TOK Knowledge & Politics

Epistemic Injustice

"A form of unfair treatment related to knowledge

Propaganda

"Information

Hegemony

"A concept from Antonio Gramsci referring to the dominance of one group over others

Echo Chamber

"An environment where individuals are exposed only to opinions that reinforce their existing beliefs

Political Bias

"A tendency to favor certain political ideologies

Post-Truth

"A condition where public opinion is shaped more by emotions and personal beliefs than by objective facts (popularized in political discourse in the 21st century)."

Censorship

"The suppression or restriction of speech

Social Constructivism

"A theory that knowledge is created through social interactions and power structures rather than existing independently."

Confirmation Bias

"The tendency to seek

Miranda Fricker

"A philosopher known for her work on epistemic injustice

Antonio Gramsci

"An Italian Marxist philosopher who introduced the concept of cultural hegemony

Michel Foucault

"A philosopher who explored the relationship between knowledge and power

John Stuart Mill

"A political philosopher advocating for free speech and open debate as essential to a functioning democracy and knowledge development."

Noam Chomsky

"A linguist and political theorist who critiques media manipulation and propaganda as tools of state and corporate control."

Karl Popper

"A philosopher who proposed falsifiability as a key criterion for scientific knowledge

Disinformation

"False or misleading information deliberately spread to deceive people

Freedom of Speech

"A fundamental right allowing individuals to express opinions without government suppression

Pluralism

"The belief that a diverse range of perspectives and voices should coexist in a political and knowledge system."

Media Literacy

"The ability to critically analyze media content to recognize bias

Consensus Theory of Truth

"A theory suggesting that truth is determined by agreement within a community rather than objective reality."

Manufacturing Consent

"A concept by Noam Chomsky and Edward Herman

Political Polarization

"The increasing ideological divide between different political groups

Authority Bias

"The tendency to accept information as true simply because it comes from an authoritative figure or institution."

Cultural Relativism

"The idea that knowledge and ethics are shaped by cultural contexts

Objective vs. Subjective Knowledge

"Objective knowledge is independent of personal opinions

Knowledge as a Tool of Power

"A concept from Michel Foucault

Rhetoric

"The art of persuasion in speech and writing

"Freedom vs. Control in Knowledge

"The tension between open access to knowledge and state or institutional control over information."

Fake News

"False information presented as factual news

Cognitive Dissonance

"The mental discomfort experienced when holding conflicting beliefs or encountering contradictory information."

Misinformation

"False or inaccurate information that is spread

Pluralistic Ignorance

"A situation where a majority of people privately reject a belief but assume others accept it

Scientific Skepticism

"An approach that questions claims and demands empirical evidence

Civil Disobedience

"A political act of nonviolent resistance to challenge laws or policies perceived as unjust

Demagoguery

"Political leadership that appeals to popular desires and prejudices rather than reasoned argument."

Transparency

"The principle that governments and institutions should openly share information to enable public scrutiny and accountability."

Cognitive Bias

"Systematic errors in thinking that affect decision-making and belief formation

Public Sphere

"A concept from Jürgen Habermas describing the space where individuals engage in rational debate about societal issues."

Utilitarianism in Politics

"The ethical theory by John Stuart Mill that policies should aim for the greatest happiness for the greatest number."

Democratic Knowledge

"The idea that knowledge production should be participatory and open rather than controlled by elites."

Self-Censorship

"The act of withholding one's opinions or ideas due to fear of social

Technocracy

"A system of governance where decision-making is guided by experts rather than elected representatives."

Meme Warfare

"The use of internet memes to influence political opinions and cultural discourse."

Conspiracy Theory

"An explanation for events that relies on secretive

Doxxing

"The act of publicly sharing private information to intimidate or silence individuals

Algorithmic Bias

"The ways in which AI and algorithms reinforce political biases in knowledge dissemination (e.g.

Artificial Intelligence and Knowledge

"The ethical and political implications of AI in shaping what knowledge is accessible and how it is used in society."

Epistemic Responsibility

"The moral obligation to seek and share truthful knowledge

Liberal vs. Conservative Epistemologies

"Different approaches to knowledge and truth based on political ideologies

Digital Democracy

"The role of digital platforms in enhancing or hindering political knowledge and participation."

Deplatforming

"The removal of individuals or groups from online platforms due to violations of speech policies

Political Narratives

"The framing of knowledge and events to support particular ideological or political goals."