The York School 2024/25 Year in Review - Theory of Knowledge (TOK): Connecting COVID-19 vaccines and Trump’s 51st state tweet to the acceptance or rejection of knowledge

TOK is a core DP course that gives students an opportunity to reflect on the nature of knowledge, and on how we know what we claim to know. Students inquire into different ways of knowing and different kinds of knowledge by asking philosophical questions. The course aims to make students aware of the interpretive nature of knowledge, including personal ideological biases. TOK prompts students to become more acquainted with the complexity of knowledge. Analyzing challenging philosophical texts to uncover layers of meaning and find specific evidence to support their interpretations helps students develop the critical thinking skills that are essential for success in university.

The course is assessed through an exhibition and a 1,600 word essay. For the exhibition, students explore a philosophical prompt by finding the connections between three disparate objects.
For his TOK Exhibition, Judah B. ‘26 selected the prompt, “How does the context in which knowledge is presented influence whether it is accepted or rejected?” He explored this topic by choosing three objects that have key links to the question: the AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccine (an example of context sometimes playing a crucial role in determining whether knowledge is accepted or rejected); the prime number chart (an object that doesn’t require context to be accepted); and Donald Trump’s tweet about Canada becoming the 51st state (an example of context playing a more ambiguous role.)
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