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Theory of Knowledge ('''TOK''') is a High School Epistemology course taken by all International Baccalaureate Diploma Programme students. The course discusses how the student is able to know something. The student is described as a "knower" who attempts to find knowledge, where knowledge, as defined by Plato, is "justified true belief". The course uses the four ''Ways of Knowing'' (WOK): , Natural Sciences , Social Sciences , Ethics , History , and the Art s. Also the course discusses ''Problems of Knowledge'' (POK), or limitations of knowledge, concerning the WOK and AOK. The course teaches nine reasons for justification of things one claims to know: Logic , Sensory Perception , Revelation , Faith , Memory , Consensus , Authority , Intuition , and Self-awareness . Also studied are the three known truth tests: Coherence , Correspondence , and Pragmatic . These nine justifications and three truth tests are key to the introduction of TOK. The course is formulated and centered around one main question: How do you know? One is supposed to use the Ways of Knowing and the Areas of Knowledge to discuss how one acquires, perceives, and applies knowledge and how reliable can it be. Another questions central to the ideas of ToK, relating specifically to the application of knowledge is: 'What is your obligation as a knower?' Questions that may be discussed may include examples such as 'How do you know that the scientific method is a valid method of gaining knowledge?' or 'What is the reason for having historical knowledge, and how is it applied in life?' At the completion of the course, students give an internally assessed oral presentation of about 10 minutes and write an essay of 1,200 to 1,600 words that will be assessed externally by the IBO . The presentation follows a topic of the student's choosing while the paper must discuss one of 10 pre-determined topics that are changed each year. In both cases the student is required to provide ample discussion of the POK, AOK, and WOK concerning their topic as well as critical evaluation of their conclusions. TOK, like Creativity, Action, Service , is a required course for students in the IB Diploma Programme, and a good final score in both TOK and the Extended Essay may help the student receive up to three extra points towards their diploma. A final grade in TOK is necessary to receive the IB Diploma. A failing grade or lack of a grade in TOK constitutes disqualification of a candidate for an IB Diploma. EXTERNAL LINKS
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