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Do political leaders need to be knowledgeable?

Is it possible to apply reasoned argument about politics?

Is there a base-level of knowledge that we need to possess before voting?

Can an individual knower ever know what is right for others?

Can we make accurate predictions in politics?

Is consensus possible about political issues?

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What impact has technology and social media made on the way we acquire political knowledge?

How and why do the reputations of political and historical figures change over time?

To what extent are our political affiliations formed by the way we identify with historical events?

Is political knowledge produced solely to consolidate power?

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Why are referendums so contentious?

Can we be objective about politics?

How do our political affiliations and biases affect the way we acquire knowledge about the world?

Do we form our political affiliations via rational knowledge?

Is our reading of political history more a reflection of our times than the times we are looking at?

Are political views determined by our individual and societal perspectives?

How do our political affiliations influence our understanding of the world?

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To what extent should political knowledge be interpreted by media sources before it is communicated?

How are ‘facts’ and statistics used and abused in politics?

How do words become politicized?

How do we know when we are being presented with information out of its correct context?

What does the new style in political graphics indicate about the way society processes information?

To what extent is emotive language used to manipulate us in politics?

What are the implications of letting an algorithm determine the character of editorial content within political reporting?

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Are people’s political and moral outlooks indivisible?

How is data analytics and social media presenting new ethical challenges when it comes to political decision making?

Is it possible to transcend the moral codes of individual countries?

Can political knowledge be separated from values?

Within a democratic system, do all knowers have an ethical responsibility to possess awareness about political issues?

Do political leaders have additional ethical responsibilities compared to ‘ordinary’ knowers?

Are politicians morally bound to pursue evidence-based policies?

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Should we approach political data in a quantitative or qualitative way?

To what extent is evidence necessary (rather than, say, assumptions) in order to make a judgement about politics?

How does studying politics differ from practising politics?

Are our political affiliations determined by our emotions?

How does having an ‘opinion’ about politics differ from ‘knowing’ about politics?

Can political statistics provide us with objective knowledge?

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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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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 politics, 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.