IB ToK Essay Titles and Topics: May 2019

Here are links to ideas and suggestions relating to the the six May 2019 IB ToK Essay topics:

• Topic 1. The quality of knowledge and its acceptance
• Topic 2. The production of knowledge is a collaborative task
• Topic 3. Truth and good explanations
• Topic 4. Disinterestedness and the pursuit of knowledge
• Topic 5. The production of knowledge and accepting conclusions
• Topic 6. The health of disciplines and contrasting perspectives

I briefly mention some points to consider for each topic below; however, the personalised service I offer is tailored to each student.

The IB organization holds copyright in the theory of knowledge (TOK) prescribed titles and does not permit any reproduction of any IB materials on a public website without its prior written consent. Please contact me if you wish to know any particular title verbatim.

You should be very wary of simply repeating phrases and words from ToK websites.

In particular, basing your essays on downloaded templates carries considerable risks. First, you don't know with whom you are dealing.

Secondly, your essay will share the same structure as many others and will likely be considered as plagiarised. As an experienced philosophy and ToK examiner I know how easy it is to identify essays with a common source.

At any time, you can access free podcasts, videos, and articles, relevant to your IB ToK essay or presentation, from the site's social media pages.

The posts also provide links to discussions of WoKs, AoKs and real-life examples; so it's worth following or liking them:

If you require personal help choosing your May 2019 ToK essay topics, I'd be delighted to receive your email; I'll send details of my services and fees:

Title 1: "The quality of knowledge is best measured by how many people accept it." Discuss this claim with reference to two areas of knowledge.

Thoughts to consider with essay 1 include:

• the relationship between confidence, belief and knowledge
• can we have an absolutely confident belief and yet fail to know?
• does the quality of knowledge come in degrees?

If you require tailored help with topic 1 of the May 2019 ToK essay titles, then I'd be delighted to receive your email; I'll send you details of my services and fees:

Title 2: "The production of knowledge is always a collaborative task and never solely a product of the individual."

Thoughts to consider with essay 2 include:

• do you know something nobody else knows?
• does all collaboration have to be consciously and collectively planned?
• is some of our knowledge innate or is all knowledge acquired?

If you're considering answering topic 2 of the May 2019 ToK essay titles, then I'd be delighted to receive your email; I'll send you details of my services and fees:

Title 3: Do good explanations have to be true?

Thoughts to consider with essay 3 include:

• the concept of abduction or inference to the best explanation
• what do we need explanations for?
• can we ever be sure that an explanation is true?

If you'd like to discuss topic 3 of the May 2019 ToK essay titles, then I'd be delighted to receive your email; I'll send you details of my services and fees:

Title 4: "Disinterestedness is essential in the pursuit of knowledge." Discuss this claim with reference to two areas of knowledge.

Thoughts to consider with essay 4 include:

• what use is knowledge?
• is all knowledge useful or is some knowledge useless?
• why would be pursue something in which we have no interest?

If you'd like help with topic 4 of the May 2019 ToK essay titles, then I'd be delighted to receive your email; I'll send you details of my services and fees:

Title 5: "The production of knowledge requires accepting conclusions that go beyond the evidence for them." Discuss this claim.

Thoughts to consider with essay 5 include:

• the varities of logic, and hence of conclusions (deductive, inductive, abductive(
• is it possible to know a falsehood?
• what is the difference between conclusive and non-conclusive evidence?

If you're considering addressing topic 5 of the May 2019 ToK essay titles, then by all means email me and I'll send you details of my services and fees:

Title 6: "One way to assure the health of a discipline is to nurture contrasting perspectives." Discuss this claim.

Thoughts to consider with essay 6 include:

• is a contrasting perspective a contradictory one?
• how, if at all, can disagreement produce knowledge?
• is there more to the health of a discipline than merely producing knowledge?

If you're writing on topic 6 of the May 2019 ToK essay titles, then I'd be happy to receive your email; I'll send you details of my services and fees: