TOK 11 Study Guide: Knowledge and the Knower

Vocabulary flashcards reviewing core Theory of Knowledge (TOK) concepts including types of knowledge, the JTB model, Gettier problem, rhetorical appeals, anecdotal evidence, axioms, and communities of knowers.

Knower

A person who acquires, interprets, evaluates, and uses knowledge.

Propositional Knowledge

Knowledge that something is true or false, which can usually be expressed as a statement or proposition (knowing THAT something is the case).

Procedural Knowledge

Knowledge of how to do something, involving skills, methods, or processes (knowing HOW to do something).

Tacit Knowledge

Knowledge that is difficult to fully explain or put into words, often gained through experience, practice, observation, participation, or trial and error.

Justified True Belief (JTB) Model

A traditional model in philosophy stating that Knowledge = Justified + True + Belief, requiring all three conditions to be satisfied.

Belief (JTB Condition)

A condition of the JTB model stating that a person must believe a proposition in order to know it.

Truth (JTB Condition)

A condition of the JTB model stating that a proposition must actually be true, as one cannot genuinely know something that is false.

Justification (JTB Condition)

A condition of the JTB model stating that a person needs good reasons or evidence for believing a proposition.

Gettier Problem

A challenge to the JTB model, named after philosopher Edmund Gettier, demonstrating that a person can have a true belief with good justification that still may not count as knowledge.

Rhetorical Appeals

Techniques used to persuade an audience, composed of ethos, pathos, and logos.

Ethos

A rhetorical appeal based on credibility or authority, where the speaker establishes trust through expertise.

Pathos

A rhetorical appeal to emotion, where the speaker attempts to influence feelings such as fear, sympathy, anger, hope, or pride.

Logos

A rhetorical appeal to logic and reasoning, relying on facts, statistics, evidence, and logical arguments.

Anecdotal Evidence

Evidence based on an individual's personal experience or story rather than systematic research or a representative collection of evidence.

Axiom

A statement or principle that is accepted as a starting assumption for reasoning within a particular system without needing to be proven within that system.

Community of Knowers

A group of people who share knowledge, methods, practices, language, standards, or perspectives.