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Good KQs ask how we know about the world (second-order knowledge), rather than what we know about the world (first-order knowledge). Being able to tell the difference between first and second-order knowledge can be difficult, but it is the most important attribute of successful TOK thinking - and will form the basis of your essay and exhibition.

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What personal traits do we need to become successful knowers?

What is the most convincing method of producing and evaluating knowledge?

Is knowledge produced by groups always superior to knowledge produced by individuals?

How aware do we need to be of spin and bias when it comes to knowing about the world?

Is objectiveness possible when it comes to producing knowledge?

Does being certain about the world undermine our curiosity?

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What role does personal experience play in the production of new knowledge?

Is new knowledge just about rethinking existing knowledge?

Where do new ideas come from?

How can we measure whether present knowledge is an improvement on past knowledge?

Can any knowledge be truly original?

To what extent do we depend on imagination to help us produce new knowledge?

What role does asking questions play in the creation of new knowledge?

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Can we overcome our biases?

What role does our identity play in how effectively we think about the world

How do our expectations and assumptions impact how we perceive things?

What are the most important influences on our perspective as knowers?

How are my perspectives shaped by my language, my religion, my language, my politics, and the technology I use?

Are our beliefs always the beliefs of the community we belong to?

Can our biases ever be helpful in generating a valid view of the world?

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How can language be used to manipulate the way we understand ideas and concepts?

What other ways of communicating knowledge are there apart from language?

Does the limit of our language equate to the limit of what we can know?

To what extent do labels and names create ‘motivated seeing’ in knowers?

If knowledge cannot be expressed simply, is it still valid knowledge?

How does our agenda affect our ability to communicate knowledge effectively?

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Why should we care about finding out about the world?

Which evidence is stronger in supporting ethical claims: rational or empirical?

Do ethical thought experiments lead to valid knowledge?

What moral responsibilities and obligations come with the acquisition of knowledge?

Do we have a responsibility to know certain things about the world?

Are all moral claims equally valid?

Do knowers have a moral duty to share what they know?

Do moral ‘facts’ exist?

How do we evaluate and assess the validity of ethical principles?

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What is the point of knowledge?

Do all knowledge claims require demonstrable evidence to support them?

To what extent should we rely on our memory to provide us with knowledge?

What’s the difference between knowledge, belief and opinion?

How can we evaluate whether something is ‘true’?

Do feelings constitute knowledge?

How can we evaluate whether we know as much as we think we know?

Can we trust the knowledge we receive from our senses?

Why should we believe something?

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Use our other free padlets on this area of knowledge - the quotes, real-world issues, and key thinkers - to explore and answer these KQs, trying to identify and challenge your assumptions as you do so.

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Although the KQs you see here relate primarily to natural sciences, many of them link to other AOKs and themes, so bear this in mind as you consider them.

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Knowledge questions (KQs) form the heart of TOK, providing us with the opportunity to discuss, explore, and sometimes argue about the way we acquire and use our knowledge about the world.