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International Baccalaureate

THEORY OF KNOWLEDGE ESSAY


Prescribed title essay #1:
With reference to two areas of knowledge discuss the way in which
shared knowledge can shape personal knowledge.

Name of candidate: Karna Urs


Word count: 1241

Howdoweknowthings?ThatwasthefirstquestionwewereallaskedduringourfirstTheoryof
Knowledgesession.Wehavenowlearntthatweknowthingsbecauseweuseavarietyofmethods
ofinquirythatutilisethewaysofknowing.Thewaysofknowinghelpusformthefoundationsof
variousareasofknowledge,suchasmathematics,thesciencesandhumanitarianstudies.Anareaof
knowledgeishowwehavecategorisedandidentifywhatweknow.Inordertogainknowledge,we
employthewaysofknowing;namelysenseperception,reasoning,emotion,imagination,
language,intuition,faithandmemory.Usingthesewaysofknowing,weacquireknowledgeabout
theworldaroundusanddeterminethenatureoftherelationshipwemaysharewiththeacquired
knowledge.Itisoftenfoundthatthewaysofknowingareusuallydependentononeanotherand
oftencoexist.Waysofknowinghelpusanswerthequestionhowdoweknow?
Theknowledgesystemofacommunityorsocietycanbesegregatedintotwocategoriesof
knowledge,sharedandpersonalknowledge.Sharedknowledgeisthetypeofstructuredknowledge
assembledbyagroupofindividuals,andiscontinuouslybeingcontributedtobyindividuals.
Sharedknowledgeconstantlyevolvesovertimeduetocontinuedinquiriesmadeintheknowledge
framework.Itinvitesustothinkaboutwhatwe,asawhole,know.Anexampleofshared
knowledgecanbeseeninthefieldofBiology.Biologyisasubject,inwhichtheknowledgeis
shared.Countlesspeoplestudythehumanbodyandhavetheabilitytoshapethebodyof
knowledge.Muchoftheresearchisconductedbyteamsandissubjecttobeingreviewed,beforeit
isaccepted.Theknowledgeframeworkcoveredinsharedknowledge,isconstantlychangingand
evolvingovertime.Thisisduetothecontinuousinquiriesmadeincertainfieldsandaspects.
Personalknowledge,orknowledgeviaacquaintance,contrarytosharedknowledge,dependsonthe
personalexperiencesoftheindividual.Itdependsoncertainfactorsoftheindividualslifeand
experiencessuchasgeographicallocation,upbringing,culture,valuesandbeliefs.Personal
knowledgethereforeincludesindividualtalentsandbeliefsformedthroughtheindividuals

experiences.Examplesofpersonalknowledgeareknowledgegainedfromformaleducation,life
experiencesoutsideacademiaandevenridingabike.Itcanbeconcludedthatpersonalknowledge
ismoredifficulttoconveytoothers.Forexample,awineenthusiast,whohasdevelopedapalatefor
winetasteswillhaveasignificantamountofknowledgeofwinetastes.However,fortheenthusiast
todescribethetasteandexperiencetoothersmaybeadifficulttask.Similartosharedknowledge,
personalknowledgetooundergoeschangesoverperiodsoftime.Throughoutourlives,weare
constantlyundergoingchangesandhavingnewexperiences.Thesenewexperiencescontributeto
ourknowledgeandmayalterwhatwealreadyknow.Henceourpersonalknowledgeneverremains
static.
Itcanbededucedthatsharedknowledgeandpersonalknowledgearelinkedinsomewaysandare
dependentoneachotherincertaincircumstances.Anexampleofhowpersonalknowledgecan
contributetosharedknowledge,iswhenindividualresearchcontributestoafieldinthenatural
sciences.Personalknowledgeisthefoundationuponwhichscientificdiscoveriesweremade.Any
scientistcontributingtothefield,wouldpossesssomepersonalknowledgeorpersonalqualitiesthat
wouldaidinhis/herresearch.Atthesametime,thescientistsworkwouldbeexaminedbypeers
andrevieweduntilitisacceptedaspartofthesharedbodyofknowledge.Anexampleofhow
sharedknowledgecanshapepersonalknowledgeiswhenanindividualstudyingmedicine,may
developabetterinsightintohis/herownhealthconditions.
Theknowledgequestionthatcomestomindbasedontheabovetext,isTowhatextentareshared
knowledgeandpersonalknowledgeinterdependent?Throughthedifferentwaysofknowing,shared
knowledgedoesshapepersonalknowledge,toanextent.However,themethodsandtheextentto
whichthisoccursisconstantlyvaryingdependingonthesituationandisnotcertain.Ihavechosen
toanalysehowsharedknowledgeshapespersonalknowledgeintheareasofthehumanitiesandthe
arts.

Anexampleofhowsharedknowledgeshapespersonalknowledgeinthehumanities,canbeseenin
conformity.Here,itcanbearguedthatsocialnormsinfluencepersonalbehaviourandknowledge
andcanchangetheindividualsbeliefsandvalues.Thereisanestablishmentofcontrolby
encouragingindividualstoconformtoandtoaccepttheestablishedsocialnorms.Anindividuals
mostsoughtafterfeelingisaneedforapprovalandasenseofbelonging.Conformityleadsto
peoplehavingsimilarvalues,beliefs,opinions,behaviourandattitudetothenormsofthegroup.
Theneedtobelongcansubtlyinfluencepeopletoaltertheirbeliefsandvalues,thereforechanging
thewayinwhichtheyperceivethingsandeventually,theirpersonalknowledge.Acounterargument
thatcanbeplacedhereisthattheindividualsknowledgeaboutdifferencesandthepossibilityof
beingembarrassed,changestheirbehaviourandthisinturnaffectsthegroup,therebytheshared
knowledge.Inthiscase,thepersonalknowledgepossessedbytheindividualaboutthepossibilityof
beingembarrassedandbeingexcludedfromthegroup,alongwiththetendencytobelong,has
influencedtheindividualtochangetheirbeliefsandvaluesandtoconform.
Anotherareainwhichsharedknowledgeshapedpersonalknowledgeisinthearts.Whenitcomes
tovisualart,sharedknowledgeandpersonalknowledgeneedtobeappliedbothtotheartistaswell
astheviewer.Itcanbearguedthattheartistusesemotion,whichisuniversal,inordertoshapethe
audiencesfeelingsandthoughts.Theartistutiliseshis/herwaysofknowingsuchasemotionand
imagination,inordertopresenttheviewerswithaworkofart,thatisabletoconveyanintended
messagesuccessfully.Asemotionsareuniversal,theyformthesharedknowledgeinart.Then,
throughsenseperception,theaudienceareabletowitnesstheworkofartandthroughemotion,are
abletoderivemeaningfromit.Theaudiencegoontoreasonouthowtheartworkinvokedthat
particularfeelingoremotion.Eachvieweroftheworkmayinterpretitdifferentlyandhencemay
derivedifferentmeaningsasemotionsandfeelingsareuniversal.Acounterclaimtothisiswhenan
individualexplainsthemeaninghe/shederivedfromtheartwork,toanother.Here,thepersonal
knowledgeofone,iscontributingtohowanotherwouldinterpretthesamework.

Bothsharedknowledgeandpersonalknowledgearedependentononeanotherandsharea
relationship.Eachhavetheabilitytosignificantlyshapeandsupporttheother.Afterexamining
sharedandpersonalknowledgeinthehumanitiesandthearts,Iconcludethatsharedknowledge
doesshapepersonalknowledge,toanextent.However,thenatureofthepersonalknowledge
formedisvaryingandneverconstant,duetothedifferentmethodsofuseofthewaysofknowing
bydifferentindividuals,whichleadstodifferentconclusionsformed,especiallyinthearts.Thisis
duetotothenonuniversalnatureofemotions,whichisthewayofknowingmostcommonlylinked
toart.Whilesharedknowledgedoesshapepersonalknowledge,itisimportanttonotethatpersonal
knowledgetooiscapableofshapingsharedknowledge.Itisimportanttomaintainabalance
betweenourpersonalandsharedknowledgeandensurethatonedoesnotlimitorhindertheother.

References:
1. 4. With reference to two areas of knowledge discuss the way in which shared
knowledge can shape personal knowledge. (2014). Retrieved August 17, 2016, from
https://toktrump.wordpress.com/2014/09/22/4-with-reference-to-two-areas-of-knowledgediscuss-the-way-in-which-shared-knowledge-can-shape-personal-knowledge/commentpage-1/
2.Shared and personal knowledge. (n.d.). Retrieved August 18, 2016, from
http://tokessay.weebly.com/shared-and-personal-knowledge.html

3.Theory of knowledge - theoryofknowledge.net. (n.d.). Retrieved August 17, 2016,


from http://www.theoryofknowledge.net/

4.Useful examples: Question 4 With reference to ... - TOK Helper. (n.d.). Retrieved
August 18, 2016, from http://www.tokhelper.com/?p=17

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