accessible manner. For instance, in sociology, a graph or chart can visually represent statistical data on social trends or demographic patterns, making it easier to analyze and interpret the information.

Furthermore, visual representations can be particularly helpful in presenting qualitative data. In anthropology, for example, photographs, videos, or illustrations can provide visual documentation of cultural practices, artifacts, or archaeological sites, aiding in the understanding of cultural diversity and historical contexts.

However, it is important to note that visual representations in the human sciences should be used thoughtfully and critically. They should be accompanied by appropriate contextual information and explanations to ensure accurate interpretation. Visuals can simplify complex phenomena, but they may also oversimplify or distort information if not properly contextualized.

Mathematics:

Visual representations are widely used and highly beneficial in the field of mathematics. They often serve as powerful tools for conceptual understanding, problem-solving, and communication of mathematical ideas.

Diagrams, graphs, and geometric figures are frequently employed to illustrate mathematical concepts, relationships, and proofs. Visual representations in mathematics can help students and researchers visualize abstract ideas, observe patterns, and make connections between different mathematical principles.

For example, in geometry, visualizing geometric shapes and their transformations through diagrams can aid in understanding properties, congruence, and symmetry. Graphs and charts are extensively used in representing numerical data, functions, and mathematical models, enabling a visual understanding of trends, variations, and mathematical relationships.

However, it is worth noting that while visual representations are valuable in mathematics, they are not a substitute for rigorous mathematical reasoning and proof. Visuals can provide intuitive insights and aid in conceptual understanding, but formal mathematical proofs often require precise logical arguments and symbolic representations.

In summary, visual representations can be highly beneficial in the communication of knowledge in both the human sciences and mathematics. They can help simplify complex information, convey patterns and relationships, and enhance understanding. However, it is important to use visuals critically and in conjunction with appropriate context, explanations, and rigorous reasoning to ensure accurate interpretation and avoid oversimplification or distortion of knowledge.

Title 6 of the May 2023 TOK essay prompts brings to mind the methods and tools used within the TOK knowledge framework. The essay focuses on the extent to which observations collected and evaluated through methodologies impact the nature of newly produced knowledge.

The central question revolves around the influence of different methodologies on the production of new knowledge. It explores whether the appropriateness of research methodologies affects the accuracy and reliability of the knowledge that is generated. This invites reflection on the role of methodologies in shaping the outcomes of knowledge production.

In the context of history, the essay acknowledges the presence of evidence from primary resources, which plays a crucial role in interpreting the past. This highlights how different research methodologies can lead to varying interpretations and understandings of historical events and phenomena.

Similarly, the essay recognizes the significance of empiricism in the natural sciences. It prompts an investigation into the nature of knowledge produced in this field through the use of empirical methods, emphasizing the importance of observation and experimentation.

Overall, the essay encourages an exploration of the impact of methodologies on the nature and accuracy of knowledge production. It calls for a critical examination of how different research methods shape our understanding of historical events and scientific phenomena.

Examples of the May 2023 TOK Title 6 Essay

The methodologies we employ in the production of knowledge significantly influence the nature, scope, and reliability of the knowledge we generate. Different methodologies shape the way information is gathered, analyzed, and interpreted, ultimately shaping the conclusions and insights we arrive at. Let’s examine the extent to which methodologies influence knowledge production in the context of history and natural sciences.

In the field of history, methodologies play a crucial role in shaping the knowledge we produce. Historians rely on various methodologies to examine and interpret past events, individuals, and societies. The choice of methodology can significantly impact the narrative and understanding of historical phenomena.

For instance, the use of archival research and primary sources is a fundamental methodology in history. By analyzing letters, diaries, official documents, and other firsthand accounts, historians gain insights into the perspectives, motivations, and actions of historical actors. The selection and interpretation of these primary sources can shape the historical narrative and influence the conclusions drawn.

Another example is the impact of historiographical methodologies. Different historiographical approaches, such as social history, cultural history, or Marxist historiography, emphasize different aspects of historical analysis and interpretation. These methodologies influence the questions asked, the sources examined, and the theories employed, thereby shaping the knowledge produced.

The methodology of historical research also includes critical analysis, source criticism, and triangulation of evidence. These methodologies help historians evaluate the reliability and biases of sources, ensuring a more rigorous and accurate understanding of the past.

In the natural sciences, methodologies strongly influence the knowledge we produce by providing frameworks for experimentation, observation, and analysis. Scientific methodologies aim to ensure objectivity, reproducibility, and reliability in the acquisition of knowledge.

For example, the scientific method, a foundational methodology in the natural sciences, involves making observations, formulating hypotheses, conducting experiments, and analyzing data. This systematic approach helps scientists test and refine theories, establish causal relationships, and draw reliable conclusions. The scientific method provides a framework that promotes transparency, accountability, and the accumulation of knowledge through peer review and replication.

Furthermore, specific methodologies within different scientific disciplines shape the nature of knowledge produced. For instance, in molecular biology, methodologies such as DNA sequencing, protein crystallography, and microscopy enable scientists to study and understand the structure and function of biological molecules. These methodologies generate detailed and precise knowledge about the molecular mechanisms of life.

It is important to note that while methodologies in the natural sciences provide a systematic approach to knowledge production, they are not entirely deterministic. Scientific creativity, intuition, and the ability to ask insightful questions also influence the direction and breakthroughs in scientific knowledge.

In summary, methodologies significantly shape the knowledge produced in both history and the natural sciences. They guide the gathering, analysis, and interpretation of evidence, influencing the narratives, theories, and conclusions drawn. Understanding and critically evaluating the methodologies employed is essential for a robust and comprehensive understanding of the knowledge generated in these areas.

Please Note

It is improtant to note that the above provided essay examples are only meant to give an idea of what to include in your essay and not to show you how to write a good TOK essay. These texts are rather superficial without personal life examples, opinions or personal reflections. That is why, if you are looking for examples of a 7/7 TOK essay, check out other sources or our comprehensive guide to writing a successful TOK Essay .

Engaging in the TOK Essay not only allows students to demonstrate their academic prowess but also empowers them to become active seekers of knowledge. By delving into the essay titles and engaging with TOK concepts, students can cultivate a deeper awareness of the biases, assumptions, and limitations that influence our understanding of the world. They can challenge preconceived notions, explore the ethical implications of knowledge claims, and unravel the complexities of truth and certainty.

Furthermore, embracing the full potential of TOK within the school environment can bring immense benefits. Students who actively participate in TOK classes and seize the opportunity to write the TOK Essay can develop essential skills that extend far beyond the boundaries of their academic journey. These skills, such as critical thinking, open-mindedness, and the ability to evaluate and analyze information, will serve them well in their future pursuits, be it in higher education, careers, or personal growth.

Therefore, I encourage all students to embrace the May 2023 TOK Essay titles and approach them with curiosity and enthusiasm. Take advantage of the unique chance to delve into the world of TOK, to challenge assumptions, to question prevailing narratives, and to construct well-reasoned arguments. Engaging in TOK fosters a lifelong love for learning, equipping students with the tools to navigate the complexities of knowledge and empowering them to become informed, responsible, and thoughtful global citizens. So, seize the opportunity, embark on this intellectual adventure, and let TOK inspire you to expand the boundaries of your understanding.

Frequently asked questions (FAQs)

What is the purpose of the TOK Essay titles?

The TOK Essay titles for May 2023 serve as prompts for students to critically analyze and explore knowledge claims within specific contexts. They encourage students to engage with philosophical questions and apply TOK concepts to develop their understanding of the nature of knowledge.

How are the TOK Essay titles selected?

The TOK Essay titles are carefully crafted by a panel of IB experts and educators. They aim to cover a wide range of themes and concepts related to knowledge, incorporating various areas of knowledge and ways of knowing.

Can students choose any title to write their TOK Essay?

No, students are required to choose one essay title from the given list of titles. They must carefully consider each title, evaluate their level of understanding and interest, and select the one that aligns best with their knowledge and experiences.

Can students use real-life examples in their TOK Essays?

Yes, incorporating real-life examples is highly encouraged in TOK Essays. These examples help to ground abstract concepts in concrete situations, enhancing the students’ analysis and application of TOK principles.

How should students approach the TOK Essay titles?

Students should approach the TOK Essay titles by first thoroughly understanding the key terms and concepts within the chosen title. They should critically analyze the question, consider multiple perspectives, and explore various knowledge claims. It is essential to use TOK-specific terminology, engage in critical thinking, and present a well-structured argument supported by evidence and examples.

About the Author

Anzhelika is a PhD candidate in Genetics and a marketing consultant at U4Success from Vienna, Austria. She leads our website and social media content strategy.

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Filter exemplars, for artists and natural scientists, which is more important: what can be explained or what cannot be explained discuss with reference to the arts and the natural sciences., does it matter if our acquisition of knowledge happens in "bubbles" where some information and voices are excluded discuss with reference to two areas of knowledge., want to get full marks for your tok essay allow us to review it for you 🎯, is replicability necessary in the production of knowledge discuss with reference to two areas of knowledge., are visual representations always helpful in the communication of knowledge discuss with reference to the human sciences and mathematics., fast track your coursework with mark schemes moderated by ib examiners. upgrade now 🚀, to what extent is the knowledge we produce determined by the methodologies we use discuss with reference to history and one area of knowledge., tok essay: 5. “how can we distinguish between good and bad interpretations discuss with reference to the arts and one other area of knowledge”, 如果我们是在排除某些信息和声音的“信息同温层”里获取知识，这有关系吗请参考两个知识领域展开你的应答。, does it matter if our knowledge acquisition happens in "bubbles" where some information and voices are excluded discuss with reference to two areas of knowledge., is replicability necessary in the production of knowledge discuss with reference to two areas of knowledge, do you agree that it is “astonishing that so little knowledge can give us so much power” (bertrand russell) discuss with reference to the natural sciences and one other area of knowledge., does it matter if our acquisition of knowledge happens in “bubbles” where some information and voices are excluded discuss with reference to two areas of knowledge., to what extent is the knowledge weproduce determined by the methodologieswe use, for artists and natural scientists, which is more important: what can be explained or what cannot be explained discuss with reference to the arts and natural science., êtes-vous d'accord qu'il est "étonnant que si peu de connaissance puissent nous donner autant de pouvoir" (bertrand russell) - discutez cette question en faisant référence aux sciences naturelles et à un autre domaine de la connaissance, est-il important que notre acquisition des connaissances se fasse dans des « bulles » où certaines informations et certaines voix sont exclues discutez cette question en faisant référence à deux domaines de la connaissance., to what extent is the knowledge we produce determined by the methodologies we use discuss with reference to history and one other area of knowledge., is replicability necessary in the production of knowledge discuss with reference to two area of knowledge, are visual representations always helpful in communicating knowledge discuss with reference to the human sciences and mathematics., are visual representations always useful in communication of knowledge discuss with reference to the human sciences and mathematics., for artists and natural scientists which is more important: what can be explained or what cannot be explained, is replication necessary in the production of knowledge discuss with reference to two aoks., do you agree that it is "astonishing that so little knowledge can give us so much power" (bertrand russell) discuss with reference to the natural sciences and one other area of knowledge., is replicability necessary in the production of knowledge.

Custom TOK essays, exhibitions, scripts, presentations, PPDs

May 2023 TOK Essay Prompts

In this article, I’ll provide a list of May 2023 TOK essay prompts and a short explanation of how each title can be used. I want to save your time searching the web, so I’m giving clear ideas of how you can use each TOK essay title for the year 2023.

In addition, you will find examples and AOKs for different prompts that can be used right after reading this blog.

You can also check the latest November 2023 TOK prompts by following the link below:

November 2023 TOK Essay Titles for IBDP

No more words. It’s time to explain reverything related to the latest TOK titles for you, friends.

Let’s start with the list:

TOK essay titles 2023

• Topic 1. Is replicability necessary in the production of knowledge ? 
• Topic 2. For artists and natural scientists, which is more important: what can be explained or what cannot be explained?  
• Topic 3. Does it matter if our acquisition of knowledge happens in “bubbles” where some information and voices are excluded?  
• Topic 4. Do you agree that it is “astonishing that so little knowledge can give us so much power” (Bertrand Russell)? 
• Topic 5. Are visual representations always helpful in the communication of knowledge ? 
• Topic 6. To what extent is the knowledge we produce determined by the methodologies we use ?

Now you know the topics, but what comes next? How do I select the one? Which topic is the easiest? I’ll guide you through each prompt, but at the end, please remember that you are the only person to select the topic that suits YOU!

It’s time to move forward to the explanation of each 2023 TOK essay title.

Each 2023 Title Explained

For Topic 1 , students can consider whether the concept of replicability is applicable to all areas of knowledge and whether it is necessary for knowledge to be deemed valid or reliable. 

For Topic 2 , IB students can explore the different approaches and priorities that artists and natural scientists may have when it comes to explaining and understanding phenomena. 

For Topic 3 , students can consider the role that diversity and inclusion play in the production and dissemination of knowledge and whether the exclusion of specific perspectives or information can limit the knowledge that is produced. 

For Topic 4 , students can examine the relationship between the amount of knowledge we possess and the power it gives us and whether this relationship is consistent across different areas of knowledge. 

For Topic 5 , IB students can consider the role that visual representations play in the communication of knowledge and whether they are always helpful or if there are situations where they can be misleading or inadequate. 

For Topic 6 , students can examine the extent to which the methods and approaches used to produce knowledge shape the knowledge that is ultimately produced and whether different methodologies lead to different outcomes in various areas of knowledge.

Students must approach these essay prompts by first understanding the key terms and concepts being addressed. For each prompt, students in IB should consider how the specific terms and concepts relate to the different areas of knowledge being discussed and how they may intersect or conflict with one another.

In addressing the prompts, students should also consider the different perspectives and approaches that can be taken within each area of knowledge and the potential biases and limitations of these perspectives. In the next part, I’ll focus on this.

Now, let’s look at how different areas of knowledge can be used for May theory of knowledge essay prescribed titles for the year 2023.

AOKs for TOK essay prompts 2023 and examples

Now let me explain each of the above mentioned AOKs in detail.

Prompt 1 : Is replicability necessary in the production of knowledge?

• Example: In the field of physics, experiments are often designed to be replicable so that the results can be verified and validated by other scientists. Without the ability to replicate experiments, the knowledge produced in this field would be less reliable and trustworthy.
• Example: In the field of sociology, replicability may not always be possible due to the complexity and uniqueness of social phenomena. However, researchers may still strive to produce knowledge that is grounded in robust and systematic methodologies, even if the results cannot be easily replicated.

Prompt 2: For artists and natural scientists, which is more important: what can be explained or what cannot be explained?

• Example: For some artists, the mystery and uncertainty surrounding certain concepts or phenomena may be an integral part of their creative process and the meaning of their work. They may prioritize what cannot be explained as a source of inspiration and artistic expression.
• Example: For natural scientists, the pursuit of explanation and understanding is often at the heart of their work. They may prioritize what can be explained and may be motivated by the desire to uncover the underlying principles and laws that govern the natural world.

Prompt 3: Does it matter if our acquisition of knowledge happens in “bubbles” where some information and voices are excluded?

• Example: In the field of psychology, the lack of diversity in research participants and the exclusion of certain perspectives can lead to biased and incomplete knowledge. It is important to ensure that knowledge production in this field is inclusive and representative of diverse experiences and viewpoints.
• Example: In the field of biology, the exclusion of certain species or ecosystems from research can lead to a narrow and incomplete understanding of the natural world. Ensuring that knowledge production is inclusive and considers a wide range of perspectives and experiences can help to produce a more comprehensive and accurate understanding of the world.

Prompt 4: Do you agree that it is “astonishing that so little knowledge can give us so much power” (Bertrand Russell)?

• Example: In the field of technology, a relatively small amount of knowledge can lead to the development of powerful and transformative technologies, such as the internet or the smartphone. The impact of this knowledge on society and the world is profound and illustrates the potential for a small amount of knowledge to have a large and lasting impact.
• Example: In the field of ethics, a small amount of knowledge about moral principles and values can have a significant impact on an individual’s actions and decisions. This knowledge can shape how we treat others and the choices that we make, and can have far-reaching consequences for both ourselves and others.

Prompt 5: Are visual representations always helpful in the communication of knowledge?

• Example: In the field of anthropology, visual representations such as photographs and drawings can be useful in helping to communicate cultural practices and traditions to a wider audience. However, it is important to consider the potential biases and limitations of these representations and to ensure that they are used in a responsible and ethical manner.
• Example: In the field of mathematics, visual representations such as graphs and diagrams can be useful in helping to understand and communicate complex concepts and relationships. However, it is important to consider the limitations of these representations and to ensure that they are used appropriately. For example, visual representations may not always accurately capture the complexity and nuance of mathematical concepts and can sometimes be misleading if not used carefully.

Prompt 6: To what extent is the knowledge we produce determined by the methodologies we use?

• Example: In the field of history, the methodologies and approaches used by historians can significantly shape the knowledge that is produced. For example, the use of different sources and perspectives can lead to very different interpretations and understandings of the past.
• Example: In the field of physics, the methodologies and approaches used to study the natural world can significantly influence the knowledge that is produced. For example, the use of different experimental designs or theoretical frameworks can lead to different predictions and conclusions about the nature of physical phenomena.

In terms of writing a TOK essay following the IB criteria, specific structure , and, of course, exact TOK essay rubric , students should aim to present a clear and well-reasoned argument that engages with the prompt and integrates appropriate real-life examples using various areas of knowledge and ways of knowing. 

It is also critical for students to consider counterarguments and to address any potential objections to their own position.

Meanwhile, you can also check another article that will give a step by step guide on how to write a TOK essay in one week:

How to Write a Good TOK Essay in One Week?

Select TOK essay topic that suits you best

Overall, a TOK essay aims to demonstrate an understanding of the complexities and nuances of knowledge and to explore how different areas of knowledge may interact and inform one another. By selecting the right prompt, you increase the chances of getting the highest grades for your final TOK essay.

In the following articles, we will cover each of these May 2023 prescribed titles in more detail. So make sure to check out our new articles in the nearest future.

If you are searching for November 2023 prompts, you better check this list below. If you need more details for each of these newly comers, check my latest article that I have shared at the very beginning of this article.

• Are facts alone enough to prove a claim ? Discuss with reference to any two areas of knowledge.
• If “the mathematician’s patterns, like the painter’s and the poet’s, must be beautiful” (G.H. Hardy), how might this impact the production of knowledge? Discuss with reference to mathematics and the arts.
• In the acquisition of knowledge, is following experts unquestioningly as dangerous as ignoring them completely? Discuss with reference to the human sciences and one other area of knowledge.
• Is it problematic that knowledge is so often shaped by the values of those who produce it? Discuss with reference to any two areas of knowledge.
• Is it always the case that “the world isn’t just the way I is, it is how we understand it – and in understanding something, we bring something to it” (adapted from Life of Pi by Yann Martel)? Discuss with reference to history and the natural sciences.
• Faced with a vast amount of information, how do we select what is significant for the acquisition of knowledge? Discuss with reference to the natural sciences and one other area of knowledge.

Need help with your IB TOK essay ?

Unlock your potential and unleash the brilliance of your TOK essay with the help of our experts at BuyTOKEssay.com! Whether you’re starting from scratch or fine-tuning your existing essay to meet the demands of your supervisor, our team is here to make your dream of a perfect paper a reality. Say goodbye to writer’s block and hello to success with just one click.

Dear friend, make sure not to mis a deadline for TOK essay submission and in case you need expert assistance with your TOK essay, you can always count on BuyTOKEssay.com writing service.

Liliana Duman

Liliana Duman has a strong background in teaching English language, having graduated from Hacettepe University’s English Language Teaching Department in 2008. With over two decades of experience in the field, she has a wealth of knowledge and expertise to share with her students. In addition to her bachelor’s degree, Liliana holds a master’s in Teaching Turkish as a Second Language and has previously worked at Başkent and Hacettepe University in Ankara. Currently, she is an EFL instructor at Sakarya University, teaching various skills, including methodology, speaking, reading, writing, and listening. In addition to her teaching, Liliana has also contributed to material development and testing efforts. As well as her work as a teacher, Liliana is an experienced private online ToK essay tutor, providing personal help for both IB ToK students and teachers in all aspects of IB ToK essays and exhibitions. She is dedicated to helping her students succeed and achieve their full potential. In her spare time, Liliana also writes articles for buytokessay.com, sharing her expertise and insights on ToK with a wider audience.

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Prompt #1 – Is replicability necessary in the production of knowledge?

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How To Write A ToK Essay - Updated 2023

Ace your ToK Essay with our expert tips & tricks! Get the latest and greatest techniques on "How To Write A ToK Essay" and impress the IB examiners.📝💡

Table of content

• Introduction

Purpose Of ToK

Assessment of tok, the game plan, execution of the gameplan, planning for tok essay, structure of tok essay, conclusions, bibliography.

Introduce your topic accurately and state your thesis statement for the essay carefully.  A thesis statement is like a teaser to your entire essay wherein you define your key terms and introduce your interpretation of the question. Make sure that you do not reword the prescribed title in your thesis. Instead, it needs to, as the word says, INTRODUCE your readers to what your essay is about. A strong introduction allows the reader to deduce what knowledge question(s) you are trying to answer.

So, in a nutshell

• Write interesting things about the given TOK essay title .
• Define key terms
• Narrow in on the particularly interesting aspect
• State your thesis statement . This will be your short answer to your given title if you don't know how to write a killer thesis statement check out this blog from SparkNotes .
• State your Roadmap. This will help the readers in understanding the direction of your essay.

How to write a TOK Essay? 

To answer that, you must familiarise yourself with what a TOK Essay is about.

Before you start reading this article,  Amanda  has some excellent TOK tips for you!

Theory of Knowledge is one of the most meta subjects that IB offers. Despite its complexity, TOK helps in providing a base for holistic learning and allows students to have a multidisciplinary experience. 

To understand TOK is to understand the essence of IB, a task that most people consider unattainable.

But not for you! 

Thank your lucky stars who made you land on Nail IB. How exactly will Nail IB help you? 

Well, nailing International Baccalaureate is something we will discuss later. 

Let's focus on cracking your TOK essay, shall we?

TOK demonstrates how students  can apply their knowledge  with  greater awareness  and  credibility .

Big words, huh? 

Now that we know that we cannot just slide through the Theory of Knowledge, let's understand how we can conquer this battle all guns blazing.

ToK essay’s primary objective is to answer the  why  behind our studies. 

It makes one aware of the real-life implications of their subjects. The students gain greater awareness of their personal and ideological assumptions and appreciate the diversity of different perspectives. It helps the students find their unique perception, a prerequisite for excelling in the IB TOK essays.

Before we dive into our gameplan, let’s overview the rules of the game.

There are two assessment tasks in the TOK: an essay and a presentation . While a presentation encourages students to explore a real-life situation through the lens of TOK, an essay is written on the basis of the various questions provided by the International Baccalaureate Organisation.

• The presentation is to assess a student’s ability to apply TOK thinking to a real-life situation whereas IB TOK essay is more conceptual.
• The essay is externally assessed by IB and must be on any one of the prescribed TOK essay titles issued by the IB for each examination session.
• Word limit of a TOK essay is 1600 words ( excludes extended notes, footnotes, bibliography).

Now that we have unleashed the game, let’s move ahead towards the gameplan of acing both, your presentation and your essay.

One of the fundamental tasks of TOK is to examine different areas of knowledge and find out their similarities and differences.

The TOK essay requires the students to investigate two Areas of Knowledge (AOK)  and two Ways of Knowing   (WOK) . AOKs and WOKs are investigated via questions such as:

• How do we know what we know? (WOK)
• What counts as evidence for X? (AOK)
• How do we judge which is the best model of Y? (WOK)
• What does theory Z mean in the real world? (AOK + WOK)

The aforementioned are  Knowledge Questions  which help combine the Areas of Knowledge and the Ways of Knowing that they are using. This eliminates the superficial way of learning and makes an individual sensitive to the nature of the information.   Our acquisition of Knowledge can be broadly divided into Shared Knowledge and Personal Knowledge.

Shared knowledge: What WE know It is the product of more than one individual. Although individuals contribute to it, shared knowledge does not solely depend upon the contributions of a particular individual—there are possibilities for others to check and amend individual contributions and add to the body of knowledge that already exists.

Personal knowledge: What I know It is essentially dependent on the experiences of a particular individual. Also known as procedural knowledge, it is gained through experience, practice and personal involvement and is intimately bound up with the particular local circumstances of the individual such as biography, interests, values, and so on.

The best hack to ace TOK essay is to develop a habit of making connections between the construction of knowledge, its acquisition and its relevance in the real world. 

After that one needs to develop an interest in understanding the difference between diversity and cultural perspectives and personal assumptions.

One also needs to critically reflect on their own beliefs and assumptions, leading to more thoughtful, responsible and purposeful lives.

Yes, this is what you signed up for. It may sound a little intimidating but once you get the hang of it you will be able to see the matrix and understand this beautiful world a little better.

Understand that to provide the best version of your writing, it will take you more than one or two drafts. First and foremost, you need to pick your essay topic diligently. Try to choose an essay topic that best interests you. The topic should also allow you to explore the Areas of Knowledge towards which you are naturally inclined. Here are a few sample questions:

a) 'Ways of knowing are a check on our instinctive judgments.' To what extend do you agree with this statement?

b) With reference to two areas of knowledge discuss the way in which shared knowledge can shape their personal knowledge.

c) How can we know if knowledge is produced more through 'Passive Observation' or 'Active-Experiment' within the Human and Natural-sciences under a Mathematical-Perspective?

d) "The whole point of knowledge is to produce both meaning and purpose in our personal lives". Assess the validity of this statement.

Great things take time. It took me more than a couple of weeks to finalize this TOK essay guide. It is completely okay if the first few drafts may not look pleasing or award-winning to you. You will require sharpening your perspective towards the topic each time you polish your draft. Your writing journey from a dull draft to a masterpiece will be a whole process that you will have to be patient with. Have faith in yourself and proceed stepwise.

You need to consider the opinions of others who have devoted hours of research and a lifetime of dedicated studying the topic that surrounds your writing. Unravelling the realms of your mind palace is so Sherlock but let’s not deny the fact that at times, Watson is the one whose expertise helps Sherlock through pretty difficult times. I mean even Batman needs a Robin. In support of my awesome sauce examples, the point I am trying to make is that  finding support for our claims and counterclaims through research is a good thing .

Use real-life examples to support your claims and counterclaims. These examples need to be documented researched examples like studies, experiments, articles, presentations by well-known people, etc. Examples that stem from your diploma subjects are highly encouraged, but those will need to be supported by research as well.   

It is suggested that you choose a title, stick to it, tackle it and not be afraid. Do not change your mind unless there is a good reason. Also, try choosing Areas of knowledge that you truly enjoy. You know slaying a known devil is much easier than an unknown one. Allot a TIMELINE to your essay. Start with creating an outline of your essay. This will help you to track your progress and accomplish your goals

You can use tools like  Trello  to organize your ideas and plan your TOK essay.

Areas of Knowledge (AOKs): TOK distinguishes between eight areas of knowledge. They are mathematics, the natural sciences, the human sciences, the arts, history, ethics, religious knowledge systems, and indigenous knowledge systems. It is suggested that students study and explore six of these eight.

Ways of knowing (WOKs): TOK identifies eight specific WOKs- language, sense perception, emotion, reason, imagination, faith, intuition, and memory. It is suggested that studying four of these eight in-depth would be appropriate. WOKs underlie the methodology of the areas of knowledge and provide a basis for personal knowledge.

Moving ahead, let us discuss the structure of your TOK essay.

Your essay will consist of 4 broad segregations

Before breaking down further on the pillars, keep the following in mind

• Please note what the TOK essay title is asking you. (Read it a couple of times. We highly recommend that you brainstorm ideas with your TOK coordinator)
• Make sure you understand the command term and the question it is asking.
• What kind of knowledge is being elicited?
• When choosing your areas of knowledge (AoK) and ways of knowing (WoK) make sure that you are able to draw contrasts and comparisons, that is, you are able to find evidence that supports as well as challenges your claims.
• Identify key terms in your TOK essay title. Make sure you define them. Your essay will gravitate around them. Key terms/words in your titles are your essay anchors. Your response should be built around them.
• Your writing skills come in handy while you work on your IB TOK essay. Like any other essay make sure you have proper thesis statements and topic sentences to guide the evaluator through your work.
• Respect the TOK essay title. Rephrasing the topic is not encouraged . Your main job is to address the title.

The body can be mainly divided into 3 segments.

Body (1st Segment)

• AoK Claim:  Here you investigate your first Area of Knowledge and draw parallels between your AoK and the question. This is done by stating your claim. Claims can be general in nature and need not reference a particular area of knowledge. They help you shape your essay and investigate the question further. 
• Evidence: Example of a real-life situation, describe thoroughly and accurately, which supports your stated claim. (AoK)
• Counter-Claim: State your counter-claim: like claims, those can be general and need not reference a particular area of knowledge. Counterclaim helps you show the other side the coin and gives your essay a holistic nature. 
• Evidence: A referenced real-life situation/example. Describe thoroughly and accurately, show how this supports your counterclaim (AoK ).
• Don’t forget to weave in your WoKs:  You need to take into account the source of your knowledge. Here you can also investigate if your nature of acquiring the knowledge has, in any way, affected it. It is good practice to question if your knowledge would be different had it been acquired through a different source/method
• Mini-conclusion: Here you analyze your examples in reference to your claims and counterclaims. You must connect to your thesis statement and the prescribed title. How does your proposed argument, in this particular part of the body, connect to the prescribed title and the knowledge questions you are trying to answer?

Body (2): Follow the above process for your second AOK.

• Use this part of your essay to compare and contrast your varying AoKs. You need to connect them to your thesis and your prescribed title clearly showing how your arguments respond to the PT.

Your conclusion section will make your essay come together. It is the glue that will make your essay stick together. Herein, you need to

• Reiterate your thesis (initial response).
• Use your mini conclusions to write a final conclusion.
• Tell the reader what the significance is for knowing what we know in this particular PT.
• Discuss implications as well.
• Offer another perspective, how will the perspective of a different person affect the claims/counterclaims you make in the essay?
• Don’t forget to make the end strong.

We recommend all the ib students use the  citation machine  (It's FREE) to organize or generate a bibliography for your TOK essay. Please go through this extensive guide provided by the IB before you start working on your citations.

If you are still struggling heaps with your TOK essay feel free to subscribe to our tok notes bundles or get access to more than 500+ IBDP notes and past papers here .

Nail IB is your virtual companion that helps you hustle through your diploma and provide you with the right resources at the right time. To know more about acing IB, click  here .

I hope this article will become the foundation for figuring out how to write a TOK Essay.

Remember to have faith in yourself.

I hope you NAIL your TOK essay!

Quoting the great Napolean Hill

"Whatever the mind of a man can conceive and believe, it can achieve."

IB Resources you will love!

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EXPLAINED: May 2024 TOK Essay Prescribed Titles

What happened to this post? HackIB has been acquired by MyIBTutor . All content is now available on the MyIBTutor Blog with more exciting IB content to come! Click here to see it for yourself!

Looking for November 2024 Session TOK Essay titles? Click here.

TOK Essay Titles – May 2024 Examination Session

The titles for May 2024 are released! Here they are below:

Make sure to bookmark this page as I explain and provide examples for each of these titles in depth! UPDATE: Title 1, 2, 5 and 6 are now available. Stay tuned for more! For general guidance on how to write a good TOK essay, check out my TOK Essay advice collection .

Is subjectivity overly celebrated in the arts but unfairly condemned in history? Discuss with reference to the arts and history.

How can we reconcile the opposing demands for specialization and generalization in the production of knowledge? Discuss with reference to mathematics and one other area of knowledge.

Nothing is more exciting than fresh ideas, so why are areas of knowledge often so slow to adopt them? Discuss with reference to the human sciences and one other area of knowledge.

Do we underestimate the challenges of taking knowledge out of its original context and transferring it to a different context? Discuss with reference to two areas of knowledge.

Do we need custodians of knowledge? Discuss with reference to two areas of knowledge.

Are we too quick to assume that the most recent evidence is inevitably the strongest? Discuss with reference to the natural sciences and one other area of knowledge.

This title attempts to challenge students on the main school of thought that you learn over the TOK course. The gist of your TOK teaching on both of these AOKs probably boiled down to something like: everything is art and it’s just whatever the artist wants to create, while history is always biased because the winners always write all of history. However, this eliminates much of the nuance in each of these AOKs that are worth exploring. That’s what makes this prompt interesting.

Is subjectivity overly celebrated in the arts? I will be honest, I never thought we really ‘celebrated’ subjectivity. It just, was. Inherently, art is a subjective exercise – you can think about this point a little further. You will find some heated discussion on whether art is subjective or could it be objective on the internet and I won’t delve into that here, because it isn’t the point of this title. The key here is to focus on the EXTENT of subjectivity and is it to the detriment of the area of knowledge itself. Then, we have to consider, whose subjectivity are we talking about: is it the artist’s subjectivity, or the audience’s subjectivity. For example, the Mona Lisa wasn’t that well known when it was first painted. I’m sure the Da Vinci thought it was quite a nice piece, but it seems like we didn’t really celebrate his subjectivity. It wasn’t until a certain audience found it subjectively good, that we accepted it as one of the greatest pieces of art in the world! That is an example of how subjectivity is relevant in the dissemination of artistic knowledge. For a more modern example, what about your favourite YouTuber? Do they truly make what they want? NO! They are often beholden to sponsors, and you – the audience! What you want to see, is what they will make! So it is YOUR subjectivity that drives their decision to produce art, not necessarily purely their subjectivity. Subjectivity by definition is just a person’s opinions, emotions, thoughts. This connects well with the TOK concept of values. What VALUES and WHOSE values are determining what art is created (in a variety of contexts), how art is perceived, and how art changes in its reception over time? These are all good questions to ponder. For more unconventional examples about art, think about how museums choose what art to display, what constitutes good art for prizes like the Nobel Prize for Literature, or why some art is considered more expensive than others? Are there systematic ways to think about our subjectivity and how we apply it to art? Is it really overly celebrating subjectivity or simply a necessity to make sense of the abundance of artistic knowledge in a sea of information today?

History gets a bad rep in the TOK classroom. Students like to trash on History calling it biased and unreliable. In this prompt, I don’t want you to refute these claims, but just think about how they aren’t necessarily catastrophic as we might think. We aren’t denying that biases in history could be problematic. I would be suspicious too, if the only accounts of the Rohingya Genocide came from the Myanmar military. However, the word condemned in the title suggests that we might be too harsh on historians when they get things wrong. We should focus on how the historical method recovers itself from failures in biases from its sources. Yes, it might be biased, but is it better than no history? Furthermore, does subjectivity actually ADD value to the way we produce, and interpret historical knowledge? While I’m sure a completely objective, news story like report of what happened in 1886 would be a historian’s dream, that isn’t the case! No matter how objective we try to be, we colour the events we experience by our own opinions, feelings and emotions. But isn’t that history in itself? In an almost cliched way, history’s subjectivity tells us more about what happened in the past and their beliefs and values more than words could ever say.

In both the historical and artistic discussions, you should focus more on the methodologies of these AOKs and how they achieve their AOK’s purpose. Subjectivity manifests in different ways in these AOKs and their methodology reflects that. In the overt awareness of subjectivity in the Arts, its method to produce knowledge is characteristically defined by subjectivity. In History, the method is to identify the covert influences of subjectivity, then to produce the most truthful knowledge possible. You can see that the goals of these two are different, and hence they deal with subjectivity differently. Don’t fall in the trap of focusing your discussion too much on your examples, but generalise to the patterns of how subjectivity manifest in your AOKs and whether their treatment of it is problematic.

It is crucial, when writing the essay for this prompt, to clearly define in your introduction what specialisation and generalisation means. DO NOT use the dictionary definitions here – since this is a TOK Essay, you want to make a TOK version of specialisation and generalisation, in terms of how these two things differ in the production of knowledge. Clearly defining the two in this way will form a solid foundation for you to have a nuanced discussion on this process of reconciliation between the two. The prompt hints at the competing demands on knowledge of specialisation and generalisation – i.e. you might not be able to produce knowledge in the same way if you were aiming for specialisation versus generalisation. So, this provides a point of contrast for you to choose examples and frame your discussion. Remember, the idea of competing demands is an ASSUMPTION, not an argument posed by the question. You should focus on how your chosen examples demonstrate a way to balance the interests of both and reach a ‘middle-ground’ rather than arguing that specialisation or generalisation are compatible with each other. TLDR: Don’t challenge the assumption.

For the first AOK of Mathematics, you should have encountered many personal examples just from your study of IB Maths. Most of your learning has been on generalisation, and the application of such generalisations. For instance, you learn about Calculus, a general topic within Mathematics, and then apply it in various contexts. Mathematicians love generalisations – that Calculus you learned? Well, the definition of a derivative generalised for all functions could be summarised by the first principles of derivatives function that HL AA students learn. You would have less interaction with specialisation of Mathematical knowledge. In a broader sense, the specific components of mathematics, cannot be separated from the general. You can’t solve calculus problems without the fundamental theorem of calculus. However, you could argue that the fundamental theorem of calculus didn’t need calculus problems to exist. Thus, an interesting dilemma arises in Mathematics – the generalisation could be produced, without a particular need for specialisation, but specialisation often calls for generalisation to first exist.

Looking at the latest mathematics research, you will find that applied mathematics is most common. Rarely do you see people get excited by new discoveries of solutions to elliptical curves, but more do when you tell them a new mathematical model to improve our prediction of the weather. We may place greater value on specialisation of knowledge, because we could see its usefulness more immediately, but, the Area of Knowledge does not require such specialisation to produce knowledge. So, do we encourage people to produce knowledge with the goal of specialisation in mind, or do we tell them to produce whatever theoretical generalised mathematical knowledge they can? Look to how mathematics is applied to Quantitative Finance, Econometrics, and Actuarial Science. They specialise mathematical knowledge and provide for some of the most lucrative careers. Does that speak to our preference and demand for specialised knowledge? But then again, what of the interdependence between generalisation and specialisation? How do we balance the two and how does the methodologies of the AOK contribute to this balancing act?

For the second, complimentary AOK, you could have discussions with all of the AOKs. For the Sciences, you could present a similar argument about needing to have some general theories before you could specialise. The scientific method is essentially one big generalisation process – you take specific observations and you make inferences so that you can generalise about some natural process. However, the knowledge that produces need not be general, it can still be specific. If we take specialisation as the goal, then we could pose narrow hypotheses to test. If we take generalisation as the goal, then we might need multiple of these narrow hypotheses to form a full picture, testing each individual case. Thus, specialisation could lead to specialisation alone, but more often, generalisation is the result of many specialisations.

One last question you might want to consider and attempt to answer in your essay is, do you want to know something about everything or everything about something? The answer to that will depend on your AOK. While we want to know about everything on everything, that is simply not reality. So, what trade offs do we make in each AOK, and how does each AOK decide on what we need to know more on?

You might be able to appreciate how long it takes ideas to actually be implemented in reality by looking at the recent Nobel Prize winners for Economic Sciences. The winner of the 2017 prize was Richard H. Thaler, for his contributions to behavioural economics. He explored the impacts of limited rationality, social preferences and the lack of individual self-control on economic decision making on an individual and market level. He started these findings from the 1980s, but it is only recently, in the 2022 revision of the IB syllabus that Economics students learn about the field of Behavioural economics in any detail! So why is it so?

To some extent, it is hard to criticise things for moving slowly. After all, new discoveries like behavioural economics represents a fundamental paradigm shift towards the way research is conducted in the particular AOK. Often times, fresh ideas are left to “ferment” so that their truthfulness can be tested with time. Nothing is more embarrassing than going down a rabbit hole only to find that your assumptions turned out to be monumentally incorrect. Even if we are making a big shift in light of new ideas towards the way we produce knowledge, doing so takes time! For many years and still now, we rely on strong assumptions of rationality to make economic models function. While the psychology of such behaviours are well researched, applying them to an Economic setting may not be. That is to say, it is important to consider how these new ideas arise, and what effect it has on existing knowledge, and the way we produce future knowledge. New ideas is simply new knowledge, but with the added implication that it has some effect on the existing knowledge within an AOK. It could potentially change how we view current knowledge, or how we conduct research given a particular discovery.

In the AOK of the human sciences, which broadly follows the scientific method, you could drawn some inspiration from the philosopher Thomas Kuhn’s view of scientific progress. He argues that within a period of “normal science” where we make incremental progress under the assumption of an overarching model, but there comes a point where we notice accumulation of imperfections with such a model that leads to new paradigms – new ideas, that fundamentally change how we do science. Then we undergo a sort of scientific revolution, where there are debates and decisions made over what sort of model we need to follow, until everyone eventually accepts the new paradigm and returns to a normal science period so that continual small improvements are made to knowledge, until another paradigm shift happens again. While you are not expected to demonstrate such strong philosophy knowledge within the TOK Essay, it is helpful to consider how each AOK handles such ‘revolutions’. For instance, it is harder to irrefutably find falsities in human sciences given the difficulty in replicability and corroborative studies compared to natural sciences.

As for complimentary AOKs, any would suit here, as each AOK has a very different way to handle new ideas. Many factors influence the way new ideas is accepted. For this title, we need to take the assumption that their acceptance is slow, not argue with it. Instead, you should consider what factors influence this slowness, and how different AOKs have different factors in mind when deciding how to accept new ideas. This relates to the nature of the AOK (what is its purpose) and the methodology guiding knowledge production in them.

Have you ever said something that sounds very weird out of context? That might have just been something silly with no real consequences, but in the realm of knowledge, we need to be careful about the consequences of knowledge taken out of their original context. This article highlights how the context of medical treatment matters a lot! As you can imagine, something that works in one field, doesn’t always apply in a straightforward manner to another. This is why there are whole research teams dedicated to what we call “translational research”. That is, trying to “translate” what you get from something like a lab setting, into actual products, like life-saving medications.

The obvious links to AOKs here are the Natural and Human Sciences. For Natural Sciences, we often start off knowledge production in a lab setting, or in a controlled environment. However, the application of such knowledge is rarely as controlled! So an interesting point to consider is how natural scientists have to account for the fact that their findings won’t ever be used in as perfect a setting as their research. Sure, you might have developed bullet proof wood , but how is that going to work in practically when it comes to mass manufacturing it for the army or the police? This is one of the biggest challenges that natural scientists face. It’s not that we aren’t trying to produce exciting knowledge, but that the application of such knowledge in a practical and appreciable context is often very difficult. Something like the mRNA technology (which recently was awarded a Nobel) took a long time to be developed into actual vaccines. The question then is, do we underestimate this process? Often it depends on the goal of the scientist. If the knowledge producer set out with an idea to commercialise in mind, then they would often consider the practical implications of findings. However, people studying theoretical physics for example, would struggle to immediately find very accessible real life implications. That doesn’t mean the knowledge is worthless, but certainly, the challenges are there.

What about non-scientific disciplines? Recently, I went to an art exhibition that trend Van Gough’s paintings into a 3D digital display. There was a Banksy exhibition that took the original murals he painted on the street, into this museum environment. Does changing the context of how art work is shown, and the manipulation of artistic knowledge change its meaning? What is the goal of transforming art into a different context? There are many reasons. Sometimes, it is to create satire (have a look at the parodies of the Mona Lisa), bringing old art onto a new audience (like VR exhibitions of Da Vinci), or simply making it more accessible to people (by making art works digitally available). The producers of these adapted forms of knowledge take great care in considering how this impacts the meaning of the art in its changed form. When artwork is so subjective, the context of art is often required to understand the artist’s meaning and intention, to ‘interpret’ works accordingly. At the same time, as we know art is quite subjective, is a ‘correct interpretation’ always required? If we are to remain artistic purists, then many of the joys of art could be lost! Imagine if you were admonished for listening to Taylor Swift through Spotify on your AirPods because it isn’t the original uncompressed music file with all the details, and you aren’t listening to it on the exact set of thousand dollar speakers it was created with? It would be ludicrous to assume that artistic knowledge is always going to be disseminated in the same context. Thus, this must be a consideration of artists. Is this consideration more or less difficult for different types of art? How is this consideration different to science considering there is no ‘right’ answer to interpreting art?

When thinking about this title, we aren’t arguing whether it is difficult. I think we all agree it is. However, it is about whether we underestimate just how difficult it is! Center your focus on how each AOK’s methodology highlights the consideration of being able to change contexts, and whether that affects the interpretation of the knowledge in question.

The term ‘custodians of knowledge’ is not something TOK students have likely heard of before, but this concept is relatively simple to understand. If you think positively about it, it could be protectors of knowledge, people who preserve knowledge, keeping it for generations to come – for example, some people might consider the Indigenous Peoples’ in Australia to be custodians of their unique cultural knowledge and what they call dreamtime stories. In this way, they keep culture alive, even if most people nowadays speak English and don’t readily tell their history. However, thought about negatively, it could also mean “gatekeepers’ (pardon the Gen Z language) of knowledge. The idealogical “protection” of knowledge could also be seen as a way to prevent some forms of knowledge from becoming knowledge in the first place. Talk to any university academic, and they will tell you how many times their research papers have been rejected. That’s why there is a bias towards statistically significant results, while research that showed that nothing significant has happened doesn’t often get published. Thus, these two contrasts provide for interesting discussion, particularly when considering how each AOK has different forms of custodians of knowledge and how they “gatekeep” or “protect” knowledge in different ways.

Take the AOK of the arts as an example. The career of artists are laughed upon because it is so hard to “break in” to the fine world of art. Many artists aren’t acclaimed until they are long dead. Perhaps most famously, the Mona Lisa wasn’t very well known until several hundred years after it was made. Thus, artists are often at the mercy of custodians of artistic knowledge like art curators and critics, who decide what merits acknowledgement as knowledge. After all, knowledge is only knowledge when there is consensus it is. And if the big wigs in the art industry doesn’t think it’s worth a mention, your art, however brilliant it seems to you, would not reach the consensus required to be considered knowledge. Of course, there are debates on the necessity of custodians in such a subjective AOK. After all, there were many times I questioned how some “artworks” even made it into the modern art museum when it’s literally splashes of paint on a canvas. I digress. However, there is something to be said about maintaining some form of standard to art. We judge whether some art is good or bad, but not in a very rigorous way. Custodians of knowledge supposedly have a framework to make such judgement in a way which preserves the nature of the AOK, and the knowledge within it. Therefore, discussion about the necessity of the custodians should focus on how they contribute to the purpose of the AOK, and whether it is compatible with the nature and methodologies of the AOK.

To further illustrate what I mean, you could see that Natural Sciences might present a stronger argument to the necessity of such custodians. We implicitly “trust” science, for better or for worse, because we know that there is a level of credibility imbued by the scientific method. It is the custodians’ role to maintain the standard of adherence to the scientific method that keeps this credibility alive. This is why, when flat earthers argue that they can’t see the curvature of the earth from the horizon, that it doesn’t get published in a scientific journal as fact! This is why, when research emerges that denies the existence of climate change, custodians have a responsibility to retract such research . However, at the same time, it also places much pressure on producers of such knowledge to create something worthy in the eyes of custodians. You might have heard of the data manipulation scandal that forced Stanford’s president to resign. Thus, custodians do appear quite important in this AOK, when we value the truthfulness of knowledge so much, but that isn’t without its consequences.

I recommend picking two contrasting AOKs that value much different things when writing the essay. While comparison is not a requirement for the essay, it gives you a more nuanced understanding of the question and thus a more reflective piece. For instance, we have just demonstrated that art is relatively subjective, while the sciences are less so. Thus, this influences the role which custodians need to play in each AOK.

The framework to answering this title for many students will follow a similar structure: an example of when novel evidence was accepted and had groundbreaking impacts, and another example where such evidence was problematic and disputed. Repeat this for the second AOK you choose and you’ll have 4 contrasting examples. This is not the only way to approach this title, but is my personal preference considering the structure I suggest to most students that ensures firstly, you will pass the basic criteria of a TOK Essay, and secondly, you will have a strong foundation to succeed. However, since everyone will have a similar style and collection of examples, it is even more important for this title, that you tease out the meaning and the effect on each area of knowledge, and knowledge in general, that your examples represent.

To demonstrate what I mean, let’s focus on two natural sciences examples. First, consider the case of “Cold Fusion”, a theory that you could supposedly have nuclear fusion at room temperature, discovered and subsequently debunked in 1989. A contrasting example, could be recent Nobel Prize winner of Medicine and Physiology, for the research on mRNA vaccines. Immediately, it is obvious that one shows where recent evidence isn’t the strongest, while the latter shows that it could be. But the focus should be on are we TOO QUICK in assuming so, not whether we should or not. Well, what are the reactions and timelines for each example? While Cold Fusion was met with excitement from the general public for the potential it holds for energy production, I wouldn’t say we ‘assumed’ it to be strong. Looking at the news reports from that time, you can see that there was great anticipation about the discovery, leading to lots of sudden funding and interest to investigate it and replicate it. As for mRNA, that discovery took a long time! First the technology, and the getting it to not appear foreign to the human body was very tricky. Even after it was discovered, we waited quite a while, with many people’s first experience with mRNA to be their COVID 19 vaccine. What you need to draw from these two examples is the methodological similarities and differences which reflect the NATURE of Science, and thus, the purpose of science. You see in both how there is an emphasis on replication which corroborates or falsifies, and only after doing so for a long time do we accept it to be true, otherwise it is debunked. So yes, there are moments where Natural Sciences provides strong compelling evidence that ends up false, there are many hurdles with in the methodology of the Natural Science that prevents us from being TOO QUICK to assume it to be true.

For this prompt, it is too easy to fall into the debate of why something was true or why something was false and tricked the population. This is not the point of the essay. You should avoid talking about the specifics of your examples at length. You need to demonstrate how your examples reflect the wider methodologies of the Natural Sciences (and similarly, for your second AOK) that either encourages or discourages our assumptions that novel evidence is always best. As you can see from my examples above, I focused on how such assumption does not happen too quickly because there are many ways we verify scientific knowledge to be true. I don’t discuss the specifics of the actual science behind Cold Fusion or mRNA as that isn’t required. You are better off focusing on the methodologies behind the AOKs themselves and answering the question.

Some interesting complements to the Natural Science AOK could be History (particularly focusing on revisionism and how historical events could be interpreted differently over time), Mathematics (how could the methodologies differ and are there ‘mistakes’ in Maths), or even Human Sciences (replication is a bit more difficult with that!).

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20 responses to “explained: may 2024 tok essay prescribed titles”.

Hi, when will you deconstruct #6? Much appreciated.

I just did! Hope it helps.

Thank you so much!

hello! when will you deconstruct #2? would really really appreciate it !!!

Just posted!

Hi when will you deconstruct No. 5? Much appreciated.

Could you please deconstruct no5. ?

Check it out!

Please Please deconstruct 5 ASAP, first draft due in 5 days!!!! Thanks!

I just did! It’s a very interesting title.

Hi, when will you deconstruct #3? Much appreciated.

I have just posted this. Thanks!

Hi, when will you deconstruct #4? Thanks!

Just updated!

Hi, is there more in depth analysis of title 4 coming?

Sorry it took a while, but it’s here now!

I have a question, for PT3, so what will be our possible counterclaim? is it another factor that will make it slow? or find another RLS that show sometimes fresh ideas can be adopted fast ?

I would reread the prescribe title. The title is asking you “why”. So all you need to do is propose different sorts of reasons as to why this slowness occurs. You don’t need to challenge the assumption within the title that it is slow. Accept that it is slow, and propose various ideas for why that is the case according to the properties of your chosen AOK.

Could you explain how you would format number One. Would I only be talking about two examples one for each AOK and what about them? Introduction, aok 1 and aok2 and conclusions

For sure! You should refer to my article on structuring for TOK Essay for more details. In general though, you can approach this prompt with two examples for each AOK, with one example about subjectivity being overly celebrated, and one not in the arts, while for history, it would be one where it is condemned unfairly vs not.

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November 2023 ToK Essay Titles

Buy the e-book How to Write the ToK Essay in 6 Easy Steps

Resources available for each November 2023 ToK Essay Title:

Essay 1: Facts alone prove a claim ?

• Overview notes linked here
• Video linked here
• Detailed Essay Guidance Notes linked here
• Questions for AI linked here

Essay 2: Beautiful patterns of mathematicians & artists

Essay 3: dangerous experts , essay 4: problematic values , essay 5: understanding (life of pi) .

• Overview notes linked here.
• Video linked here .
• Detailed Essay Guidance Notes linked here.
• Questions for AI : linked here

Essay 6: Significant Information ?

• Questions for AI linked here.

Frequently Asked Questions re. ToK Essay Guidance Notes.

The IB own the copyright to the IB November 2023 ToK Essay Titles, and they don’t allow people to repost them without written permission. We respect academic integrity, and the rights of IB. Therefore, I can only post ‘attenuated’ versions of the titles here. If you’re a student writing an essay for November 2023 ensure that you get the exact title from your teacher rather than use my ‘version’ of the essay title .

More on November 2023 ToK Essay Titles:

If you need help writing your ToK Essay see our student support pages here .

If you want to watch videos about the ToK Essay see our YouTube Channel here.

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Photo Essay on Mother’s Day 2024: A Mother’s Path to Resilience

By Bethany Peevy Downie

In this photo essay on Mother's day 2024, meet Nelda Gaitan, who changed the trajectory of her father’s farm, to secure a brighter future for her daughters.

As we celebrate Mother’s Day this time of year, we are inspired by the women around the world who are making a better life for their families. In Nicaragua, Nelda Gaitan is one such mother who has changed the trajectory of her father’s farm, turning it into a sustainable livelihood and securing a hopeful future for her two daughters. 

A Mother’s Day Essay: Meet Nelda Gaitan

Meet Nelda Gaitan, a 37-year-old mother of two who lives in the community of Temuá, Nicaragua. She and her two daughters are in charge of a 0.5-hectare plot of land that Nelda’s father left as her inheritance. Being one of the few women working in the sector has been difficult, but the challenges she has encountered as a farmer and a businesswoman have motivated her to push each day for new solutions for her family. 

Nelda started planting pitahaya five years ago. Pitahaya is a cactus native to southern Mexico and Central America, where it is grown in dry, tropical zones for use in juices and pulps. 

In the first three years, Nelda had low yields. She considered growing other varieties or even eliminating the crop. But in 2019, Nelda heard of TechnoServe’s Smallholder Market Access Program , an agricultural and marketing program in Guatemala and Nicaragua. The program aims to improve the livelihoods of 5,000 farmers by training them to improve the quality and quantity of their yields and to connect their improved production to formal, high-value market systems. 

Nelda changed her operations after learning new techniques from a TechnoServe farmer trainer. Rather than investing in a new crop, she now has the skills to reduce her operating costs while maintaining and improving her hard-won pitahaya crop. Even as extreme drought and storm events increase in frequency across Central America , low-cost strategies such as capturing rainwater within her plot can help to conserve water and reduce erosion. Improved farm planning approaches have also allowed her to better identify the most important activities for her operation and to plan how she invests her resources in each one. 

Thanks to her hard work, Nelda has not needed loans to maintain her farm and household. She can continue pursuing her business goals.

Beyond her personal success, Nelda is a mother who is motivated to lift up her fellow women farmers. She explains, “Women in the community are [usually] housewives, and even though they perform agricultural activities on the farm, they don’t participate in decision-making on its income…I see myself as an example and am proud because I am the highest-producing farmer in the community and can educate my daughters. One is in elementary school, and the other is in her second year at university.”

Despite the challenging conditions, Nelda continues selling her product to a local exporter and fruit pulp processor. The income has allowed her to sustain her household and make new investments. 

Above all, Nelda’s motivation to build a successful business comes from building a bright future for her daughters. 

She says, “I have hope for a better future for myself and my family. I want to expand my pitahaya production and even start a store.”

Related Content:

• Video Spotlight: Mother’s Day 2023
• How a Single Mother and Woman Entrepreneur Transformed Her Income in Mozambique
• Rebuilding in Rwanda: The Power of a Mother’s Love
• Empowered Mothers Empower the World

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In 2023, TechnoServe’s work helped farmers and entrepreneurs in over 30 countries earn an additional $485 million and changed the lives of 3.4 million people. Our 2023 annual report takes a closer look at the impact our clients achieved last year and the inspiring stories behind the numbers.

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TikTok’s Boss Goes From Reserved Tech Exec to Met Gala Chair

With the company facing a ban in the U.S., Shou Chew is expected to join Zendaya, Bad Bunny and Anna Wintour on the red carpet.

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By Jacob Bernstein ,  Madison Malone Kircher and Sapna Maheshwari

Although the Met Gala serves as a branding event for Vogue, it has long accepted sponsorships from the tech giants that have threatened the very survival of legacy media publications.

Jeff Bezos , the Amazon founder, appeared as the ball’s honorary chair in 2012. Four years later, when Apple was a Met Gala sponsor, its chief executive, Tim Cook , showed up in tux and tails. And Instagram supplied cash in 2022.

The 2024 event is sponsored, in part, by TikTok, the social media goliath whose future looks murkier than that of Condé Nast, the publisher of Vogue, The New Yorker and other magazines, which has laid off employees and shuttered or sold off some of its publications in recent years.

TikTok found itself in jeopardy last month, when President Biden signed a bill that gave ByteDance, the Chinese company that owns TikTok, nine months to sell off the app or face a ban in the United States. In the wake of that political firestorm, Shou Chew, the 41-year-old chief executive of TikTok, is expected to join dozens of celebrity guests at the Metropolitan Museum of Art in Manhattan on Monday evening.

He was selected by Anna Wintour as an honorary chair for the benefit, which raises tens of millions of dollars each year for the museum’s Costume Institute. Ms. Wintour, the global editorial director of Condé Nast and the editor in chief of Vogue, has run the event for a quarter of a century, using her sense of celebrity and fashion synergy to create a splashy showcase of some of the world’s most influential people, a group that has come to include more social media influencers and fewer one-name stars (Beyoncé, Lady Gaga, Madonna) in recent years.

TikTok may be loathed by Washington lawmakers who have raised concerns about the Chinese government’s access to its 170 millions users in the United States, but it remains an undeniable cultural force in American life , especially among Gen Z. The app is also a fashion force, and the Met Gala provides many TikTok creators with plenty of fodder. That makes the little-known Mr. Chew at least as powerful as the much more recognizable co-chairs of this year’s party — Zendaya, Jennifer Lopez, Bad Bunny, Chris Hemsworth and Ms. Wintour herself.

Along with TikTok, the luxury fashion brand Loewe is a sponsor; its creative director, Jonathan Anderson, will serve alongside Mr. Chew as an honorary chair.

TikTok declined to reveal its financial contribution to the star-studded event. In previous years, a sponsor is known to have kicked in roughly $5 million .

Mr. Bezos and Mr. Cook were known quantities when they greeted the likes of Rihanna and Beyoncé at previous Met Galas. Mr. Chew, on the other hand, is likely to go unrecognized by most of the gawkers who line up behind the barricades along Fifth Avenue, many of whom may be making TikTok videos on their phones.

A Charm Offensive

Starting in 2022, when U.S. lawmakers were turning up the heat on TikTok, the company changed its public relations strategy. Instead of keeping a low profile, it embarked on a charm offensive, with the fresh-faced Shou (pronounced “show”) Chew front and center.

As TikTok plowed millions into its lobbying efforts, Mr. Chew met with the heads of think tanks in Washington and global leaders at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland. At The New York Times’s DealBook conference in November 2022, he fielded questions about national security concerns while wearing jeans, a casual blue blazer over a white T-shirt, and white sneakers that looked fresh out of the box.

His expected appearance at the Met Gala — once a staid affair for New York blue bloods that has become an East Coast Oscars on Ms. Wintour’s watch — can be viewed as part of TikTok’s shift in how it presents itself to the public. But this time around, instead of sitting down with those who have influence over matters of policy, the TikTok chief will be standing on a red carpet before a squadron of photographers.

Mr. Chew, who declined through a TikTok representative to be interviewed for this article, grew up in Singapore. That is where he has his main residence with his wife, Vivian Kao, 42, a onetime Goldman Sachs associate, and their three children. In 2021, the couple spent more than $60 million on a house in the Queen Astrid Park area of the island nation, according to The Business Times of Singapore.

The family is intensely private. A rare glimpse of Ms. Kao and one of their children appeared in a video that Mr. Chew posted on TikTok from a recent Taylor Swift concert at Singapore National Stadium.

Mr. Chew has said that his father worked in construction and that his mother was a bookkeeper. After attending one of Singapore’s top secondary schools, he completed two years of mandatory national service in the Singapore Armed Forces, where he was an officer. From there, he enrolled at University College London.

After graduating in 2006 with a degree in economics, he took a job in the London office of Goldman Sachs. That was where he met Nathalie du Preez, who remains a friend of his.

“We sat on the same floor, and he was walking past,” Ms. du Preez recalled in a phone interview.

In an early conversation, they found that they had both applied to Harvard Business School. They took coffee breaks together at Leonidas Chocolates around the corner from the office.

When they arrived at Harvard in the fall of 2008, Ms. du Preez and Mr. Chew shared a ride with a group of people bound for Ikea. They were just two of the many students on the lookout for reasonably priced home décor items.

“He’s come a long way since then,” she said.

Ms. du Preez and several other Harvard Business School classmates interviewed for this article recalled Mr. Chew as someone who was funny, although they could not recall a specific funny thing he had said. They also agreed that he was razor-sharp, but offered no particular examples of his acuity.

They described him as curious about pop culture and sports, saying he was a fan of Manchester United and recalling that he had attended a David Guetta show at the Roxy in Boston. They mentioned that he liked video games, including the soccer game FIFA , and noted that he was the tidiest of his roommates.

Mr. Chew met the woman who would become his wife, Ms. Kao, when they were both at Harvard Business School. A graduate of Wellesley College, she had grown up in Bethesda, Md., and is Taiwanese American.

Mr. Chew and Ms. Kao found themselves in business school as the financial crisis arrived. “We called it the ‘just in time’ admissions class, because the markets crashed that fall,” Caren Kelleher, a fellow classmate, said in an interview.

Although it was a time when big banks were failing, some of Mr. Chew’s fellow business students were surprised when he took a summer internship at Facebook, rather than going into finance. The social media company was only five years old and years away from going public.

His classmates later realized he had made a prescient choice, according to Jean Abillama, who lived across the street from Mr. Chew in Cambridge, Mass. “He was seeing this big wave of tech and e-commerce, the tech wave coming to light,” she said.

Master’s degree in hand, he joined DST Global, a venture capital firm led by Yuri Milner, a Russian billionaire who was on his way to becoming one of the most important private investors in Silicon Valley companies . Mr. Chew served as Mr. Milner’s point man in China, where he helped lead investments in Alibaba and the Chinese ride-sharing service DiDi.

During that time, Mr. Milner provided a reported $10 million in financing to a news-aggregation app founded by the entrepreneur Zhang Yiming, who developed a rapport with Mr. Chew. The app would become ByteDance. Mr. Chew also helped with DST Global’s investment in Xiaomi, one of China’s largest phone manufacturers.

In 2013, Mr. Chew and Ms. Kao were married. Two years later, Mr. Chew left DST to become the chief financial officer of Xiaomi, which he helped take public in 2018.

He Got the Job

Mr. Chew was named the chief financial officer of ByteDance in March 2021. He ascended to the top TikTok job two months later. In November of that year, he stepped down as ByteDance’s chief financial officer.

TikTok’s previous chief executive, Kevin Mayer , had resigned after less than four months on the job, citing the increasing pressure put on the company by the Trump administration because of its ties to China.

The opposition of U.S. lawmakers did not abate during the presidency of Joseph R. Biden Jr. As Mr. Chew worked to keep lawmakers at bay, he found time to attend the 2022 Met Gala with Ms. Kao. He went all-out formal, in traditional white tie and tails; she wore a resplendent floral-patterned gown.

Nowadays, Ms. Kao runs Tamarind Global, a family office that, according to its website, “manages investments and philanthropy” for a “Singaporean family.” Its shareholders include Mr. Chew and a trust linked to Mr. Chew and Ms. Kao, according to public records.

There has been debate about whether Mr. Chew — who travels with a small security detail — is the controlling force at TikTok. Company sources have told The Times that major strategic decisions were handled by Mr. Yiming , among others.

Mr. Chew displayed a sense of fun in his TikTok handle — @shou.time — which riffs on the pronunciation of his first name. But the account did not have much of a following until March 2023 , when he was grilled by Congress.

Under aggressive questioning , Mr. Chew was made to repeat that he was a citizen of Singapore, not China. He went on to stress that TikTok was not controlled by the Chinese Communist Party and noted that his wife is an American, telling his questioners, “By the way, she was just born a few miles away from here.”

That was the appearance that catapulted him into public consciousness. Before the hearing, he had fewer than 20,000 TikTok followers. He now has 3.9 million.

Users posted clips highlighting belligerent questions from lawmakers. A number of TikTokers even called Mr. Chew “zaddy,” a slang term that refers to an older, attractive man.

On Nov. 8, 2023, TikTok announced that it would serve as “the lead sponsor” of this year’s Metropolitan Museum of Art Costume Institute Benefit, the formal name of the Met Gala. Days after the announcement, Vogue Singapore published a rare sit-down interview with Mr. Chew.

He was photographed in Louis Vuitton jeans and a velvet Brunello Cucinelli blazer, and he spoke benignly about his mandatory service in Singapore’s armed forces in “the jungles of Brunei” and doing diaper duty for a third time. “There’s quite an age gap between this kid and the previous kid,” he said in the interview. “My wife and I are relearning everything, like changing diapers.”

Along with other top tech executives, Mr. Chew was called before Congress again in January. He stressed that he did not live in China and said he was not a member of the Chinese Communist Party.

While turning down interview requests from news organizations digging into TikTok’s Chinese ties, Mr. Chew gave an interview to another Condé Nast publication, Wired, during a TikTok music festival in Mesa, Ariz., in December 2023.

The Wired article largely kept the focus on TikTok’s pop-culture footprint while seeming to defend it against its American critics by arguing that “a thinly veiled anti-Chinese xenophobia has become a reliable part of the U.S. political playbook.” It also included an advance plug for Mr. Chew’s appearance at the Met Gala.

“It’s very cultural,” Mr. Chew told Wired. “Fashion is an incredibly important part of TikTok. Louis Vuitton has 12 million followers on our app.” (The fashion house now has more than 13 million TikTok followers.)

Ms. du Preez, the Goldman Sachs colleague and Harvard classmate, said she was not surprised that Mr. Chew would be interested in teaming up with Vogue and Ms. Wintour, particularly at a time when the company he leads is trying to show that it is not controlled by China.

“The Met Gala is an incredibly well-followed evening,” she said. “In terms of making friends in the U.S., I think it would make sense to do that, and everyone who is going will have a TikTok account.”

Not that she expected him to pick out a memorable ensemble.

“I have no doubt Vivian will dress him in something beautiful,” Ms. du Preez said. “And at this point he can get a lot of advice from anyone about what to wear. I’m sure Anna Wintour can give him tips.”

For the record, Mr. Chew is slated to wear something from Ralph Lauren , the American designer whose fondness for red, white and blue has made him a natural choice to outfit U.S. Olympics teams in patriotic garb.

Ryan Mac contributed reporting. Kirsten Noyes contributed research.

Jacob Bernstein is a reporter for the Styles desk. In addition to writing profiles of fashion designers, artists and celebrities, he has focused much of his attention on L.G.B.T. issues, philanthropy and the world of furniture design. More about Jacob Bernstein

Madison Malone Kircher is a Times reporter covering internet culture. More about Madison Malone Kircher

Sapna Maheshwari reports on TikTok, technology and emerging media companies. She has been a business reporter for more than a decade. Contact her at [email protected] . More about Sapna Maheshwari

Our Coverage of the 2024 Met Gala

Zendaya Makes Two Arrivals: The actress wore a second John Galliano design to make a late (re)entrance at the Met Gala . The first was a custom Maison Margiela couture dress he created specifically for her.

A Fitting Literary Inspiration: In 1962, J.G. Ballard published “The Garden of Time,” a short story about aristocrats overrun by “an immense rabble.” It was a fitting but ironic choice as this year’s  dress-code theme .

The Body Spectacle: The night saw Kim Kardashian engaged in a kind of body modification  via extreme corseting. While Tyla, the South African singer and songwriter, appeared coated in sand .

Arrests and Protests: As expected, protesters gathered near the Met Gala to protest the war in Gaza, creating an atmosphere far different  from the one inside the event.

The ‘Naked’ Trend: What better way to distinguish oneself  from hundreds of well-dressed competitors than to wear almost nothing at all?

A Night of Firsts: Here’s the story behind Rebecca Ferguson’s sequin, bird-covered dress , Da’Vine Joy Randolph’s all-denim look , Pamela Anderson’s new incarnation , Christian Cowan and Sam Smith’s debut as a couple , and Amanda Seyfried’s semi-recycled look .

Best Met Gala looks from the 2024 red carpet

“The Garden of Time” dress code promised to tease florals, decadence and the ephemeral beauty of nature.

The Met Gala theme is always up for a lot of interpretation, and this year really left things to the celebrity imagination: While the Met celebrated its new exhibit “Sleeping Beauties: Reawakening Fashion,” the evening’s theme-slash-dress code was “The Garden of Time,” inspired by a 1962 J.G. Ballard story. This meant tons of florals, of course (seriously, so many florals, and yes, we have heard all your jokes about how that’s “groundbreaking”), along with the many other ways that the stars and their designers decided to celebrate “rebirth and renewal, using nature as a metaphor for the impermanence of fashion.”

Here are some of The Post’s favorite looks from the night:

Rebecca Ferguson

Some of the best Met Gala moments are ones that are shrouded in mystery ... and when Rebecca Ferguson arrived on the carpet in an all-black ensemble by Thom Browne, you might have thought, “Oh, is that it?” But then came the dramatic unveiling. She threw open her cloak to reveal a tapestry of ominous birds (crows? ravens?), not to mention a sparkling sequined dress. While the colors may not have evoked a garden, it certainly told a story. — Emily Yahr

Tyla may have sung the hit “Water,” but for her Met Gala dress, that would have been a significant hazard: Her Balmain gown was made to look as if it were crafted from sand. The molded breastplate made it sexy. The hourglass handbag made it silly. The fragility of the dress — including the sparkly gold sand that dusted her skin — made it extremely on-theme. The gown was so delicate, she had to be lifted up the stairs. Campy, sexy, impractical: All of these factors make it a great Met Gala showing. — Maura Judkis

Taylor Russell

Taylor Russell made her Met Gala debut in a Loewe dress with a custom molded bodice painted to look like polished wood. Loewe is known for unexpected flourishes that glitch and recontextualize fashion norms. It’s not an obvious fit for a “garden” theme, which can bring to mind easy-breezy earth-mama gauze. But in Russell’s look, a tree doesn’t evoke nature so much as it evokes a natural resource to be harnessed and used by humans. It’s a little cold, a little hippie Mugler and not a little beautiful. — Shane O’Neill

I really dug the guests who leaned into the “Sleeping Beauty” concept of the Costume Institute show, and Greta Lee was the best to do it, in a gauzy Loewe shield dress. It looks like a ghost’s concept of a gown, floating around her body in search of a great personality to animate its past life. — Rachel Tashjian

Will Welch, the global editorial director of GQ, wore a brown suit by Evan Kinori, a San Francisco-based designer admired for his contemplative approach to menswear. I see a bit of ’90s Armani — when actors wore his fluid brown suits — and some Yohji Yamamoto in the mix of formal fabric and relaxed fit. — Rachel Tashjian

We got a lot of “garden” at the Met this year, with flowers and florals in full bloom. But we didn’t get as much “time,” apart from Tyla’s hourglass purse, Wisdom Kaye’s suit with burned edges and a few ill-advised clock faces thrown around here and there. The Loewe dress worn by the British actor Ambika Mod was a happy exception. According to Vogue, the dress features a trompe l’oeil print of a 1951 Charles James gown. James’s designs inspired Dior’s New Look, which arguably makes him the grandfather of what we consider modern fashion. It’s a gown on a gown, or at least the illusion of a gown on a gown, and a quiet nod to the inherent impermanence of both style and garment. — Shane O’Neill

Ayo Edebiri

Some Met Gala looks were more literal than others — and “The Bear” star Ayo Edebiri’s dress by Jonathan Anderson’s Loewe looked like a garden sprouting up from the ground thanks to 3D appliqué flowers, according to Vogue. The colorful blooms stood out among the more neutral looks on the carpet, as did her floral- and bird-inspired jewelry. — Emily Yahr

Nicole Kidman

Balenciaga designer Demna has entered a deep mind meld with Cristobal Balenciaga. This dress, which Nicole Kidman saw in an Irving Penn photograph, is a recreation of a Balenciaga dress from the 1950s. What’s great about Balenciaga’s designs is that they were so sci-fi and purist, so when Demna updates them for today, they don’t look dated at all. — Rachel Tashjian

Bad Bunny managed to be both outside of time and on-trend. The Margiela suit, designed by John Galliano, was marked with what looked like white tailor’s chalk, which nodded to Maison Margiela’s deconstructionist roots and to the temporality of garment construction. The hoof shoes were a refreshing nod to fauna on a red carpet dominated by flora. The look also encapsulated several trends seen elsewhere on the red carpet tonight. Black and blue? Check! A gothy cluster of black flowers? Check! Corsetry? It’s not visible, but according to him, underneath the suit jacket? Check! I still can’t get behind those Margiela hats with the lumpy bumpy stuffing encased in what appears to be a torn pair of tights (Google “pantyhose doll” and tell me that you don’t see it too) but I appreciate the Henry VIII silhouette and the bold Gestalt of the whole thing. — Shane O’Neill

Everything from the Met Gala 2024

On the first Monday of May every year, celebrities come to the Met Gala in New York to show off jaw-dropping looks as a way to raise money for the Metropolitan Museum of Art’s Costume Institute.

Best looks: Actress Greta Lee and singer Tyla made our list of the best dressed at the Met Gala . See photos from the red carpet and our cartoonist’s costume illustrations . John Galliano, who dressed six guests, including actresses Zendaya and Kim Kardashian, and rapper Bad Bunny, was the real winner of the night .

Theme: While it’s not so easy for celebrities to dress on theme , the dress code for Monday’s event was “The Garden of Time,” inspired by a 1962 J.G. Ballard story of the same name. The show theme, “ Sleeping Beauties: Reawakening Fashion, ” according to the Met, “will explore notions of rebirth and renewal, using nature as a metaphor for the impermanence of fashion.”

Guests: This year’s hosts include Bad Bunny, Zendaya, and actors Chris Hemsworth and Jennifer Lopez, who co-chair with Vogue editor in chief Anna Wintour. Though A-list celebs are standard fare at the Met Gala, some of the other guests over the years may surprise you .

May 2023 TOK essay prescribed title #2 – key terms

Published by author on september 23, 2022 september 23, 2022.

Once you get the set of prescribed titles for your cohort, the first step is going through each one and analyzing the key terms.

2. For artists and natural scientists, which is more important: what can be explained or what cannot be explained? Discuss with reference to the arts and the natural sciences.

“ Artists and natural scientist ” – Note that the AOKs mentions “artists and natural scientists” and not “the arts and the natural sciences.”  This is a small but important distinction.  Make sure your essay specifically discusses people – i.e. actual artists and scientists.

“ which is more important ” – Make sure that your essay clearly answers this question.  Your investigation of different AOKs and different specific examples throughout your answer may lead to multiple answers to the question which is perfectly fine.  Your essay does not have to have one definitive answer to this question – in fact an essay that has one definitive answer to this question is likely flawed.

“ what can be explained ” – Consider the ways knowledge is explained in different AOKs.  In the study of history, for example, arguments must be supported by evidence similar to other AOKs.  However, history does not have formulas or experiments like in mathematics or the sciences that can be re-tested by others.   Also, point of view plays a much larger role in determining what can be explained in some AOKs than others.

“ what cannot be explained ” – There are things that at a certain point of time cannot be explained and this uncertainty drives research.  From another point of view, things cannot be explained fully in the arts such as a personal interpretation of a piece of literature or a sculptor’s intentions.  These things that cannot be (fully) explained often drive discussion and analysis in the arts and lead to the development of artistic knowledge.   

May 2023 TOK essay #2 should only discuss the AOK(s) mentioned in the prescribed title.

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