Rent Readings in the Theory of Knowledge: A Primer for Young People

Synopsis

This book began as a series of short essays that I wrote for my students in the International Baccalaureate program of which the theory of knowledge course is a constituent part. My purpose was to make their lives a little easier and less anxious. The six prescribed titles from which they choose a title for the TOK essay they are required to write for the IB Organization are typically very lofty, even for graduate students in philosophy. Moreover, philosophy for high school students is difficult enough, but the theory of knowledge requires a basic introduction to philosophy as a precondition, at least if a student is expected to think carefully about knowledge issues and not "spout off" about things he knows absolutely nothing about. Without some background, theory of knowledge in high school can be a very frustrating experience for some students but, more importantly, a very dangerous course for everyone. With some background, however, the theory of knowledge can be very beneficial. Reason is capable of far more than most people think; at the same time, however, our knowledge is far more limited than most people tend to think. There is a great deal about which we can be certain, such as fundamental moral precepts and their application to some very basic moral issues. But there is a great deal about which we cannot be certain, namely our day to day inferences; most people, however, treat their inferences as if they enjoy the necessity of a mathematical conclusion. This book aims to introduce young people to first principles, the basic principles of deductive and inductive reasoning, and some of the basic principles of the philosophy of being and ethics and their knowledge implications. Above all, this book tries to delineate more explicitly the parameters that separate the vast realm of the uncertain from the relatively tiny area of certainty.

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