TOK Talk

詮釋與知識 Interpretation as a reliable tool Oct 23, 2025 00:23:30 在知識的產生過程中，詮釋在多大程度上是一種可靠的工具？在本期知識論清談中，我們有幸邀請到中國文化研究中心的張玉龍老師，他的深厚學識和獨到見解為我們的討論增添了無限光彩。張老師的專業背景使他能夠深入剖析詮釋與知識之間的複雜關係。他的思考不僅啟發了我們對知識本質的重新思考，也讓我們感受到詮釋在知識生成過程中的重要性和挑戰。期待大家收聽這期節目，感受張老師的智慧和魅力。 2026 TOK Essay Title 6: To what extent is interpretation a reliable tool in the production of knowledge? Answer with reference to history and one other area of knowledge. In this episode of our TOK talk, we're plea

萬物皆數嘉賓介紹Everything is Numbers Oct 23, 2025 00:22:07 你在多大程度上認同「萬物皆數」這一論斷。是否萬物皆數，所有的知識和理解最終都可以用數字來詮釋和量化？甚至是本質上都是數學？這是一個值得深思的問題。為了探討這個有趣的話題，我們特別邀請了吳暇老師和張紫朗老師參加這一期的知識論清談。在討論中，兩位老師的對話既幽默又深刻，像是在一場智力的舞蹈中，讓人不禁想要跟著一起起舞。他們結合自身經驗探討了數學與知識之間的微妙關係，讓人耳目一新。不論是吳老師的風趣比喻，還是張老師的深邃見解，這場對話都讓我們重新思考了知識的本質。期待大家收聽這期節目，跟隨我們一起在知識的海洋中暢游，說不定會有意想不到的收穫哦！ To what extent do you agree with the claim that “all things are numbers” (Pythagoras)? Answer with reference to the arts and

知識與情境 Knowledge and Context Oct 23, 2025 00:31:54 在獲取知識的過程中，我們對某事物的理解程度是否僅能達到我們對該事物情境的理解程度？帶著這個問題，我們特意邀請了王紅櫻老師、張熙老師參與了這一期的知識論清談。期間老師們對於情境與知識的討論有趣有深刻，期待大家收聽。 In the acquisition of knowledge, can we only understand something to the extent that we understand its context? Discuss with reference to two areas of knowledge. With this question, we invited Teachers Wang Hongying and Zhang Xi to join this session of our epistemology discussion. Their ins

Power in the medium Oct 23, 2025 00:31:42 2026 TOK Essay Title 3: Is the power of knowledge determined by the way in which the knowledge is conveyed? Discuss with reference to mathematics and one other area of knowledge. Can knowledge stand on its own, or does its impact entirely depend on the packaging? That is the provocative challenge of the 2026 TOK Essay Title 3: "Is the power of knowledge determined by the way in which the knowledg

Doubt is Central Oct 23, 2025 00:25:44 2026 TOK Essay Title 2: To what extent do you agree that doubt is central to the pursuit of knowledge? Answer with reference to two areas of knowledge. This title seems to pick up in the middle of a debate about the nature of knowledge, and how it has shifted over time… particularly with the 21st century focus on STEM, and a scientific approach to knowledge. For me, as an art teacher, the idea th

Observation is essential but flawed Oct 23, 2025 00:37:10 2026 TOK Essay Title 1: In the production of knowledge, does it matter that observation is an essential but flawed tool? Discuss with reference to the natural sciences and one other area of knowledge. The premise of the 2026 TOK Essay Title 1—that observation, the bedrock of science, is also inherently flawed—demanded a rigorous inquiry. To understand the stakes, I sat down with a science expert t

TOK Essay Guidance with John Sprague Oct 20, 2025 00:25:19 A fantastic professional learning workshop this week at our school led to a follow-up conversation with John Sprague, renowned TOK textbook writer and teacher. We wanted to delve deeper into the practical strategies he uses to help students master their essays. One highlight for our teaching team was Sprague’s insightful framing of "knowledge communities." He helped us see that this concept is inh

Ever Improving Tools Nov 1, 2024 00:36:52 Title 4: Do the ever-improving tools of an area of knowledge always result in improved knowledge? Discuss with reference to two areas of knowledge Guest: Dr. Simon Griffin Sounds: Lamma beach

Finite Resources, Relentless Drive Oct 25, 2024 00:24:31 2025 TOK Essay Title 3: How can we reconcile the relentless drive to pursue knowledge with the finite resources we have available? Discuss with reference to the natural sciences and one other area of knowledge Guest: Kevin Hoye Sounds: Hong Kong Birds and Traffic in the morning

Do not ignore contradictory evidence Oct 25, 2024 00:26:49 2025 TOK Essay Title 1: Do historians and human scientists have an ethical obligation to follow the directive: “do not ignore contradictory evidence”? Discuss with reference to history and the human sciences. Guest: Quinn Fontaine Sounds: Sri Lankan rainforest in the morning

Fragile & Revered Knowledge Oct 25, 2024 00:28:14 2025 TOK Essay Title 2: Is our most revered knowledge more fragile than we assume it to be? Discuss with reference to the arts and one other area of knowledge Guest: Janka van Jaarsveld Sounds: Sri Lankan rainforest in the morning

Sense Of Wonder Oct 25, 2024 00:22:50 2025 TOK Essay Title 6: Does acquiring knowledge destroy our sense of wonder? Discuss with reference to two areas of knowledge Guest: Bob Scheer Sounds: Sri Lankan rainforest at midnight

Models are Wrong Oct 25, 2024 00:24:00 2025 TOK Essay Title 5: To what extent do you agree with the claim “all models are wrong, but some are useful” (attributed to George Box)? Discuss with reference to mathematics and one other area of knowledge. Guest: Rob Bradshaw Sounds: Sri Lankan street musicians

How do differing belief systems influence what we know? 不同的信仰体系如何影响我们的知识? Aug 7, 2024 00:22:08 不同的信仰体系如何影响我们的知识? In this bilingual podcast, we explore the complex relationship between belief systems and our understanding of the world. We examine various belief frameworks, including the Judeo-Christian, Buddhist, Taoist, and Confucian traditions, to explore if it is even possible to fully recognize the extent to which our underlying beliefs influence what we know and how we act. Join us as w

Who Owns Knowledge? Jun 3, 2024 00:37:15 Prompt 29. Who owns knowledge? LY’s first response: “Those who study, those who learn, those who share” is not a bad start. I wish this were the world we lived in, but somehow I think the answer is far more complicated and often influenced by power (for good and for bad) more than we care to acknowledge. What is ownership? That it ‘belongs’ to you? Can knowledge even be owned? Pioneers, invent

Role of Imagination! Feb 17, 2024 00:30:44 This is one that I could discuss endlessly. Who doesn’t love imagination? I actually recorded this (and a few more episodes) nearly a year ago and have been waiting for the right time. Now seems like the right time for this one, especially as we’re talking about the role of imagination in allowing us to understand and empathize with circumstances outside of our own world. We did go down a little

How important are Material Tools? Feb 16, 2024 00:40:00 I met with Jon Rees, another TOK Teacher (as well as teacher of Human Technologies and IB English) here in Hong Kong, and we discussed TOK Exhibition Prompt 23: How important are material tools in the production or acquisition of knowledge? It was a fascinating discussion! Students, you need to be careful in this question about the difference between producing knowledge and producing things. Whil

Nothing more exciting than fresh ideas? 2024 TOK Essay Title 3 Nov 1, 2023 00:23:18 May 2024 TOK Essay Title 3 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. What is the difference between an idea and knowledge? What is slow or fast in terms of ideas? What contexts affect the timeframe? Slow for what? Who? What does it mean to “adopt” an idea? How

Do we need custodians of knowledge? 2024 TOK Essay Title 5 Oct 26, 2023 00:14:10 May 2024 TOK Essay Title 5 Do we need custodians of knowledge? Discuss with reference to two areas of knowledge. I met with Kevin and recorded this, but I had a technical malfunction so the recording was lost. I’ve tried to recapture the essence of our conversation as best as I could. We unpacked some really interesting questions: How does one become a ‘custodian’ of knowledge? Who has the autho

Specialization vs. Generalization: 2024 TOK Essay Title 2 Oct 23, 2023 00:12:20 May 2024 TOK Essay Title 2: 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. This is a tough one that requires some confidence to write about examples with confidence in mathematics. A good investigation would offer an exploration of ways that the demands are reco

Recent Evidence: 2024 TOK Essay Title 6 Oct 22, 2023 00:36:35 May 2024 TOK Essay Title 6 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. Be careful here with this title that you’re really talking about evidence and not the interpretation of evidence in the form of theories! This one is worth a listen just for how we talk about ways to appro

Subjectivity in Arts & History: 2024 TOK Essay Title 1 Oct 22, 2023 00:27:14 May 2024 TOK Essay Title 1: Is subjectivity overly celebrated in the arts but unfairly condemned in history? Discuss with reference to the arts and history. Be careful with this title: you need to really interrogate assumptions about the role of subjectivity in both arts and history. Think about instances where subjectivity may be overly celebrated in the arts and where objectivity could be of v

Does Some Knowledge Belong to Communities Of Knowers? Sep 29, 2023 00:22:22 Today we talked about TOK Exhibition prompt 14: Does some knowledge belong only to particular communities of knowers? This is a good one with links to religious knowledge, and secret knowledge only shared by communities… We discuss the idea of preserving some knowledge, why some knowledge does (and perhaps should?) only belong to particular communities, and the blurry line where protecting knowled

美感的根源和本质 Origin & Essence of Beauty Aug 25, 2023 00:35:26 你為什麼會覺得某種存在很美？美感的根源和本质是什么？美感是个人、某种文化所特有的、还是整个世界共有的？帶著這些問題，我們特意邀請了王紅櫻老師、賀瑜老師、吳玥老師參與了這一期的知識論清談。期間老師們對於藝術與美的討論有趣有深刻，期待大家收聽。能夠完成這一話題的討論與後期製作，離不開Ms OSANN、苗曉龍老師的大力支持。鞠躬、致謝。 In this Mandarin episode of TOK Talk, Mr. Sun invited Mandarin Language Teachers Mr. Wang, Ms. He, and Ms. Wu to discuss important questions about beauty: Why do we think certain things are beautiful? What is the origin and nature o

Challenges raised by communication of knowledge Jul 2, 2023 00:30:38 In this episode, I met with Bill Kyzner (IB Teacher of Global Politics) and Garrett McKee (IB Teacher of Design Technology) to discuss Prompt 10: What challenges are raised by the dissemination and/or communication of knowledge? We explored the relationship between the communicator, the message, and the audience along with the challenges raised in each of these stages. We first unpacked the assump

歷史真相 Truth & History Jun 8, 2023 00:25:32 歷史是什麼？我們多大程度上可以探尋到歷史的真項？如果歷史真相難以證實,這是否意味著有關該歷史事件的各種版本都具有同樣的可接受性?哪些因素會影響你接受對歷史事件的解釋？帶著這些問題，我們特意邀請了張瓊老師、苗曉龍老師、李曉熙老師參與了這一期的知識論清談。期間老師們胸懷大志、腹有良謀、指點江山，有包藏宇宙之機，有吞吐天地之志，慾知如何，敬請收聽。能夠完成這一話題的討論與後期製作，離不開Ms OSANN、苗曉龍老師的大力支持。鞠躬、致謝。 Mandarin speakers, this is the second episode just for you! In this podcast, Sun Laoshi asked, "What is history? To what extent can we explore the truth of history? If historical t

Constraints On Pursuit Of Knowledge May 12, 2023 00:28:51 Recently I met with Naomi Chevannes who teaches Design Technology here in Hong Kong. We discussed TOK Exhibition Prompt 15: What constraints are there on the pursuit of knowledge? Breaking this down we discussed constraints such as access, tools, time, language, personal experience, motivation, perspectives, funding… We found possible divisions of these constraints such as inner and outer constrai

不同文化,不同語言,不同的世界? Different culture, different language, different worlds? Feb 13, 2023 00:29:38 This is the first of a series of Bilingual TOK Talk Podcasts! Today I met with four Chinese speaking colleagues to discuss the question: 具有不同文化及語言背景的人們是否生活在不同的世界中? “Do people with different cultural or language backgrounds live in different worlds?” 這一期的話題參與者來自中文組的三位同儕：劉宇老師、張瓊老師和白鷺老師。三位老師結合各自的親身經驗從多個角度分享了自己對於這一話題的認識，期間妙語連珠、精彩紛呈又發人深省。我個人在這次討論中也是受益良多，期待未來會有更多的中文老師參與到這個清談節目中。能夠完成這一話題的討論與後期製作，離不開Ms

Is Bias Inevitable In The Production Of Knowledge? Dec 13, 2022 00:21:56 Today I’m joined for another session by Ms. Virginia Voigt, Psychology teacher and we discussed TOK Exhibition Prompt 12: Is Bias inevitable in the production of knowledge? Since we’re human (and we're biased even when we try to be aware of our own biases), and knowledge is made by and for humans, the logical deduction here would be that yes, bias is inevitable. We don’t stop with this though, we

Are Some Types Of Knowledge Less Open To Interpretation Than Others Dec 1, 2022 00:32:00 Prompt 9: Are some types of knowledge less open to interpretation than others? In this episode, I met with one of my favourite teachers here in HK, Anastasia Stitch. She is a DP History teacher & examiner, and she holds a Masters of International and Public Affairs from University of Hong Kong, and was a DP History student herself. Looking through a Historical lens, I was really interested to hea

Bonus Episode: All the titles 2023… beware! Oct 25, 2022 00:09:39 After we finished the last episode, Kevin Hoye and I kept our conversation going about each of the titles, and I decided to keep the mic on to capture our conversation in the form of a quick little bonus episode to point out some things to watch out for and some interesting bits about each of the 6 titles. Class of 2023 TOK students… listen up! Again, thank you random musicians… speaking of which

Visual Representations: 2023 TOK Essay Title 5 Oct 25, 2022 00:32:09 Today I enjoyed tea and Talked some TOK with Kevin Hoye (IB English Literature and TOK Teacher) about 2023 TOK Essay Title 5: Are visual representations always helpful in the communication of knowledge? Discuss with reference to the human sciences and mathematics. We talked a lot about different ways into understanding this question.. Links to several examples discussed can be found on www.TOKTa

Replicability: 2023 TOK Essay Title 1 Oct 25, 2022 00:33:18 In this episode, I sat down with Donna Gee (IB Design Technology Teacher) and Michael Stewart (IB Psychology and TOK Teacher) to unpack and wrestle with 2023 TOK Essay Title 1: Is replicability necessary in the production of knowledge? Discuss with reference to two areas of knowledge. We had a rich discussion which I hope you’ll find insightful into the role and relevance of replicability in diffe

Bubbles: 2023 TOK Essay Title 3 Oct 24, 2022 00:40:03 In this episode, I talked to Ian Galley (IBDP English Language & Literature) Nicole Mamphey (Science and Applied Ethics) about TOK Essay 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. We had a rich discussion about “bubbles'' as they exist in social media networks and i

Astonishing Power: 2023 TOK Essay Title 4 Oct 20, 2022 00:27:49 In this episode, I met with Dr. PS Yuen and Janka Steenkamp (both IB English teachers to talk about Essay 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. Hope you find this episode as interesting as we did! If you’re looking for the TOK Essay Title P

Methodologies: 2023 TOK Essay Title 6 Sep 27, 2022 00:20:37 Today I had a really insightful discussion with IB Theatre teacher, Alex Campion. We talked about May 2023 TOK Essay 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. Of course we talked about the Arts, attempting to give light to artistic methods in contrast with "the scientific method".

That which can or cannot be explained: 2023 TOK Essay Title 2 Sep 26, 2022 00:27:06 Today I had a coffee with Bill Kyzner and Bob Scheer and we unpacked the 2023 May 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. Questions that arose included: When does one become an “artist” or “scientist”? What does it mean to “explain”? Important for the artist

To What Extent Is Certainty Attainable? Sep 21, 2022 00:29:55 Today I met with Dr. Rachel Oser, (Science Teacher) & 孫秀東 Xiudong Sun, (Chinese Literature and TOK Teacher) to talk about Exhibition Prompt 8: To what extent is certainty attainable? 在何種程度上確定性是可以達到的？This was a really interesting episode for me firstly, because we begin by contrasting the idea of certainty in Religious knowledge and Science… This is something I find very delicate to explore throug

On What Grounds Might We Doubt A Claim? Aug 30, 2022 00:22:43 TOK Exhibition Prompt 4: On what grounds might we doubt a claim? To unravel this question, I met with Sarah Rodgers (DP Chemistry & MYP Science Teacher) & Alice Brookes (DP Bio & MYP Science Teacher). Together, we talk about a range of reasons we might doubt claims that are made about knowledge, and conversely what might make knowledge claims more trustworthy. We touch upon a variety of criteria,

What Are The Implications of Having, or Not Having, Knowledge? Aug 12, 2022 00:25:38 Today I sat down with Jim Faherty, an experienced University Guidance Counsellor here in Hong Kong to exchange views on Exhibition Prompt 7 What are the implications of having or not having knowledge? Because of his background in university applications and guidance, we discussed this question in relation to how having knowledge within this realm expands and helps to refine options for future choi

How Does The Way That We Organize Or Classify Knowledge Affect What We Know Aug 3, 2022 00:33:56 Today I’m joined by Liu Yu, aka Mr. LY, teacher of Chinese Humanities and Assistant Principal at ISF Academy in HK. We discuss Prompt 6: How does the way we organize or classify knowledge affect what we know? We explore Confucian values in China as a way of organizing knowledge (and by extension society) within Chinese culture. We also consider language and culture as ways we organize knowledge, a

What counts as good evidence for a claim? Jun 26, 2022 00:26:43 In this episode, I sat down with DP Design Teacher Donna Gee and DP Global Politics Teacher Bill Kyzner to discuss TOK Exhibition Prompt 5: What counts as good evidence for a claim. It really got me thinking about the significance of this question in my own personal knowledge about myself and the world, but also in a bigger sense about claims being made in today’s very heated political world. We s

Can new knowledge change established values or beliefs? Jun 1, 2022 00:21:53 Prompt 11: Can new knowledge change established values and beliefs? I know this will likely bother anyone who is interested in order and logic, but I've decided to break the order of prompts so I can publish them as I record them. Turns out the most interesting topics to those around me are not necessarily in the order the IB has given them. Who knew? Anyway... Today I’m joined by Theatre Teache

Is Some Knowledge More Useful Than Others? May 13, 2022 00:28:26 This is the second episode in a series exploring the TOK Exhibition Prompts. Today I’m joined by Adam Walker, expert and teacher of Theatre. We get together and discuss TOK Exhibition Prompt 2: Are some types of knowledge more useful than others? We’re both teachers of the Arts, so our conversation focuses heavily around the arts. It would be interesting to sit down with a physicist, architect,

What Counts As Knowledge? May 11, 2022 00:09:33 This is the first in a series exploring the TOK Exhibition Prompts. In these episodes, I don't intend to answer the questions, but rather explore them and get you thinking. I hope you enjoy and find it stimulating! To explore Prompt 1: What counts of knowledge, it was helpful to think about the following Types of Knowledge: Factual Conceptual Procedural A Posteriori knowledge - from personal exp

Do good explanations have to be true? Feb 20, 2021 00:43:11 Today’s topic is a previous TOK Essay title: “Do good explanations have to be true?” To help me explore this question, I am joined by four fellow IB & TOK Teachers: Mr. Bill Kyzner representing Political Science, Mr. Francis Wynne, representing the Classics, including Latin Language & Greek Mythology, Mr. Jordan West-Pratt representing Natural Sciences, and today I’ll be representing the Arts. Q

Statistics Conceal as much as they Reveal Dec 20, 2020 00:52:37 Today we delve into the world of Statistics, and unpack how it can be a tool that can both reveal and conceal. To help me with this complicated question, I’ve asked some well-informed people to help me unpack this year’s TOK Essay Title 4: “Statistics conceal as much as they reveal” Here with me today are Ms. Zehra Baig, Statistics teacher, Mr. Martin Brown, Mathematics teacher and Ms. Virginia

The Roles of Bias in the Pursuit of Knowledge Dec 10, 2020 00:51:50 Joining me today are Dr. Rachel Oser: a Research Scientist & Teacher, Mr. David Fenwick: a Physics, Mathematics and Engineering Teacher, and Mr. Kevin Hoye, an English and fellow TOK Teacher. The prompt is this year’s essay Title 6: “Avoiding bias seems a commendable goal but this fails to recognize the positive role that bias can play in the pursuit of knowledge” Questions we discuss: * Why m

Interview with an IB Graduate Mar 9, 2019 00:24:37 In this episode, I sat down and talked with my oldest daughter, who graduated last May from an IB school in Shanghai and is now studying Art at Parsons in New York. We discussed her experience as an IB student and she shares her perspective about TOK, CAS and IB in general. She also shares some honest advice in general about getting through IB and applying for Universities, as well as her experien

Intro to Ethics Dec 31, 2018 00:24:28 This episode I give an introduction to four main theories or perspectives on ethics: Virtue ethics, Deontological Ethics, Consequentialism and Utilitarianism, and Moral Relativism. I discuss these theories in relation to current situations such as the MeToo Movement and Self-driving cars. I love ethics... so this will be the first of several episodes looking at how ethics shapes knowledge in other

Reason? Intuition, Faith, Imagination! Oct 31, 2018 00:22:50 Should we as a global society value knowledge produced with reason over all other ways of knowing? In this episode, I explore a little more about the strengths and limitations of reason in contrast with intuition, faith and imagination. Credit to the intro singer Kelsang Dorjee from Tibet with whom I had the pleasure of meeting and singing with a few years ago in Shanghai. Please visit my website

What's in a name? Oct 19, 2018 00:18:40 Welcome back for episode 2! In this episode I introduce my cohost, Hobbes and together we discuss the first way of knowing: Language. We ask and explore the questions: What's in a name? A word? How does language shape the way we think? Why does it matter?

TOK.. What's that!? Oct 18, 2018 00:06:29 Welcome to TOK Talk, a new podcast about Theory of Knowledge. What's that you say? Well listen to my first podcast to get a basic understanding, and stay tuned for more podcasts coming soon!

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