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May 2024 TOK Essay Titles Guide. Short Descriptions & Writing Tips

Hello, IB scholars! As someone deeply immersed in the International Baccalaureate (IB) world for years, I’m thrilled to share my insights on the May 2024 TOK essay titles. Understanding these complex topics can be daunting, but fear not! I’m here to guide you through each one, offering my seasoned perspective on approaching them effectively.

What Are TOK Essay Prescribed Titles?

As an experienced IB writer and advisor, I’ve guided numerous students through the intricate world of the IB Theory of Knowledge essays. In my years of involvement, I’ve understood the essence of TOK essay titles and their significance in the IB curriculum.

TOK essay titles are a unique set of essay questions the IB organization releases annually. They are designed to challenge students to reflect critically on the nature of knowledge and how we come to know what we claim to know. So, each title poses a unique question that encourages deep thinking. As you contemplate your TOK essay, consider these key elements:

  • Clarity of Understanding . Ensure you fully comprehend the nuances of the prescribed title.
  • Select AOKs and WOKs . Choose relevant Areas of Knowledge and Ways of Knowing that align with the title.
  • Real-Life Examples . Include practical situations to illustrate your arguments vividly.
  • Critical Thinking . Analyze and evaluate your examples and arguments from multiple perspectives.
  • Personal Insight . Reflect on your views and experiences concerning the title.

After choosing your focus, it’s time to structure your essay. A well-organized essay presents your ideas clearly and demonstrates your ability to think logically and coherently. Also, remember about word count . Start with an introduction outlining your understanding of the title and thesis. In the body, develop your arguments systematically, using your chosen AOKs and WOKs. Each paragraph should present a unique point supported by real-life examples and critical analysis.

Concluding your essay is just as important. An excellent conclusion summarizes your key points and reflects your argument’s broader implications. It’s a chance to leave a lasting impression on your reader, showing how your research contributes to a deeper understanding of knowledge.

May 2024 TOK Essay Titles: Detailed Breakdown

The May 2024 TOK essay titles cover intriguing and challenging topics that encourage critical thinking and deep analysis of knowledge:

  • Is subjectivity overly celebrated in the arts but unfairly condemned in history? Discuss with reference to the Arts and History.
  • 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.
  • 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.
  • Do we underestimate the challenges of taking knowledge out of its original context and transferring it to a different context? Discuss with reference to two Areas of Knowledge.
  • Do we need custodians of knowledge? Discuss with reference to two Areas of Knowledge.
  • 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.

For a successful TOK essay, it’s essential to blend personal insights with academic viewpoints, create a clear and cohesive argument, and effectively address counterarguments. Remember, it is about presenting facts, researching, and reflecting on the nature of knowledge and key TOK concepts . Take this opportunity to engage critically and creatively with the topics. Now, I will guide you through each title and offer my perspective on addressing them.

May 2024 TOK essay titles

1. Subjectivity in Arts and History

The debate over subjectivity’s role in arts versus history is fascinating. Often, we see a celebration of personal interpretation in the arts, whereas history demands objectivity. But should this be the case? Consider Arts and History as your Areas of Knowledge (AOKs) as you write this essay. For Ways of Knowing (WOKs), Emotion and Reason can provide deep insights. Real-life situations (RLSs) might include the analysis of a historical event or an art movement. My advice? Highlight the contrast in how subjectivity is perceived in these fields. Additionally, reflect on whether this difference is justified due to cultural bias.

2. Specialization vs. Generalization in Knowledge

Balancing the tension between specialization and generalization in knowledge production is a challenge. Mathematics is a perfect example of specialization, while Ethics can represent generalization. Logic and Intuition, as WOKs, play significant roles here. Consider using examples like mathematical theories for specialization and ethical dilemmas for generalization. To write a compelling essay, balance the two sides, providing arguments and examples from both Mathematics and another AOK of your choice.

3. Adoption of New Ideas in Knowledge Areas

Why are some knowledge areas slower to adopt new ideas? It is a question of cultural and academic inertia. Consider using Human Sciences and perhaps Natural Sciences AOK to research this. Imagination and Memory, as WOKs, are crucial in understanding this phenomenon. Use examples like breakthroughs in scientific research or new sociological theories as RLSs. Your essay should examine the resistance to new ideas and hypothesize why this occurs.

4. Knowledge Contextualization Challenges

One of the most underestimated aspects of knowledge is its context. Whether it’s Indigenous Knowledge Systems or Religious Knowledge Systems, the challenges of transferring knowledge to a different context are immense. Ways of Knowing, like Faith and Sense Perception, can be crucial in understanding these challenges. Use examples from different cultural contexts or religious texts to illustrate your points. Your essay should investigate these complexities and offer insights into how context shapes understanding.

5. The Role of Custodians in Knowledge

The question of whether we need custodians to safeguard knowledge is intriguing. Ethics and History can serve as your AOKs here, with Language and Emotion as WOKs. Consider using examples like ethical guidelines in research or preserving historical documents as RLSs. In your essay, debate the necessity of having custodians in knowledge, providing arguments for and against their role.

6. Evaluating Recent Evidence in Knowledge

Finally, the assumption that recent evidence is inherently more substantial is worth examining. Natural Sciences and Arts are suitable AOKs for this discussion. Use Reason and Perception as WOKs, and look at examples like the latest scientific findings or contemporary art trends as your RLSs. It’s essential to question the validity of new evidence compared to established knowledge. Your essay should balance this evaluation, presenting a nuanced view of how we perceive and value new information in different AOKs.

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Tok essay titles: common mistakes to avoid.

With the May 2024 TOK essay titles announced, I want to share some common pitfalls to avoid, ensuring you can write a well-thought-out and engaging paper. Be sure to pay attention to these mistakes.

1. Misunderstanding the Title

A standard error involves failing to understand the essay title fully. Each TOK prompt is intricately designed to provoke deep thinking. Make sure you grasp the nuances of the question and understand its connection to the Areas of Knowledge and Ways of Knowing.

2. Lack of Personal Engagement

While TOK essays require academic rigor, they also demand personal reflection. Students often miss the opportunity to express their perspectives and experiences. Relate the title to your insights, ensuring your essay reflects your unique understanding.

3. Over-Reliance on One Area of Knowledge

Frequently, essays become unbalanced by focusing too heavily on a single AOK. Discussing multiple AOKs where applicable is crucial, showing a broad understanding of how the title applies across different areas.

4. Ignoring Counterarguments

A good TOK essay presents a balanced view. You must acknowledge and investigate counterarguments to strengthen your essay. Demonstrate your ability to consider different perspectives and their implications.

5. Inadequate Structure and Flow

Essays often lose marks due to poor organization. A well-structured TOK essay with a clear introduction, body, and conclusion makes your argument more persuasive and accessible.

6. Insufficient Evidence and Examples

TOK essay without concrete examples lacks depth. Use relevant real-life situations and examples to support your points, making your arguments more compelling.

7. Neglecting the Criteria

The IB provides specific criteria for TOK essays. Familiarize yourself with these guidelines and ensure your TOK essay aligns with them. Pay attention to aspects like knowledge questions, analysis, and implications.

8. Plagiarism and Inaccurate Citations

Originality is key in TOK essays. Avoid plagiarism by properly citing sources and presenting your analysis. TOK is about your interpretation of knowledge, not just repeating others’ ideas.

You Might Also Like:

  • How to Write TOK Essay in One Week
  • IB TOK Essay Structure in Detail
  • AOKs in IB TOK
  • The Human Sciences AOK in TOK
  • The Natural Sciences AOK and Its Significance in TOK
  • TOK Exhibition Word Count
  • TOK Essay Word Count
  • 2024 November TOK Essay Prompts | How to Write Them?

The Bottom Line

This guide aims to spark your interest and offer a direct path for tackling the TOK essay topics. A remarkable essay achieves its essence by balancing your perspectives with thoroughly researching the Areas of Knowledge and Ways of Knowing. I encourage you to incorporate real-world instances that substantiate your viewpoints.

Above all, take pleasure in the process of dissecting these intricate questions. The experience gained in engaging with TOK is as valuable as the result itself. Also, you can contact our  IB TOK Essay Help Service  specialists for guidance or assistance. We provide top-quality help in writing TOK essays so that you can focus on what’s essential — studying!

Nick Radlinsky

Nick Radlinsky

Nick Radlinsky is a devoted educator, marketing specialist, and management expert with more than 15 years of experience in the education sector. After obtaining his business degree in 2016, Nick embarked on a quest to achieve his PhD, driven by his commitment to enhancing education for students worldwide. His vast experience, starting in 2008, has established him as a reputable authority in the field.

Nick's article, featured in Routledge's " Entrepreneurship in Central and Eastern Europe: Development through Internationalization ," highlights his sharp insights and unwavering dedication to advancing the educational landscape. Inspired by his personal motto, "Make education better," Nick's mission is to streamline students' lives and foster efficient learning. His inventive ideas and leadership have contributed to the transformation of numerous educational experiences, distinguishing him as a true innovator in his field.

may 2024 essay titles tok

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may 2024 essay titles tok

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EXPLAINED: May 2024 TOK Essay Prescribed Titles

What happened to this post? HackIB has been acquired by MyIBTutor . All content is now available on the MyIBTutor Blog with more exciting IB content to come! Click here to see it for yourself!

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TOK Essay Titles – May 2024 Examination Session

The titles for May 2024 are released! Here they are below:

Make sure to bookmark this page as I explain and provide examples for each of these titles in depth! UPDATE: Title 1, 2, 5 and 6 are now available. Stay tuned for more! For general guidance on how to write a good TOK essay, check out my TOK Essay advice collection .

Is subjectivity overly celebrated in the arts but unfairly condemned in history? Discuss with reference to the arts and history.

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.

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.

Do we underestimate the challenges of taking knowledge out of its original context and transferring it to a different context? Discuss with reference to two areas of knowledge.

Do we need custodians of knowledge? Discuss with reference to two areas of knowledge.

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.

This title attempts to challenge students on the main school of thought that you learn over the TOK course. The gist of your TOK teaching on both of these AOKs probably boiled down to something like: everything is art and it’s just whatever the artist wants to create, while history is always biased because the winners always write all of history. However, this eliminates much of the nuance in each of these AOKs that are worth exploring. That’s what makes this prompt interesting.

Is subjectivity overly celebrated in the arts? I will be honest, I never thought we really ‘celebrated’ subjectivity. It just, was. Inherently, art is a subjective exercise – you can think about this point a little further. You will find some heated discussion on whether art is subjective or could it be objective on the internet and I won’t delve into that here, because it isn’t the point of this title. The key here is to focus on the EXTENT of subjectivity and is it to the detriment of the area of knowledge itself. Then, we have to consider, whose subjectivity are we talking about: is it the artist’s subjectivity, or the audience’s subjectivity. For example, the Mona Lisa wasn’t that well known when it was first painted. I’m sure the Da Vinci thought it was quite a nice piece, but it seems like we didn’t really celebrate his subjectivity. It wasn’t until a certain audience found it subjectively good, that we accepted it as one of the greatest pieces of art in the world! That is an example of how subjectivity is relevant in the dissemination of artistic knowledge. For a more modern example, what about your favourite YouTuber? Do they truly make what they want? NO! They are often beholden to sponsors, and you – the audience! What you want to see, is what they will make! So it is YOUR subjectivity that drives their decision to produce art, not necessarily purely their subjectivity. Subjectivity by definition is just a person’s opinions, emotions, thoughts. This connects well with the TOK concept of values. What VALUES and WHOSE values are determining what art is created (in a variety of contexts), how art is perceived, and how art changes in its reception over time? These are all good questions to ponder. For more unconventional examples about art, think about how museums choose what art to display, what constitutes good art for prizes like the Nobel Prize for Literature, or why some art is considered more expensive than others? Are there systematic ways to think about our subjectivity and how we apply it to art? Is it really overly celebrating subjectivity or simply a necessity to make sense of the abundance of artistic knowledge in a sea of information today?

History gets a bad rep in the TOK classroom. Students like to trash on History calling it biased and unreliable. In this prompt, I don’t want you to refute these claims, but just think about how they aren’t necessarily catastrophic as we might think. We aren’t denying that biases in history could be problematic. I would be suspicious too, if the only accounts of the Rohingya Genocide came from the Myanmar military. However, the word condemned in the title suggests that we might be too harsh on historians when they get things wrong. We should focus on how the historical method recovers itself from failures in biases from its sources. Yes, it might be biased, but is it better than no history? Furthermore, does subjectivity actually ADD value to the way we produce, and interpret historical knowledge? While I’m sure a completely objective, news story like report of what happened in 1886 would be a historian’s dream, that isn’t the case! No matter how objective we try to be, we colour the events we experience by our own opinions, feelings and emotions. But isn’t that history in itself? In an almost cliched way, history’s subjectivity tells us more about what happened in the past and their beliefs and values more than words could ever say.

In both the historical and artistic discussions, you should focus more on the methodologies of these AOKs and how they achieve their AOK’s purpose. Subjectivity manifests in different ways in these AOKs and their methodology reflects that. In the overt awareness of subjectivity in the Arts, its method to produce knowledge is characteristically defined by subjectivity. In History, the method is to identify the covert influences of subjectivity, then to produce the most truthful knowledge possible. You can see that the goals of these two are different, and hence they deal with subjectivity differently. Don’t fall in the trap of focusing your discussion too much on your examples, but generalise to the patterns of how subjectivity manifest in your AOKs and whether their treatment of it is problematic.

It is crucial, when writing the essay for this prompt, to clearly define in your introduction what specialisation and generalisation means. DO NOT use the dictionary definitions here – since this is a TOK Essay, you want to make a TOK version of specialisation and generalisation, in terms of how these two things differ in the production of knowledge. Clearly defining the two in this way will form a solid foundation for you to have a nuanced discussion on this process of reconciliation between the two. The prompt hints at the competing demands on knowledge of specialisation and generalisation – i.e. you might not be able to produce knowledge in the same way if you were aiming for specialisation versus generalisation. So, this provides a point of contrast for you to choose examples and frame your discussion. Remember, the idea of competing demands is an ASSUMPTION, not an argument posed by the question. You should focus on how your chosen examples demonstrate a way to balance the interests of both and reach a ‘middle-ground’ rather than arguing that specialisation or generalisation are compatible with each other. TLDR: Don’t challenge the assumption.

For the first AOK of Mathematics, you should have encountered many personal examples just from your study of IB Maths. Most of your learning has been on generalisation, and the application of such generalisations. For instance, you learn about Calculus, a general topic within Mathematics, and then apply it in various contexts. Mathematicians love generalisations – that Calculus you learned? Well, the definition of a derivative generalised for all functions could be summarised by the first principles of derivatives function that HL AA students learn. You would have less interaction with specialisation of Mathematical knowledge. In a broader sense, the specific components of mathematics, cannot be separated from the general. You can’t solve calculus problems without the fundamental theorem of calculus. However, you could argue that the fundamental theorem of calculus didn’t need calculus problems to exist. Thus, an interesting dilemma arises in Mathematics – the generalisation could be produced, without a particular need for specialisation, but specialisation often calls for generalisation to first exist.

Looking at the latest mathematics research, you will find that applied mathematics is most common. Rarely do you see people get excited by new discoveries of solutions to elliptical curves, but more do when you tell them a new mathematical model to improve our prediction of the weather. We may place greater value on specialisation of knowledge, because we could see its usefulness more immediately, but, the Area of Knowledge does not require such specialisation to produce knowledge. So, do we encourage people to produce knowledge with the goal of specialisation in mind, or do we tell them to produce whatever theoretical generalised mathematical knowledge they can? Look to how mathematics is applied to Quantitative Finance, Econometrics, and Actuarial Science. They specialise mathematical knowledge and provide for some of the most lucrative careers. Does that speak to our preference and demand for specialised knowledge? But then again, what of the interdependence between generalisation and specialisation? How do we balance the two and how does the methodologies of the AOK contribute to this balancing act?

For the second, complimentary AOK, you could have discussions with all of the AOKs. For the Sciences, you could present a similar argument about needing to have some general theories before you could specialise. The scientific method is essentially one big generalisation process – you take specific observations and you make inferences so that you can generalise about some natural process. However, the knowledge that produces need not be general, it can still be specific. If we take specialisation as the goal, then we could pose narrow hypotheses to test. If we take generalisation as the goal, then we might need multiple of these narrow hypotheses to form a full picture, testing each individual case. Thus, specialisation could lead to specialisation alone, but more often, generalisation is the result of many specialisations.

One last question you might want to consider and attempt to answer in your essay is, do you want to know something about everything or everything about something? The answer to that will depend on your AOK. While we want to know about everything on everything, that is simply not reality. So, what trade offs do we make in each AOK, and how does each AOK decide on what we need to know more on?

You might be able to appreciate how long it takes ideas to actually be implemented in reality by looking at the recent Nobel Prize winners for Economic Sciences. The winner of the 2017 prize was Richard H. Thaler, for his contributions to behavioural economics. He explored the impacts of limited rationality, social preferences and the lack of individual self-control on economic decision making on an individual and market level. He started these findings from the 1980s, but it is only recently, in the 2022 revision of the IB syllabus that Economics students learn about the field of Behavioural economics in any detail! So why is it so?

To some extent, it is hard to criticise things for moving slowly. After all, new discoveries like behavioural economics represents a fundamental paradigm shift towards the way research is conducted in the particular AOK. Often times, fresh ideas are left to “ferment” so that their truthfulness can be tested with time. Nothing is more embarrassing than going down a rabbit hole only to find that your assumptions turned out to be monumentally incorrect. Even if we are making a big shift in light of new ideas towards the way we produce knowledge, doing so takes time! For many years and still now, we rely on strong assumptions of rationality to make economic models function. While the psychology of such behaviours are well researched, applying them to an Economic setting may not be. That is to say, it is important to consider how these new ideas arise, and what effect it has on existing knowledge, and the way we produce future knowledge. New ideas is simply new knowledge, but with the added implication that it has some effect on the existing knowledge within an AOK. It could potentially change how we view current knowledge, or how we conduct research given a particular discovery.

In the AOK of the human sciences, which broadly follows the scientific method, you could drawn some inspiration from the philosopher Thomas Kuhn’s view of scientific progress. He argues that within a period of “normal science” where we make incremental progress under the assumption of an overarching model, but there comes a point where we notice accumulation of imperfections with such a model that leads to new paradigms – new ideas, that fundamentally change how we do science. Then we undergo a sort of scientific revolution, where there are debates and decisions made over what sort of model we need to follow, until everyone eventually accepts the new paradigm and returns to a normal science period so that continual small improvements are made to knowledge, until another paradigm shift happens again. While you are not expected to demonstrate such strong philosophy knowledge within the TOK Essay, it is helpful to consider how each AOK handles such ‘revolutions’. For instance, it is harder to irrefutably find falsities in human sciences given the difficulty in replicability and corroborative studies compared to natural sciences.

As for complimentary AOKs, any would suit here, as each AOK has a very different way to handle new ideas. Many factors influence the way new ideas is accepted. For this title, we need to take the assumption that their acceptance is slow, not argue with it. Instead, you should consider what factors influence this slowness, and how different AOKs have different factors in mind when deciding how to accept new ideas. This relates to the nature of the AOK (what is its purpose) and the methodology guiding knowledge production in them.

Have you ever said something that sounds very weird out of context? That might have just been something silly with no real consequences, but in the realm of knowledge, we need to be careful about the consequences of knowledge taken out of their original context. This article highlights how the context of medical treatment matters a lot! As you can imagine, something that works in one field, doesn’t always apply in a straightforward manner to another. This is why there are whole research teams dedicated to what we call “translational research”. That is, trying to “translate” what you get from something like a lab setting, into actual products, like life-saving medications.

The obvious links to AOKs here are the Natural and Human Sciences. For Natural Sciences, we often start off knowledge production in a lab setting, or in a controlled environment. However, the application of such knowledge is rarely as controlled! So an interesting point to consider is how natural scientists have to account for the fact that their findings won’t ever be used in as perfect a setting as their research. Sure, you might have developed bullet proof wood , but how is that going to work in practically when it comes to mass manufacturing it for the army or the police? This is one of the biggest challenges that natural scientists face. It’s not that we aren’t trying to produce exciting knowledge, but that the application of such knowledge in a practical and appreciable context is often very difficult. Something like the mRNA technology (which recently was awarded a Nobel) took a long time to be developed into actual vaccines. The question then is, do we underestimate this process? Often it depends on the goal of the scientist. If the knowledge producer set out with an idea to commercialise in mind, then they would often consider the practical implications of findings. However, people studying theoretical physics for example, would struggle to immediately find very accessible real life implications. That doesn’t mean the knowledge is worthless, but certainly, the challenges are there.

What about non-scientific disciplines? Recently, I went to an art exhibition that trend Van Gough’s paintings into a 3D digital display. There was a Banksy exhibition that took the original murals he painted on the street, into this museum environment. Does changing the context of how art work is shown, and the manipulation of artistic knowledge change its meaning? What is the goal of transforming art into a different context? There are many reasons. Sometimes, it is to create satire (have a look at the parodies of the Mona Lisa), bringing old art onto a new audience (like VR exhibitions of Da Vinci), or simply making it more accessible to people (by making art works digitally available). The producers of these adapted forms of knowledge take great care in considering how this impacts the meaning of the art in its changed form. When artwork is so subjective, the context of art is often required to understand the artist’s meaning and intention, to ‘interpret’ works accordingly. At the same time, as we know art is quite subjective, is a ‘correct interpretation’ always required? If we are to remain artistic purists, then many of the joys of art could be lost! Imagine if you were admonished for listening to Taylor Swift through Spotify on your AirPods because it isn’t the original uncompressed music file with all the details, and you aren’t listening to it on the exact set of thousand dollar speakers it was created with? It would be ludicrous to assume that artistic knowledge is always going to be disseminated in the same context. Thus, this must be a consideration of artists. Is this consideration more or less difficult for different types of art? How is this consideration different to science considering there is no ‘right’ answer to interpreting art?

When thinking about this title, we aren’t arguing whether it is difficult. I think we all agree it is. However, it is about whether we underestimate just how difficult it is! Center your focus on how each AOK’s methodology highlights the consideration of being able to change contexts, and whether that affects the interpretation of the knowledge in question.

The term ‘custodians of knowledge’ is not something TOK students have likely heard of before, but this concept is relatively simple to understand. If you think positively about it, it could be protectors of knowledge, people who preserve knowledge, keeping it for generations to come – for example, some people might consider the Indigenous Peoples’ in Australia to be custodians of their unique cultural knowledge and what they call dreamtime stories. In this way, they keep culture alive, even if most people nowadays speak English and don’t readily tell their history. However, thought about negatively, it could also mean “gatekeepers’ (pardon the Gen Z language) of knowledge. The idealogical “protection” of knowledge could also be seen as a way to prevent some forms of knowledge from becoming knowledge in the first place. Talk to any university academic, and they will tell you how many times their research papers have been rejected. That’s why there is a bias towards statistically significant results, while research that showed that nothing significant has happened doesn’t often get published. Thus, these two contrasts provide for interesting discussion, particularly when considering how each AOK has different forms of custodians of knowledge and how they “gatekeep” or “protect” knowledge in different ways.

Take the AOK of the arts as an example. The career of artists are laughed upon because it is so hard to “break in” to the fine world of art. Many artists aren’t acclaimed until they are long dead. Perhaps most famously, the Mona Lisa wasn’t very well known until several hundred years after it was made. Thus, artists are often at the mercy of custodians of artistic knowledge like art curators and critics, who decide what merits acknowledgement as knowledge. After all, knowledge is only knowledge when there is consensus it is. And if the big wigs in the art industry doesn’t think it’s worth a mention, your art, however brilliant it seems to you, would not reach the consensus required to be considered knowledge. Of course, there are debates on the necessity of custodians in such a subjective AOK. After all, there were many times I questioned how some “artworks” even made it into the modern art museum when it’s literally splashes of paint on a canvas. I digress. However, there is something to be said about maintaining some form of standard to art. We judge whether some art is good or bad, but not in a very rigorous way. Custodians of knowledge supposedly have a framework to make such judgement in a way which preserves the nature of the AOK, and the knowledge within it. Therefore, discussion about the necessity of the custodians should focus on how they contribute to the purpose of the AOK, and whether it is compatible with the nature and methodologies of the AOK.

To further illustrate what I mean, you could see that Natural Sciences might present a stronger argument to the necessity of such custodians. We implicitly “trust” science, for better or for worse, because we know that there is a level of credibility imbued by the scientific method. It is the custodians’ role to maintain the standard of adherence to the scientific method that keeps this credibility alive. This is why, when flat earthers argue that they can’t see the curvature of the earth from the horizon, that it doesn’t get published in a scientific journal as fact! This is why, when research emerges that denies the existence of climate change, custodians have a responsibility to retract such research . However, at the same time, it also places much pressure on producers of such knowledge to create something worthy in the eyes of custodians. You might have heard of the data manipulation scandal that forced Stanford’s president to resign. Thus, custodians do appear quite important in this AOK, when we value the truthfulness of knowledge so much, but that isn’t without its consequences.

I recommend picking two contrasting AOKs that value much different things when writing the essay. While comparison is not a requirement for the essay, it gives you a more nuanced understanding of the question and thus a more reflective piece. For instance, we have just demonstrated that art is relatively subjective, while the sciences are less so. Thus, this influences the role which custodians need to play in each AOK.

The framework to answering this title for many students will follow a similar structure: an example of when novel evidence was accepted and had groundbreaking impacts, and another example where such evidence was problematic and disputed. Repeat this for the second AOK you choose and you’ll have 4 contrasting examples. This is not the only way to approach this title, but is my personal preference considering the structure I suggest to most students that ensures firstly, you will pass the basic criteria of a TOK Essay, and secondly, you will have a strong foundation to succeed. However, since everyone will have a similar style and collection of examples, it is even more important for this title, that you tease out the meaning and the effect on each area of knowledge, and knowledge in general, that your examples represent.

To demonstrate what I mean, let’s focus on two natural sciences examples. First, consider the case of “Cold Fusion”, a theory that you could supposedly have nuclear fusion at room temperature, discovered and subsequently debunked in 1989. A contrasting example, could be recent Nobel Prize winner of Medicine and Physiology, for the research on mRNA vaccines. Immediately, it is obvious that one shows where recent evidence isn’t the strongest, while the latter shows that it could be. But the focus should be on are we TOO QUICK in assuming so, not whether we should or not. Well, what are the reactions and timelines for each example? While Cold Fusion was met with excitement from the general public for the potential it holds for energy production, I wouldn’t say we ‘assumed’ it to be strong. Looking at the news reports from that time, you can see that there was great anticipation about the discovery, leading to lots of sudden funding and interest to investigate it and replicate it. As for mRNA, that discovery took a long time! First the technology, and the getting it to not appear foreign to the human body was very tricky. Even after it was discovered, we waited quite a while, with many people’s first experience with mRNA to be their COVID 19 vaccine. What you need to draw from these two examples is the methodological similarities and differences which reflect the NATURE of Science, and thus, the purpose of science. You see in both how there is an emphasis on replication which corroborates or falsifies, and only after doing so for a long time do we accept it to be true, otherwise it is debunked. So yes, there are moments where Natural Sciences provides strong compelling evidence that ends up false, there are many hurdles with in the methodology of the Natural Science that prevents us from being TOO QUICK to assume it to be true.

For this prompt, it is too easy to fall into the debate of why something was true or why something was false and tricked the population. This is not the point of the essay. You should avoid talking about the specifics of your examples at length. You need to demonstrate how your examples reflect the wider methodologies of the Natural Sciences (and similarly, for your second AOK) that either encourages or discourages our assumptions that novel evidence is always best. As you can see from my examples above, I focused on how such assumption does not happen too quickly because there are many ways we verify scientific knowledge to be true. I don’t discuss the specifics of the actual science behind Cold Fusion or mRNA as that isn’t required. You are better off focusing on the methodologies behind the AOKs themselves and answering the question.

Some interesting complements to the Natural Science AOK could be History (particularly focusing on revisionism and how historical events could be interpreted differently over time), Mathematics (how could the methodologies differ and are there ‘mistakes’ in Maths), or even Human Sciences (replication is a bit more difficult with that!).

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20 responses to “explained: may 2024 tok essay prescribed titles”.

Brandon Avatar

Hi, when will you deconstruct #6? Much appreciated.

hackib Avatar

I just did! Hope it helps.

Brandon Avatar

Thank you so much!

dora Avatar

hello! when will you deconstruct #2? would really really appreciate it !!!

Just posted!

Mathias Ndinya Avatar

Hi when will you deconstruct No. 5? Much appreciated.

Tim Habay Avatar

Could you please deconstruct no5. ?

Check it out!

alisha wang Avatar

Please Please deconstruct 5 ASAP, first draft due in 5 days!!!! Thanks!

I just did! It’s a very interesting title.

sally Avatar

Hi, when will you deconstruct #3? Much appreciated.

I have just posted this. Thanks!

TOK2024 Avatar

Hi, when will you deconstruct #4? Thanks!

Just updated!

Jais Avatar

Hi, is there more in depth analysis of title 4 coming?

Sorry it took a while, but it’s here now!

anis ayuni Avatar

I have a question, for PT3, so what will be our possible counterclaim? is it another factor that will make it slow? or find another RLS that show sometimes fresh ideas can be adopted fast ?

I would reread the prescribe title. The title is asking you “why”. So all you need to do is propose different sorts of reasons as to why this slowness occurs. You don’t need to challenge the assumption within the title that it is slow. Accept that it is slow, and propose various ideas for why that is the case according to the properties of your chosen AOK.

MS Avatar

Could you explain how you would format number One. Would I only be talking about two examples one for each AOK and what about them? Introduction, aok 1 and aok2 and conclusions

For sure! You should refer to my article on structuring for TOK Essay for more details. In general though, you can approach this prompt with two examples for each AOK, with one example about subjectivity being overly celebrated, and one not in the arts, while for history, it would be one where it is condemned unfairly vs not.

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may 2024 essay titles tok

May 2024 TOK Essay Titles. Descriptions and Tips for Writing

May 2024 TOK essay titles

Hello, fellow IB students! I’m thrilled to share my insights on the May 2024 TOK essay titles as a seasoned IB writer. This article will dissect each option, sprinkle in some helpful AOKs, WOKs, and RLSs, and provide savvy tips on writing a stellar TOK essay. So, let’s plunge right into this thrilling assignment!

What Is the TOK Essay?

Taking the plunge into writing a Theory of Knowledge essay can be both exhilarating and daunting. Let’s look at what precisely this essay is and what it requires of you, the IB student:

  • Fundamentally, this is a cornerstone of the IB Diploma Program, challenging you to think deeply about knowledge itself — its nature, acquisition, and limits.
  • In my years of study of the IB curriculum, I have observed that the TOK essay is not just an academic exercise; it is an intellectual investigation.
  • This essay asks you to deal with questions about knowledge ( called knowledge questions) that are deep, complex, and often abstract.
  • For example, you might consider the reliability of knowledge sources or the impact of cultural perspectives on what we consider “true.”

A well-written TOK essay does more than simply present information or arguments. It requires you to critically engage with different ways of knowing (WOKs) and areas of knowledge (AOKs). The WOKs include aspects such as emotion, reason, language, and sense perception, while the AOKs cover subjects such as the natural sciences, human sciences, history, and the arts. In my opinion, the most effective essays are those that skillfully interweave personal insights with these WOKs and AOKs to create a reflective and insightful narrative.

The assessment criteria for the TOK essay focus on your ability to understand knowledge issues, link WOKs and AOKs effectively, and present a well-organized and coherent argument. According to general IB criteria, essays are also evaluated on their clarity, analysis depth, and thought originality.

May 2024 TOK Essay Titles

Now, onto the main attraction — the essay titles for May 2024:

  • Is subjectivity overly celebrated in the arts but unfairly condemned in history? Discuss with reference to the arts and history.
  • 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.
  • 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.
  • Do we underestimate the challenges of taking knowledge out of its original context and transferring it to a different context? Discuss with reference to two areas of knowledge.
  • Do we need custodians of knowledge? Discuss with reference to two areas of knowledge.
  • 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.

Each title offers a unique opportunity to showcase your analytical prowess. Let’s examine them one by one.

Title 1. Subjectivity in Arts and History

Is subjectivity celebrated in the arts but condemned in history? This title beckons you to ponder the role of personal interpretation in these areas:

  • For instance, various narratives surround a controversial event like the French Revolution.
  • The subjective experience of viewing a famous painting, such as Picasso’s “Guernica,” and how different viewers may interpret it based on their emotions and personal experiences.

AOKs like Ethics and Human Sciences and WOKs like Emotion and Reason can be powerful tools here. Remember, historical analysis and artistic appreciation require a nuanced understanding of perspectives.

Title 2. Specialization vs. Generalization

How do we balance specialization and generalization in knowledge production? Dig into this topic with Mathematics and another AOK of your choice:

  • Consider how specialization in Mathematics leads to the development of complex theorems. An example could be Andrew Wiles’ proof of Fermat’s Last Theorem, a problem that required intense, specialized focus over many years.
  • Look at the Stanford prison experiment, which attempted to understand complex human behaviors in a simulated prison environment. This research required a more generalized approach, considering various psychological, sociological, and ethical factors.

Consider linking it with WOKs like Language and Intuition. The trick here is to evaluate the merits and pitfalls of both approaches to knowledge creation.

Title 3. Adoption of Fresh Ideas

Why are new ideas often slow to be adopted in areas of knowledge? Tackle this question with Human Sciences and another AOK:

  • Consider the slow adoption of groundbreaking psychological theories, such as Sigmund Freud’s psychoanalysis or B.F. Skinner’s behaviorism and how they initially faced resistance.
  • The initially slow acceptance of quantum mechanics in the early 20th century. A theory that fundamentally challenged and eventually revolutionized our understanding of the physical world.

Here, WOKs like Imagination and Faith can be intriguing angles. Researching why specific ideas take time to be accepted or rejected is fascinating.

Title 4. Knowledge Across Contexts

Do we underestimate the challenges of transferring knowledge across different contexts? The task is to examine two AOKs of your choice and analyze how the context can significantly impact the understanding and application of knowledge:

  • Applying ethical principles can differ significantly based on cultural, societal, or situational contexts. For instance, what is considered ethical in one culture might be viewed differently in another.
  • Examine how the interpretation and application of scientific findings can vary. For example, how environmental data is understood and used can differ between developed and developing countries, influenced by economic, political, and social contexts.

WOKs like Memory and Sense Perception can offer profound insights into this process.

Title 5. Custodians of Knowledge

Do we need guardians of knowledge? Reflect on this with two AOKs of your choice. While writing this TOK essay, you can implement RLS from history or natural sciences:

  • Historians record and interpret events, thus shaping our understanding of the past. Their emotional attachment to their subject and the rational methods they employ can significantly influence how history is taught and understood.
  • Scientists, as custodians, are tasked with the careful and reasoned research and dissemination of scientific knowledge. Their role is crucial in ensuring that scientific information is accurate, reliable, and accessible.

Think about how WOKs, like Emotion and Reason, play into who controls knowledge and why. This topic opens up a debate on the responsibility and power dynamics in knowledge dissemination.

Title 6. The Reliability of Recent Evidence

Are we too quick to trust the latest evidence? Analyze this through the lens of the Natural Sciences and another AOK:

  • Investigate how new scientific evidence is scrutinized and tested before being accepted. Consider examples where initial excitement over findings was later tempered by further research (e.g., cold fusion claims).
  • Reflect on how new theories or data can rapidly change understandings in psychology, sometimes leading to premature conclusions or applications.

WOKs like Intuition and Reason can guide your research on prioritizing and valuing information. This title is a fantastic opportunity to question our biases towards new findings.

Topics to Read:

  • Understanding the IB Curriculum: A Beginner’s Guide
  • What is IA in IB?
  • Guide to the Official IBO Website for IB Student Advantages and Growth
  • How to Manage Time Effectively as an IB Student
  • How to Write a Strong IB IA Proposal?
  • The Benefits of Pursuing the IB Diploma Programme
  • What to Do if You Don’t Pass Your IB IA? How to Succeed Next Time?
  • Can I Order the IB Internal Assessment Written Online?
  • What Are the Average IB Acceptance Rates? Insights from an IB Expert
  • What Are the IB Internal Assessment Deadlines for 2024?
  • What Are the Average IB Scores for US Universities?
  • Does an IB Diploma Help with College Admissions?

Don’t let the stress of the TOK essay hold you back.

Are you struggling to come up with titles for your TOK essay? Or do you need help with your TOK essay?

Our experienced writers can help you choose the perfect title and assist you with the TOK essay.

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Writing a Successful TOK Essay

But how do you transform these intriguing topics into compelling essays? First, start with a clear thesis statement that directly addresses the title. A well-structured argument is your golden ticket. Use examples and real-life situations to ground your arguments. For instance, reference specific historical events or artworks when discussing subjectivity in arts and history.

Research and Knowledge Sources

Research is crucial, but remember, it’s not just about quantity; the quality counts. Aim for credible sources that enhance your argument. Integrating them seamlessly with your insights is an art in itself. Also, don’t shy away from discussing counterarguments. It shows depth and critical thinking.

Logically Sound Argument

Furthermore, the essay is an exercise in constructing a coherent and logically sound argument. You’re expected to not only state your position but also to consider and evaluate different perspectives. This process is where your critical thinking skills shine. It’s about examining assumptions, dissecting arguments, and understanding the implications of your stance.

Structuring Your TOK Essay

An essay that flows well keeps the reader engaged. Start with an introduction that hooks your reader, then move smoothly through your arguments. Each paragraph should be a stepping stone to the next. Conclude with a summary that doesn’t just repeat your points but offers a reflective stance on the title.

Style and Presentation

Your writing style can make or break your essay. Strive for clarity and conciseness. Avoid jargon and overly complex sentences. Remember, the goal is to communicate your ideas effectively, not to confuse your reader. And, of course, proofreading is a must. A well-formatted, error-free essay reflects your dedication and attention to detail.

There you have it, the rundown on the May 2024 TOK essay titles. Each title is a doorway to a deeper understanding of how we acquire and evaluate knowledge. Consult your teachers, discuss with peers, and give yourself enough time to think, write, and revise. Your unique perspective is what will make your essay stand out. Happy writing!

And remember, you can always buy TOK essays from our IB experts. At IB Writing Service, we specialize in providing professional, high-quality work. With our extensive experience and expertise, you can expect writing that meets the rigorous standards of the IB program.

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May 2024 TOK Essay Prompts | IB Experts Guide + Examples

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The TOK essay prescribed titles for May 2024 are now available.  Understanding these TOK essay prompts is essential for IB students aiming for a successful essay. This is why I’m writing this article with expert suggestions from our IB experts for you.

UPD… November 2024 TOK titles released !

I do not want to spend your precious time with a long introduction, so let me go straight to the point!

May 2024 TOK essay titles list

Here’s a breakdown of each title, offering insights and potential approaches.

  • Is subjectivity overly celebrated in the arts but unfairly condemned in history?  Discuss with reference to the arts and history.
  • 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.
  • 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.
  • Do we underestimate the challenges of taking knowledge out of its original context and transferring it to a different context?  Discuss with reference to two areas of knowledge.
  • Do we need custodians of knowledge?  Discuss with reference to two areas of knowledge.
  • 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.

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At Writing Metier, we understand the intricacies and challenges of crafting a compelling TOK essay . Our team of seasoned IB experts is here to guide you every step of the way for Custom TOK Essay

may 2024 essay titles tok

We will provide you with a tailor-made sample TOK essay that aligns seamlessly with your specific instructions, adheres to the TOK essay rubric , and meets the overarching IB criteria. 

Trust in our expertise and let us support you in achieving excellence in your TOK essay writing .

Breakdown of each 2024 May TOK Essay Prompt

Now, let me break each TOK essay title for May 2024 in detail. I’ll also suggest several possible areas of knowledge, ways of knowing and applicable real-life examples to give you some inspiration for these prompts.

Let’s begin!

TITLE 1:   Is subjectivity overly celebrated in the arts but unfairly condemned in history? Discuss with reference to the arts and history.

Examine the role of emotion and intuition WOKs in the arts, where personal interpretations often lead to diverse artistic expressions. 

For instance, Picasso’s abstract art is open to multiple interpretations. Contrast this with history, where reason and language WOKs play a pivotal role in documenting events. 

For example, while historians value primary sources for their objectivity, they often criticize biased accounts.

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.

In mathematics, specialization might refer to mastering a specific theorem, while generalization involves understanding broader mathematical principles. 

For instance, Pythagoras’ theorem is specialized, but its application in various real-life scenarios , like architecture, is a generalization. Contrast this with the natural sciences, where specialized knowledge might refer to niche research studies, while general knowledge encompasses broader scientific theories.

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.

In human sciences, new psychological theories, for instance, undergo rigorous testing and peer reviews before acceptance. This slow adoption ensures reliability. 

Contrast this with ethics, where new moral ideas, like those concerning AI’s rights, face resistance due to cultural and societal values, making their adoption slow.

TITLE 4:   Do we underestimate the challenges of taking knowledge out of its original context and transferring it to a different context? Discuss with reference to two areas of knowledge.

In religious knowledge systems, scriptures taken out of their historical context can lead to misinterpretations. 

For instance, ancient religious texts might not directly apply to modern ethical dilemmas. 

Similarly, in the arts, a piece of art created in a specific cultural context might lose its original meaning when viewed in a different cultural setting.

TITLE 5:   Do we need custodians of knowledge? Discuss with reference to two areas of knowledge.

In indigenous knowledge systems, elders often act as custodians, preserving traditions and stories for future generations. Their role ensures that knowledge is not lost over time. 

In contrast, academic journals and institutions act as custodians in the natural sciences, ensuring that scientific knowledge is recorded, peer-reviewed, and accessible for future research.

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.

In the natural sciences, newer research, such as recent findings on climate change, might be considered more accurate due to advanced technology and methodologies. However, it’s essential to consider the reliability and validity of these findings. 

In history, newer historical evidence, like a recently discovered manuscript, might shed light on an event, but its authenticity and context must be verified.

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may 2024 essay titles tok

May 2024 TOK essay samples

Let’s start with the sample of the TOK essay on May 2024 prompt 2 – How can we reconcile the opposing demands for specialization and generalization in the production of knowledge?

TOK essay sample How can we reconcile the opposing demands for specialization

If you need a professionally written TOK essay, feel free to ask for help from our IB experts.

If you have missed it, I also have an article about prior TOK essay titles with suggestions and samples. Make sure to check them out as well!

The year 2023:

  • November 2023 TOK essay prompts
  • May 2023 TOK essay titles

The year 2022:

  • November 2022 TOK essay prompts
  • May 2022 ToK essay titles

Previous years’ prompts:

  • November 2021 ToK Essay titles
  • May 2021 Theory of Knowledge essay prompts

With a clear understanding of these TOK titles, IB students are well-prepared to select a topic and begin their essay. 

Need a Dope Paper Written? We've Got Your Back!

Keep in mind that the key to a compelling TOK essay is a thorough understanding of the chosen prompt and a structured approach to addressing it.

If you need assistance writing a custom TOK essay , Writing Metier is here to help you out. Contact our support team via email or using a live chat or simply fill out our online order form with details of your IB TOK essay.

Free topic suggestions

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TOK ESSAY GUIDES May 2024

Our new and enlarged (3000-3800 words) specialist publications of TOK essay guides are based on the new 2022 Guide Specifications and get you to think about what to do when preparing for your ToK essay.

Essay Guides May 2024

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May 2024 Titles at a glance

The ToK Essay questions for May 2024 are usually released in September 2023

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Q1. Subjectivity & knowledge in the Arts & History.

Q2. Specialisation & generalisation in knowledge production.

Q3. Fresh ideas & the pursuit of knowledge.

Q4. Challenges of transferring knowledge between contexts.

Q5. Custodians of knowledge.

Q6. Recent evidence & pursuit of knowledge.

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Subjectivity, in the context of knowledge...

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Title 2: How can we reconcile...

Any production process...

Title 3: Nothing is more exciting...

‘Fresh’ or new ideas belong...

Title 4: Do we underestimate...

Knowledge is born out of networks...

Title 5: Do we need custodians...

A ‘custodian’ is someone who...

Title 6: Are we too quick...

‘Evidence’ – underlines a key focus...

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TOK Essay titles May 2024

1. Is subjectivity overly celebrated in the arts but unfairly condemned in history? Discuss with reference to the arts and history.

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.

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.

4. Do we underestimate the challenges of taking knowledge out of its original context and transferring it to a different context? Discuss with reference to two areas of knowledge.

5. Do we need custodians of knowledge? Discuss with reference to two areas of knowledge.

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.

An essay outline writing guide

may 2024 essay titles tok

Essay example

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  • Example Final TOK Essay.pdf

Essay Guidelines - Word Count

The TOK Essay must be written in standard 12 type size and be double spaced.

The maximum length of the essay is 1,600 words . Extended footnotes or appendices are not appropriate for the TOK essay.

The word count includes: • the main part of the essay • any quotations.

The word count does not include: • any acknowledgments • the references (whether given in footnotes, endnotes or in-text) and bibliography • any maps, charts, diagrams, annotated illustrations or tables.

If an essay exceeds the word limit, then examiners are instructed to stop reading after 1,600 words and to base their assessment on just the first 1,600 words. Students are required to indicate the number of words when the essay is uploaded during the submission process.

TOK Talk Podcast (Essay titles)

1. Is subjectivity overly celebrated in the arts but unfairly condemned in history?

2. How can we reconcile the opposing demands for specialization     and generalization in the production of knowledge?

3. Nothing is more exciting than fresh ideas,  so why are areas of     knowledge often so slow to adopt them?

5. Do we need custodians of knowledge?

6. Are we too quick to assume that the most recent evidence is inevitably the strongest?

What is the TOK essay?

Essay unpacking tools

may 2024 essay titles tok

  • Essay Unpacking_Outline Tool.docx

may 2024 essay titles tok

  • Prescribed Titles Unpacking and Essay structure form.docx

Essay Rubric

The assessment instrument provided describes five levels of performance in response to this driving question. These levels are to be seen as holistic descriptors rather than as a checklist of characteristics.

Does the student provide a clear, coherent and critical exploration of the essay title?
The discussion has a sustained focus on the title and is linked effectively to areas of knowledge.
Arguments are clear, coherent, and effectively supported by specific examples. The implications of arguments are considered.
There is clear awareness and evaluation of different points of view.
The discussion is focused on the title and is linked effectively to areas of
knowledge.
Arguments are clear, coherent and supported by examples.
There is awareness and some evaluation of different points of view.
The discussion is focused on the title and is developed with some links to areas of knowledge.
Arguments are offered and are supported by examples.
There is some awareness of different points of view.
The discussion is connected to the title and makes superficial or limited links to areas of knowledge.
The discussion is largely descriptive.
Limited arguments are offered but they are unclear and are not supported by effective examples.
The discussion is weakly connected to the title.
While there may be links to the areas of knowledge, any relevant points are descriptive or consist only of unsupported assertions.
The discussion does not reach the standard described by the other levels or is not a response to one of the prescribed titles for the correct examination session.

Insightful
Convincing
Accomplished
Lucid

Pertinent
Relevant
Analytical
Organized

Acceptable
Mainstream
Adequate
Competent

Underdeveloped
Basic
Superficial
Limited

Ineffective
Descriptive
Incoherent
Formless

 

Refer to the offical IB guide P. 48 for more information

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may 2024 essay titles tok

May 2024 TOK Essay Titles. In Detail

Table of contents.

Hello, fellow IB students! Theory of Knowledge (TOK) essays are essential in today’s IB curriculum. In my extensive experience as an IB writer , I have seen many students’ efforts in these essays. The key to success lies in two main aspects: choosing the essay title and knowing how to approach the writing process. So, I use my knowledge and experience to help you with the May 2024 TOK essay titles.

How to Format Your TOK Essay?

In my experience, understanding the essential components of a TOK essay is a fundamental step in writing an excellent paper. So, let’s focus on some key aspects:

  • Start with the prescribed title as provided by the IB. Do not alter it. Include the word count at the end of your essay, which should not exceed 1600 words.
  • Use a clear, readable font like Times New Roman or Arial, size 12. Double-space your text for readability.
  • Include page numbers on each page, usually in the footer.
  • Your TOK essay structure should have a clear introduction, body, and conclusion. 
  • Use a consistent citation style (e.g., MLA, APA, or Chicago) for referencing sources. Include a bibliography or works cited page at the end of your essay.
  • The TOK essay should focus on knowledge questions and should not include personal anecdotes.
  • Also, check for grammatical errors and typos and ensure the essay flows well. It’s also important to stay within the prescribed word limit.
  • Only write one of the prescribed titles for your examination session.
  • Your essay must be your original work. The IB takes plagiarism very seriously. Ensure that all sources are correctly cited.

You need to be well-versed in Areas of Knowledge (AOKs), Ways of Knowing (WOKs), and Real-Life Situations (RLSs) . According to the IB guidelines, these elements are critical and serve as the foundational pillars of your TOK essay. They help structure your argument and provide concrete examples. Also, a meticulously planned essay often translates to effective execution. Therefore, avoid delaying!

Having established these basics, let’s focus on the six engaging TOK essay titles for May 2024. And don’t forget to check out our blog for additional resources, including a guide on 12 TOK key concepts .

Looking for expert assistance with your May 2024 TOK Essay? 🤔✍️ Check out Papers Point Writing & Editing Service , your go-to destination for top-notch TOK essay guidance and editing! 📚🌟

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May 2024 TOK Essay Titles

May 2024 TOK Essay Titles: In-Depth Analysis

Throughout this guide, I’ll share some insightful tips on May 2024 TOK essay titles, highlighting potential Areas of Knowledge and Ways of Knowing that might just be your key to success. Additionally, I’ll include some Real-Life Situations to spark your creativity. Are you prepared? Let’s go to the TOK essay titles for May 2024!

1. Is Subjectivity Overly Celebrated in the Arts but Unfairly Condemned in History?

Discuss with reference to the Arts and History.

Consider these AOKs for your essay:

  • Arts . It includes visual arts, music, dance, and literature.
  • History . Focus on Political History, Social History, and Cultural History.

Next, use these WOKs in your essay:

  • Emotion . It is particularly relevant to the Arts, where emotional impact plays a significant role.
  • Reason . Essential in interpreting and analyzing historical events.
  • Language . It is a vital tool for expression and communication in the Arts and History.

Incorporating RLS is crucial. Here are some examples to consider:

  • The global impact of a novel like “To Kill a Mockingbird” in shaping societal views on race and justice.
  • The differing interpretations of events like the French Revolution showcase how cultural and national perspectives can influence historical narratives.

Begin your essay by discussing the concept of subjectivity in both Art and History. Consider whether it’s an advantage in Art but a drawback in History. Address this in your opening paragraph. Examine the celebration of emotional responses in the Arts, then discuss how Reason is central in History and how subjectivity can lead to inaccuracies. Conclude by linking these differing viewpoints back to your thesis.

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.

Here are AOKs to include in your essay:

  • Mathematics . Often seen as a field requiring deep specialization.
  • Natural Sciences . This area allows for both specialized and generalized approaches.

Consider integrating these WOKs:

  • Reason . Essential for solving complex problems in mathematics.
  • Empirical Evidence . Crucial for substantiating theories in the natural sciences.
  • Intuition . It plays a significant role in forming initial hypotheses in mathematics and natural sciences.

You can also incorporate these RLSs:

  • The intricate development of string theory, a specialized field within Physics, leans heavily on advanced mathematical concepts.
  • Research on climate change demands a comprehensive understanding across various scientific disciplines.

Start by addressing the balance between specialization and generalization in creating knowledge in your writing. Begin with Mathematics as a typically specialized field. Then, focus on the natural sciences, illustrating the interplay between specialized and generalized knowledge. Conclude by drawing these perspectives together, revisiting your thesis, and offering an integrated analysis.

Read our article on choosing the right title if you don’t know if you can write an essay on this one.

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.

Consider these AOKs in your work:

  • Human Sciences . These include fields like Psychology, Sociology, and Economics, where the development and validation of knowledge are deeply rooted in understanding human behavior and societal structures.
  • Natural Sciences . This category encompasses disciplines such as Biology, Physics, and Chemistry, foundational in understanding the physical and natural world.

Incorporate these WOKs in your essay:

  • Empirical Evidence . It is crucial for substantiating theories in both Human and Natural Sciences.
  • Memory . Especially significant in Human Sciences for recalling and evaluating past theories and knowledge.
  • Reason . Predominantly used in Natural Sciences for creating and testing theoretical frameworks.

Consider these real-life examples for your Theory of Knowledge essay:

  • The slow integration of psychosocial factors in Economics reflects a move from traditional economic models to those incorporating human behavior and social dynamics.
  • The hesitant acceptance of Relativity Theory in Physics initially challenged and then profoundly changed our understanding of space and time.

Begin with the Human Sciences, focusing on Psychology or Sociology. The Memory could be your central WOK, examining how historical theories continue to shape current thought. Then, move to Natural Sciences, using Reason as your primary WOK. Analyze why these fields might be slow to adopt novel ideas despite their apparent appeal. Conclude by highlighting how the inherent caution in scientific domains, whether related to humans or nature, often acts as both a safeguard and a hindrance to the rapid adoption of new concepts.

4. Do We Underestimate the Challenges of Taking Knowledge out of Its Original Context and Transferring It to a Different Context?

Discuss with reference to two areas of knowledge.

Possible AOKs for your TOK essay:

  • Ethics . This area involves moral theories, often rooted in distinct cultural or philosophical backgrounds.
  • Natural Sciences . Focuses on scientific principles and their practical implications in various environmental contexts.

WOKs you can employ:

  • Language . It plays a crucial role in the expression and interpretation of ethical theories.
  • Empirical Evidence . Indispensable for assessing the effectiveness of scientific principles in novel environments.

RLSs to include in your work:

  • Adapting privacy ethics from one legal system to another highlights cultural differences in the perception of privacy rights.
  • The introduction of non-native species to control pests often leads to ecological imbalances.

Begin by highlighting the complexities of transferring knowledge between contexts. Start with Ethics, focusing on Language. Then, we move to Natural Sciences, emphasizing Empirical Evidence as the primary WOK. Illustrate your point with the real-life example of introducing non-native species, showcasing the risks of applying scientific knowledge without considering environmental contexts.

Topics to Read:

  • How to Use the TOK Prescribed Titles Effectively
  • How to Incorporate the Knowledge Questions into Your TOK Essay
  • How to Plan and Structure Your TOK Essay
  • 2024 November TOK Essay Titles

5. Do We Need Custodians of Knowledge?

Some AOKs to consider:

  • Indigenous Knowledge Systems . Focuses on the conservation of ancestral practices and insights.
  • Natural Sciences . Examines the importance of experts in maintaining the integrity of scientific knowledge.

Possible WOKs to include:

  • Memory . Plays a crucial role in safeguarding and passing down Indigenous Knowledge.
  • Reason . Vital for upholding the logical coherence of scientific assertions.

Relevant RLSs to use:

  • Tribal storytellers preserve oral histories and ecological knowledge.
  • The role of scientific consensus in climate change debates as a standard for credible information.

Link Indigenous Knowledge Systems and Natural Sciences together, discussing the universal necessity for stewardship in maintaining and spreading knowledge. Whether it’s tribal storytellers upholding oral traditions and environmental understanding or scientific consensus shaping climate change discussions, custodians act as both a quality filter and a repository of collective wisdom.

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.

Consider these AOKs for your TOK essay:

  • Natural Sciences . Focus on the preference for current research over earlier studies.
  • History . Examine how new findings, like unearthed artifacts, reshape historical understanding.

Key WOKs to use:

  • Empirical Evidence . Essential in Natural Sciences for developing and updating theories.
  • Memory . Crucial in History for reconstructing past narratives.

RLSs) for this title:

  • The revision of ancient civilization timelines due to new archaeological findings.
  • Climate change research frequently updates previous understandings.

Start by scrutinizing our tendency to prioritize recent evidence. Begin with Natural Sciences, emphasizing Empirical Evidence as your primary WOK. Then, we move to History, focusing on Memory. Aim to draw connections between how both fields value new findings, yet also consider the reliability of past evidence. Conclude by emphasizing that while recent findings are valuable, they shouldn’t overshadow established knowledge without thorough examination and validation.

Need Help with May 2024 TOK Essay Titles?

Writing a TOK essay can be challenging, but it becomes a manageable task with our support. Our team of IB experts from leading institutions is ready to help you every step of the way.

Get Help with Your Paper

With a wealth of knowledge and experience, our writers will ensure that your essay meets the highest academic standards . They are well-versed in the specifics of TOK essay requirements and skilled in producing top-notch content.

We provide personalized TOK essay samples that adhere to your specific guidelines and TOK grading criteria, ensuring full compliance with IB standards. Trust our expertise to make your work stand out.

The Bottom Line

We’ve certainly been through a lot, haven’t we? These tips will be valuable as you tackle May 2024 TOK essay titles. Strategic planning, analytical thinking, and creativity are crucial to success.

In summary, don’t let your TOK essay become a stress point. Approached with thoughtful planning and insight, it can be an enriching intellectual project. And remember, if you’re looking for help with your TOK essay , you know exactly where to find it.

Valerie Green

Valerie Green

Valerie Green is a dedicated educator who spends her time helping high school and college students succeed. She writes articles and guides for various online education projects, providing students with the tools they need to excel in their studies. Friendly and approachable, she is committed to making a difference in the lives of students.

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TOK Essay Titles - May 2024 Examination Session

Is subjectivity overly celebrated in the arts but unfairly condemned in history? Discuss with reference to the arts and history.

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.

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.

Do we underestimate the challenges of taking knowledge out of its original context and transferring it to a different context? Discuss with reference to two areas of knowledge.

Do we need custodians of knowledge? Discuss with reference to two areas of knowledge.

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.

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Comprehensive TOK Essay Guide for 2025 Titles

Comprehensive TOK Essay Guide for 2025 Titles

Subject: Philosophy and ethics

Age range: 16+

Resource type: Other

michelebsmith

Last updated

3 September 2024

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may 2024 essay titles tok

This document offers an in-depth analysis of the 2025 IB Theory of Knowledge (TOK) essay titles. Ideal for students aiming for a high pass grade, it breaks down each title thoroughly, providing:

Detailed Unpacking of Key Concepts: Clear explanations of each title, ensuring you understand exactly what’s being asked.

Expert Analysis of Areas of Knowledge (AOKs): Insightful connections between the essay titles and various AOKs, such as History, Natural Sciences, Mathematics, and the Arts.

Real-World Examples: Concrete examples tailored to each essay question, which can be directly used or adapted in your writing.

Critical Argumentation Tips: Guidance on how to craft balanced, coherent arguments, including how to integrate counterarguments.

Conclusion Strategies: Learn how to effectively conclude your essay with clarity and depth.

This guide provides everything you need to confidently tackle the TOK essay titles for 2025, making it a valuable resource for IB students looking to maximize their scores.

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  • Two ways to save a video game industry on fire

Video games have never been easier to make — that’s the challenge

by Chris Plante

Concord

Polygon’s Editor’s Letter is a column from Editor-in-Chief Chris Plante that reflects on the video game and entertainment industries, their communities, and Polygon itself. New editions appear in the first week of each month.

Let’s start with a spoonful of sugar: Making a video game is faster, cheaper, and easier today than it has been at any point in history.

The internet’s tummy has been so generously stuffed with developer-friendly videos, podcasts, Discord channels, freely available academic courses, Github pages, and cheap ebooks that it could enjoy a long hibernation. Video game engine licensors have all but removed the financial barrier to entry, taking their fees on the back end. Skeptical of megacorps? Devs can pick from an expanding roster of indie engines, too — some of them totally free. And when it’s time to publish, Steam and Itch.io will host a game and provide everything required to convert ludological art into cold cash for a nominal cut.

We live in an age of opportunity. Which, ironically, is part of the problem. Change has been exponential and at the worst possible time. Over the past decade, video game developers — increasing exponentially — have flooded the market faster than the industry (from AAA publishers to independent studios) could adapt.

Within that flood, a nightmare economic scenario began to swirl: The COVID-19 pandemic created a temporary spike of interest that attracted misplaced investment from video game outsiders and overspending from video game insiders. Venture capitalists got suckered into imaginary “high-ceiling” opportunities in blockchain, esports, and VR, rather than more established (but presumed “low-ceiling”) studios making traditional, single-player experiences. And then, with all of those bubbles fully inflated, fear of a recession launched U.S. interest rates. Rates rocketed so high they now appear to be stuck in orbit, meaning the average game studio or investor will be deeply hesitant to borrow money to fund a new project.

Voila: the video game industry of 2024. Since January, industry leaders have been murmuring the mantra “Survive to ’25.” But I fear the long-term forecast is Cloudy with a Chance of Fucked.

The AAA death cycle

Captain Boomerang, King Shark, Deadshot and Harley Quinn stand outside the Hall of Justice museum in a screenshot from Suicide Squad: Kill the Justice League

Consider, if you can muster the sympathy, the AAA video game publisher. Where in the past, a publisher’s individual games would compete against a few dozen releases a year, they now compete against dozens a week. (Plus subscription services, perpetually updated free-to-play games, and the latest patch or expansion to the biggest hits of years past.) These publishers grew large and comfortable from a retail distribution system that cost a great deal but prohibited upstarts from setting up camp on shelves at GameStop and Walmart. With soaring profits, publishers opened studios across the world to build games that became more ambitious and expensive with each console cycle.

But things gradually changed. Valve launched Steam in 2003, creating an alternate route for a limited group of established game publishers to reach fans without the upfront distribution costs. Microsoft launched Xbox Live Arcade a year later, a curated digital distribution service celebrating handpicked, smaller, often independently developed games. By 2017 the dams had broken: All creators had the freedom to publish directly onto platforms like Itch.io and Steam with minimal roadblocks.

Got a game? Don’t mind filling out tax forms? You’re all set!

In 2024, those AAA publishers that once maintained a mob-like grip on distribution and audience attention have been humbled. They share the same real estate as every other game available on Steam, Game Pass, or any other major digital storefront. The new Halo gets crammed into the same promotional rectangle as the latest Vampire Survivors clone, hentai visual novel, or indie darling that promises hundreds of hours of entertainment for the price of a cup of coffee. Imagine if the main distribution model for the film industry was YouTube — the biggest movies swimming in the same algorithmic ocean as college student films, wedding videos, four-hour video essays, one-minute-long goofs, and viral sludge that dares to ask “Is it cake?”

AAA video game publishers have doubled down on what worked in the past to differentiate themselves in this market, making their games bigger and more realistic. As development budgets soar, so do marketing budgets meant to provide some reassurance to these increasingly risky bets. Higher costs mean higher sales goals mean bigger games and bigger marketing to meet those goals, in turn spurring higher costs. Snake meet tail.

Here’s just one outcome from this ludicrous loop of one-upmanship: In May, Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth was the fourth-bestselling game of the year in the U.S. Good news, right? Square Enix leadership called its sales a disappointment, and the company’s stocks fell the most they had in 13 years. Simply put, a AAA game can no longer be a bestselling game; it has to be the bestselling game. That’s not sustainable.

I understand that among many in the gaming community, there’s not any love lost for publishers struggling to stay afloat in this new, more theoretically democratic era in which everyone has access to distribution. But remember that a publisher isn’t just a bunch of wealthy execs; most of those impacted by this paradigm shift are game makers.

In 2023, video game studios laid off more than 10,000 people. In 2024, the video game industry hit that grim milestone in less than six months.

Go indie? Not so simple

The Magic Circle is a video game about making video games. In this image, a grey skull castle looms over a barren landscape.

If you’re an optimist (or an anarchist), this turmoil might sound like short-term pain that could lead to long-term gain. The old structures that consolidated capital are crumbling, and with the resulting stones, independent creators will build a better and more equitable future. But that will only be true if independent creators can pull together the funds to lay a foundation.

For years, indie game studios have benefited from readily available investment and upfront payments. New services like Epic Games Store, Xbox Game Pass, and Apple Arcade competed for exclusives; venture capitalists were eager to throw money at anybody willing to say they love NFTs; and interest rates were low.

Today, all that oil has been sucked from the earth. As my former colleague Megan Farokhmanesh wrote at Wired , indie video game studios are also struggling to survive the current economic landscape. The same core problem that AAA publishers face — how do you get someone to give a shit about your game when they have countless other options? — remains the same. And unlike publishers, most indie developers don’t have millions of dollars in savings to fund an umbrella to weather this economic shitstorm.

So we have a AAA industry in distress with no reasonable plan forward, shedding thousands of game makers each year. And we have an indie game investment ecosystem that’s no longer prepared to provide an alternative.

I can’t shake this quote from Farokhmanesh’s piece:

‘Survive till ’25’ assumes that we are encountering a long winter rather than having burned our own crops for three years previous,” says Xalavier Nelson, studio head of El Paso, Elsewhere developer Strange Scaffold. “Unless we start planting differently, unless we start changing the way we work and think about making games, then we’re going to continue to see the highest highs and the lowest lows that games has ever seen. And it might, in fact, just get worse.

So what does it mean to plan differently? I believe this problem is bigger than any one studio, let alone any one person. The industry surviving beyond ’25 will require experimentation with many different approaches from creators small and big to find a replicable path forward.

Two steps toward a sustainable game industry

A top-down look at One Btn Bosses. There’s a pink circle in the middle surrounded by other shapes.

I have a pair of ideas to contribute to the conversation.

First: I’m thrilled to see funds that help indie studios get through this moment, particularly Outersloth, a fund from Among Us developer Innersloth that’s taking a “ recoup and share ” approach — which is to say it seeks to recoup its investment and the share revenue. Of course, that assumes the games make back their investment — a feat a majority of video games fail to accomplish.

To that point, just as important as money is expertise. As investment becomes harder to come by, it’s more important than ever that indie game studio heads learn the intricacies of operating a business. The industry needs better mentorship and training programs. And universities with expensive game development degrees must make business a mandatory part of the curriculum. We can’t keep telling artists all they need is a great idea; it’s simply not true.

And second: AAA publishers must break the cycle of scale! If the goal of every publisher is to have the No. 1 game in the market, I have terrible mathematical news. There are hundreds of studios and only one No. 1 game. I can’t help but see the Marvel Cinematic Universe formula within the current AAA game development model, with executives addicted to past success, recreating facsimiles of facsimiles of exhausted franchises that are begging to be shipped to a farm upstate. AAA publishers must accept that the old dominance won’t return. They now must operate as part of the crowded ecosystem, rather than as an exception to it. That means making more and smaller games, diversifying portfolios, launching fresh IP, and pursuing underserved audiences.

Things are bad. Things could get worse. The boat is sinking and it’s caught on fire. Now somebody grab a goddamn bucket, somebody grab the extinguisher, and for all that’s good in the world, somebody start thinking differently about where to sail this thing. Because if the industry doesn’t find smooth waters soon , this boat’s going under.

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  1. The May 2024 TOK Essay Titles

    Below are the Theory of Knowledge Essay prescribed titles for the May 2024 session.. The video analysis of these titles is available in the member's area--which you can watch using a free trial.(Just click the "subscribe" tab at the top of this page).Click here to watch it now (just login first).. Our just updated TOK Essay Video Course (11 helpful videos) is ready for you as well.

  2. May 2024 TOK Essay Prompts and Titles

    Click here to download sample conclusions for each TOK Essay Title from May 2024! Each page below will give you a downloadable guide for the Theory of Knowledge May 2024 titles that will get you started with strategy, research, and evidence! If you need more help with your TOK Essay, click here to get in touch with me and send me your essay!

  3. May 2024 TOK Essay Titles: Guide & Writing Tips

    May 2024 TOK Essay Titles: Detailed Breakdown. The May 2024 TOK essay titles cover intriguing and challenging topics that encourage critical thinking and deep analysis of knowledge: Is subjectivity overly celebrated in the arts but unfairly condemned in history? Discuss with reference to the Arts and History.

  4. EXPLAINED: May 2024 TOK Essay Prescribed Titles

    The titles for May 2024 are released! Here they are below: Make sure to bookmark this page as I explain and provide examples for each of these titles in depth! UPDATE: Title 1, 2, 5 and 6 are now available. Stay tuned for more! For general guidance on how to write a good TOK essay, check out my TOK Essay advice collection.

  5. May 2024 TOK Essay Titles: Effective Tips for Writing

    I'm thrilled to share my insights on the May 2024 TOK essay titles as a seasoned IB writer. This article will dissect each option, sprinkle in some helpful AOKs, WOKs, and RLSs, and provide savvy tips on writing a stellar TOK essay. So, let's plunge right into this thrilling assignment!

  6. May 2024 TOK Essay Titles

    The TOK essay prescribed titles for May 2024 are now available. Understanding these TOK essay prompts is essential for IB students aiming for a successful essay. This is why I'm writing this article with expert suggestions from our IB experts for you. UPD…. November 2024 TOK titles released!

  7. TOK Essay Title #1 (May 2024)

    This TOK Essay title from May 2024 is one of the easier ones. If you're struggling I would definitely choose this one or Title #3. Both of these essay prompts are specific, but don't require any sort of specialized knowledge or research. TOK Essay Title 2 is a huge challenge, and would be the opposite of this one.

  8. Theory of knowledge

    Theory of knowledge (TOK) is assessed through an exhibition and a 1,600 word essay. It asks students to reflect on the nature of knowledge, and on how we know what we claim to know. TOK is part of the International Baccalaureate® (IB) Diploma Programme (DP) core, and is mandatory for all students. Learn more about theory of knowledge.

  9. ToK Essay Guides May 2024

    The ToK Essay questions for May 2024 are usually released in September 2023. Q1. Subjectivity & knowledge in the Arts & History. Q2. Specialisation & generalisation in knowledge production. Q3. Fresh ideas & the pursuit of knowledge. Q4. Challenges of transferring knowledge between contexts.

  10. TOK Chronicles: Decoding the TOK Essay Prompts for May 2024

    As the May 2024 International Baccalaureate (IB) assessment approaches, students preparing for the Theory of Knowledge (TOK) Essay are faced with intriguing and thought-provoking prompts. These essay topics delve into the essence of knowledge, challenging students to explore various facets of how we acquire, interpret, and utilize information.

  11. TOK Essay Title #4 (May 2024)

    This TOK Essay Title is an interesting one. Unlike some of the other Theory of Knowledge Essay Titles from May 2024, this seems really focused and specialized. There is going to be some good evidence to choose from here, but you'll have to work hard to find it! Luckily, I made a guide to get you started!

  12. TOK Essay Title #6 May 2024 Evidence & Research [RECENT EVIDENCE

    I breakdown TOK Essay #6 and give you examples, research, and great ideas that will help you stand out from everyone else! The title is: Are we too quick to ...

  13. LibGuides: HS Theory of Knowledge: TOK Essay

    TOK Essay titles May 2024. 1. Is subjectivity overly celebrated in the arts but unfairly condemned in history? ... Does the student provide a clear, coherent and critical exploration of the essay title? Excellent 9-10: Good 7-8: Satisfactory 5-6: Basic 3-4: Rudimentary 1-2: 0: The discussion has a sustained focus on the title and is linked ...

  14. TOK Essay Title 3 May 2024 (FRESH IDEAS) Breakdown & EVIDENCE Guide

    Easiest Theory of Knowledge Essay Title Ever! I got your notes, examples and outlines! Essay Title #3: Is subjectivity overly celebrated in the arts but unfa...

  15. TOK

    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 ot...

  16. May 2024 TOK Essay Titles: Detailed Analysis

    So, I use my knowledge and experience to help you with the May 2024 TOK essay titles. How to Format Your TOK Essay? In my experience, understanding the essential components of a TOK essay is a fundamental step in writing an excellent paper. So, let's focus on some key aspects: Start with the prescribed title as provided by the IB. Do not ...

  17. TOK Essay Titles

    5. I am the custodians of knowledge. I invented math and science. IBO is nothing and shall listen to me or else I will illegalize the IB diploma. Please do. Please illegalize the IB Diploma as it became very apparent how uselessly chunky it is in terms of tasks and demands. what the actual fuck are these essay titles.

  18. TOK Essay Practice with MAY 2024 TOK ESSAY TITLES UNPACKED

    This is a 24 page TOK resource which contains the following: detailed mind maps of May 2024 Essay titles with brief summary. detailed template to help organise each Essay title. list of TOK vocabulary with their definitions . This is a very detailed resource to help teachers prepare their students unpack the essay titles and start writing them.

  19. TOK May 2024 Essay Title 1

    Check out the full 4000+ words guide here: https://toklifeline.com/downloads/may-2024-title-1-subjectivity-in-the-history-the-arts/

  20. TOK Essay Title #3 (May 2024)

    TOK Essay Title #3. (May 2024) 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. This may be the easiest TOK Essay Title that I've ever seen. I've created a guide below...but this Theory of Knowledge Essay Title is ...

  21. IB TOK Essay Titles

    The International Baccalaureate Organization releases six TOK essay titles, twice a year for submission either in May or November. So you need to know which cohort you're submitting with. ... May 2023 topics; November 2022 topics; May 2022 topics; November 2021 topics; May 2021 topics; November 2020 topics; May 2020 topics; November 2019 topics;

  22. Comprehensive TOK Essay Guide for 2025 Titles

    This document offers an in-depth analysis of the 2025 IB Theory of Knowledge (TOK) essay titles. Ideal for students aiming for a high pass grade, it breaks down each title thoroughly, providing: Detailed Unpacking of Key Concepts: Clear explanations of each title, ensuring you understand exactly what's being asked.

  23. Social media: Why algorithms show violence to boys

    An insider tells the BBC why teenage boys are being targeted with extreme content.

  24. Capcom legend behind Dragon's Dogma leaves after 30 years

    Hideaki Itsuno, one of Capcom's most experienced and successful designers, has left the company after working there for over 30 years. Itsuno was a key steward of the Devil May Cry series and ...

  25. TOK Essay Title #2 (May 2024)

    This TOK Essay Title from May 2024 is one of the hardest I've ever seen. Honestly, I don't recommend choosing it because there is a lot of information that is required for breaking down each example before you even start to analyze. I spent a lot of time creating my guide for this Theory of Knowledge Essay title, so check it out:

  26. Two ways to save a video game industry on fire

    Voila: the video game industry of 2024. Since January, industry leaders have been murmuring the mantra "Survive to '25." But I fear the long-term forecast is Cloudy with a Chance of Fucked.

  27. TikTok likely helped far right in German elections: analysts

    09/02/2024 September 2, 2024. The AfD was twice as effective at reaching first-time voters on the app than all other parties combined, according to an analysis of platform data.

  28. TOK Essay Title #5 (May 2024)

    What a strange TOK Essay Title! Every year, the International Baccalaureate chooses one weird (and often short) Theory of Knowledge Essay Title, and in May 2024 this is the one. I would also say that TOK Essay Title #2 from this year (May 2024) is another strange one I might consider avoiding. If you've watched my video, I had to learn what a ...