Values and beliefs by

A Smithsonian article, looking at the power of place names for indigenous (and other) cultures.

theory_of_knowledge — 2024-03-28 16:26:04 UTC

UNPACKING THE SOURCE How important are place names for indigenous people in North America? How were names used by colonialists to appropriate power? How important is it to name a place with the involvement of those who live there? Students can watch the short film, Shash Jaa’, made by the writer, here, and read about the politics behind the renaming of Bears Ears National Monument here. Overall, how does our understanding of a place change when we view its name as being its “identification of the spirit and energy” found there?

KEY TERMS Cultural and social realms, Indigenous epistemology, K’é, Power, Border lines, Sacred, Appropriating

Writing in Aeon, Thomas T. Hills looks at how shamanism is a universal feature of human society, and why it evolved in certain societies.

theory_of_knowledge — 2024-03-28 16:26:22 UTC

UNPACKING THE SOURCE The article is interesting on several levels. First, have a look at Hills’s possible arguments to explain shamanism – how does he put forward several hypotheses, and then explore them? Is creating a framework like this a good approach, or does it close off possible explanations? Second, find the passage which follows his assertion that “When minds can’t find things, they engage with the random.” What does this mean, and how does shamanism link to this? Do hypotheses help or hinder us from producing knowledge? How can ‘engaging with the random’ help us to generate knowledge?

KEY TERMS Shamanism, Exploratory divination, Mythology

A BBC article, looking at the resurgence of a Mexican sport which was banned by the Spanish conquistadores.

theory_of_knowledge — 2024-03-28 16:26:35 UTC

UNPACKING THE SOURCE To what extent does an understanding of our traditions help us to understand ourselves?

KEY TERMS Ritual and religious connotations

A Conversation article, focusing on the struggle of native Americans for control over their sacred land.

theory_of_knowledge — 2024-03-28 16:26:53 UTC

UNPACKING THE SOURCE What is the policy of ‘co-management’, and why are some states introducing it? How do indigenous beliefs determine the relationship indigenous peoples have with the natural world? Why is this at odds with the way the US government views both ‘sacred land’ and indigenous religion? Overall, why is it important to build in multiple outlooks and perspectives when we try to understand and manage the environment?

KEY TERMS Origin narrative, Truly religious, Culturally important

An FT article, considering what we can learn by engaging with art that deprioritises western belief and knowledge systems.

theory_of_knowledge — 2024-03-28 16:27:32 UTC

UNPACKING THE SOURCE Choose one of the following works of art from the article: The Prophecy, by Fabrice Monteiro; Still Standing, by Victor Ehikhamenor; The world is not what exists but what happens, by Cassi Namoda. What does each work represent? How do they challenge our perspectives? What are your personal takeaways from the work of art you are looking at? When you’ve finished, swap your responses with other members of the class. Overall, do you agree that “we have much to learn from engaging with art that deprioritises western belief and knowledge systems”?

KEY TERMS Perspectives, Sacred, Unlearning and relearning, Memory

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A New Humanist article, considering the shockingly high rate of violence against perceived witches, and the thinking behind this phenomenon.

theory_of_knowledge — 2024-03-28 16:27:46 UTC

UNPACKING THE SOURCE This disturbing story interests us because of both the thought-process leading to the conclusion that witchcraft has occurred, and the way in which it places a strain on the need for tolerance and acceptance of radically different worldviews. First, what evidence do people require to believe that witchcraft has taken place - and what might motivate arriving at this conclusion (link this to ‘power’)? Second, why is a simple education in Western science insufficient to combat this phenomenon? Finally, what part does embracing ‘worldview pluralism’ play in solving this problem?

KEY TERMS Evidence, Ignorance, Powerless, Supernatural worldview, Worldview pluralism

A BBC article about how a rare tea is picked in India.

theory_of_knowledge — 2024-03-28 16:28:03 UTC

UNPACKING THE SOURCE What are the limits to knowledge produced via a positivist approach?

KEY TERMS Spiritual, Ceremonial

A Sky News video, looking at the relationship between the Kogi people of Colombia and the natural world - and what we can learn from them.

theory_of_knowledge — 2024-03-28 16:28:43 UTC

UNPACKING THE SOURCE Who are the Kogi people, and why are they in the news? How different are their beliefs about the natural world to those of us belonging to large-scale, industrialized societies? Why does their approach to the environment have less of an impact than ours? Overall, does having a spiritual relationship with the natural world help us to understand and protect it more effectively?

KEY TERMS Advice, Interconnected, Voice, Living entity

A Conversation article, which looks at a film about indigenous stories about the night sky, and how they help us to comprehend the universe.

theory_of_knowledge — 2024-03-28 16:28:57 UTC

UNPACKING THE SOURCE This is an amazing story, bringing together stories from the world’s oldest extant culture, and the latest scientific technology and thinking. Ask students to think about the following: how does modern knowledge align with traditional practices and habits? How do stories about the night sky from very different societies and times match up? What does Steven Tingay mean when he says, “differences in race, religion, culture, politics, and society melt away with that perspective”?

KEY TERMS Indigenous stories, Common origins, Intertwined cultural and scientific perspectives

A CBS video and a BBC photo essay, covering the parade of the Catrinas in Mexico, in preparation for this year’s Day of the Dead celebration.

theory_of_knowledge — 2024-03-28 16:29:35 UTC

UNPACKING THE SOURCE What is the parade of the Catrinas? How does this approach to death differ from many other cultures around the world? Why do you think there has been such a worldwide increase in interest in the Latin American ‘day of the dead’ celebrations, as seen in its portrayal in movies and other popular art forms? This story is a great starting point for students to research the way different cultures visualize and celebrate/mourn death. To wrap up: To what extent are religious belief systems a mechanism to cope with the ephemeral nature of life?

KEY TERMS Alive, Celebration, Cycle of life and death, Sombre

A Le Monde article, looking at how Ukraine has decided to change the date it celebrates Christmas, in a break with the Orthodox Church.

theory_of_knowledge — 2024-03-28 16:29:45 UTC

UNPACKING THE SOURCE How important is religious heritage in defining a nation’s identity?

KEY TERMS Heritage, Identity

A New Humanist article, analyzing how the Church of the Flying Spaghetti Monster helps us fathom the relationship between religion and the state.

theory_of_knowledge — 2024-03-28 16:29:53 UTC

UNPACKING THE SOURCE Why was the Church of the Flying Spaghetti Monster established? In what ways have ‘Pastafarians’ tried to gain recognition around the world? How do opinions differ on whether the Church of the FSM is a religion - and how does this depend on whether the state is secular or more religiously-inclined? Do students agree with Paul CIteur that, “If all humanity were Pastafarians – people with a sense of humour and a relaxed attitude towards their religious convictions – that would be a tremendous improvement”? Overall, why is it so difficult to reach a consensus on what constitutes a religious belief system?

KEY TERMS Religious privileges, Pseudo-scientific rants, Parody, Protest, Legitimate, Religion vs. freedom to think

A Big Think video, in which Sasha Sagan talks about the 23.4° tilt of the earth - and how that impacts on beliefs and ceremonies around the world.

theory_of_knowledge — 2024-03-28 16:30:01 UTC

UNPACKING THE SOURCE What problem does Sagan identify that humans have related to time? How does this link to the 23.4° tilt of the earth? What need does she say secular thinkers share with those who hold theistic views? Overall, what does this indicate about the scope to combine both a scientific and a spiritual worldview?

KEY TERMS Disparate cultures, Wonder, Traditions and ceremonies, Secular, Celebrate

A Big Think video, arguing that ‘supernatural thinking’ is an integral part of being a complete human being.

theory_of_knowledge — 2024-03-28 16:30:08 UTC

UNPACKING THE SOURCE What is the usual view of the relationship between supernatural and rational thinking, according to Clay Routledge? Why does he argue that believing in the supernatural is entirely rational? Which three unique cognitive capacities does he identify that humans possess, and how does this link to being able to create new understandings about the world? How important is ‘intuitive thinking’ for him? Overall, do you agree that supernatural thinking is an important part of “being a complete human being”?

KEY TERMS Supernatural thinking, Transcends the material, Quest for meaning, Teleological thinking, Rational versus intuitive cognitive processes, Agent of meaning

A Conversation article, looking at what constitutes a ‘miracle’ for the Catholic Church.

theory_of_knowledge — 2024-03-28 16:30:15 UTC

UNPACKING THE SOURCE It’s sometimes hard to identify concepts and ideas that are specific to religion, so this article, focusing on miracles, is useful for us in understanding this optional theme. Get students to understand how the Catholic church defines a miracle, and its role in canonization. Then think about some of the questions that miracles throw up: how does the Catholic church deal with the tension that exists between protecting the integrity of belief, and the need to avoid “mistakes or scandals”? What role do miracles play in a person’s religious faith? Are miracles undermined by scientific understanding? Are there different ways of interpreting miracles (such as Rudolph Bultmann asserts)? Can miracles exist within other areas of knowledge?

KEY TERMS Holiness, Divine power, Supernatural, Symbolic meaning vs. literal truth, Faith

A Conversation article, in which a New Testament scholar outlines what ‘biblical inerrancy’ is.

theory_of_knowledge — 2024-03-28 16:30:23 UTC

UNPACKING THE SOURCE Is religious knowledge based on certainties?

KEY TERMS Inerrancy, Final authority, interpreted

A Conversation article that considers whether Creationism qualifies as a conspiracy theory.

theory_of_knowledge — 2024-03-28 16:30:30 UTC

UNPACKING THE SOURCE Get students to offer their opinions on what constitutes a conspiracy theory, perhaps drawing on the key terms mentioned above. Then ask them to read the article - does Creationism qualify as a conspiracy theory? How does Creationism compare to more mainstream religious beliefs? Is the key characteristic of conspiracy theories an agenda?

KEY TERMS Biblical infallibility, Rules of evidence, Unprovable assumptions, Fact-based criticism, agenda

A Big Think article, asking the question, "Does it matter if there was a historical Jesus?"

theory_of_knowledge — 2024-03-28 16:31:22 UTC

UNPACKING THE SOURCE This article raises some interesting questions about the nature of religion, and the figures which are worshipped by adherents. Is religious belief based purely on symbolism? How much does historical reality matter when we construct our religious outlooks? In addition, what does the article suggest about the evolution of religion: is religious knowledge based on the creation of new ideas, or the synthesis of pre-existing ones?

KEY TERMS Truth, Archetype, Contradictions, Mythology, Cult, Synthesist

Julian Baggini in The Guardian muses on the dissonance between faith and the rational mind when it comes to the Easter story, cautioning non-believers not to be lazily dismissive of concepts and explanations we consider implausible.

theory_of_knowledge — 2024-03-28 16:31:30 UTC

UNPACKING THE SOURCE This is an interesting article largely because it is written by a non-theist, but one who is eager to understand religion, rather than write it off, and build bridges between those who believe and those who don’t. The key sentence to focus on is where Baggini says, “The Easter story thus ends up rather like quantum theory: if you find it easy to believe, you haven’t understood it. Illogicality is a design feature, not a design flaw.” What does he mean? Does this help us to understand (and accept) those who have decided that “faith is superior to belief based on evidence”? Can we make sense of a faith-based approach to the world? What is the relationship between faith and reason?

KEY TERMS Faith, Credulity gap, Cognitive dissonance

In this short Big Think video, Dr. Michio Kaku discusses the distinctive purposes of science and religion, and how there are two Gods – one ‘personal’, and one related to the order and harmony of the universe.

theory_of_knowledge — 2024-03-28 16:31:39 UTC

UNPACKING THE SOURCE Do students agree with the basic premise of the video – that “the purpose of science is to determine how the heavens go. The purpose of religion is to determine how to go to heaven”? And do they find Kaku’s identification of two Gods (what are these) helpful? Does this indicate that we cannot approach the world purely with a scientific worldview, as other thinkers may advocate?

KEY TERMS Personal gods vs. the god of Spinoza

This Aeon article considers the concepts of ‘immanence’, and how it influenced the way Martin Luther King viewed the world, and informed the way the Civil Rights Struggle was approached.

theory_of_knowledge — 2024-03-28 16:31:45 UTC

UNPACKING THE SOURCE Students often struggle with religion, either regarding this theme as solely about the existence of God, or confusing it with ethics. This story about MLK shows how a religious concept – immanence – can shape the way people understand the world, and how it influences the knowledge they construct. Get them to look up what immanence means first of all, how it influenced King, and finally a consideration of the (profound) implications of holding this belief. They could also reflect on central concepts (religious or otherwise) that inform their outlooks and worldviews. How do religious concepts influence the way we understand the world? To what extent are our worldviews determined by the way we subscribe to religious ideas?

KEY TERMS Divine immanence, Satyagraha

A Conversation article*, exploring the difficulties of reconciling the moral obligations of a religious faith with the laws of the society in which it exists.

theory_of_knowledge — 2024-03-28 16:31:53 UTC

UNPACKING THE SOURCE What examples does it offer of tensions between immigration policies and religious groups’ commitments to humanitarian care? What arguments do some religious leaders accused of breaking immigration laws present to defend their actions? What does this story indicate about the different priorities for governments and religious traditions? Overall, which perspective should take precedent when we form our moral outlooks on the world: the religion, or the state, to which we belong? How can they be reconciled when they clash?

KEY TERMS Religious freedoms, Violated, Motivations, Cultural, Globalizing world

*We're proud to work in partnership with The Conversation. To sign up for their newsletter, which we draw on widely to create TOK lesson material, follow this link.

An ArtNews report into the dismissal of a professor at Hamline University, after displaying two medieval paintings of the prophet Muhammed.

theory_of_knowledge — 2024-03-28 16:32:03 UTC

UNPACKING THE SOURCE What did the unnamed professor do in his art history class, and what point was he trying to prove? Why did someone complain, and how did the college respond to this? Why have some people argued that the action taken afterwards by the college was a “violation” of the principles of academic freedom? What are your opinions on the incident (you can use this article from the Conversation to add to your knowledge)? Overall, where should the line be placed (or should there be a line) between cultural sensitivity and censorship?

KEY TERMS Monothetic, Disrespectful, Offensive, Censorship, Freedom of expression

A Big Think article, looking at the Inglehart-Welzel World Cultural map, which arranges nations according to their values and religious outlooks.

theory_of_knowledge — 2024-03-28 16:32:14 UTC

UNPACKING THE SOURCE How we represent the world is a central aspect of TOK, and an interesting topic to explore with your students. This map shows another way of doing it, but what insights do students feel it offers us? Do they like the way the data is generated and plotted on the map (which is actually a ‘scatterplot diagram’)? What are their opinions on the criticisms offered in the final paragraph that it is “simplistic, and culturally essentialist”?

KEY TERMS Values, Cultural proximity

A Big Think article, exploring whether there can be an ethical basis for right and wrong without a divine authority.

theory_of_knowledge — 2024-03-28 16:32:22 UTC

UNPACKING THE SOURCE Can we establish objectively the moral basis of ‘right’ and ‘wrong’?

KEY TERMS Divine command theory, the Euthyphro dilemma

An AP article, considering the news that the Catholic Church says it cannot permit the blessing of a same-sex unions because they are inherently sinful.

theory_of_knowledge — 2024-03-28 16:32:30 UTC

UNPACKING THE SOURCE The declaration made by the Pope on 15th March is a big one, and means that unions between same-sex people remain morally illegitimate in the eyes of the Catholic Church. This poses a lot of questions linked to religion and the construction of our values. First, should our values ‘move with the times’, or remain absolute? Second, given the fact that the Church’s position is arguably contradictory (it’s hard to see how you can treat people with “dignity and respect” and at the same time refer to one of the central aspects of their lives as being “intrinsically disordered”), how important is it to subscribe to an ethical system that is logically consistent? Finally, what are the pros and cons associated with belonging to an ethical system based on faith rather than demonstrable evidence?

KEY TERMS Sin, God’s plan, Divine

A Guardian article, looking at a recent report which concluded that religious intolerance is more prevalent and damaging than intolerance related to ethnicity or nationality.

theory_of_knowledge — 2024-03-28 16:32:38 UTC

UNPACKING THE SOURCE Students can analyse this story on two levels: first of all, what does this report reveal about the way in which our negative perceptions lead us to judge other people’s religious affiliations? How does this mislead us when it comes to understanding religion in general? Second, how do you measure things like religious intolerance - and compare it to the level of intolerance related to ethnicity or nationality? Can such comparisons be made in an accurate way? How important are studies such as this in helping us to understand religion and other aspects of society?

KEY TERMS Negative perceptions, Prejudice

A Guardian article, thinking about how people in Britain no longer identify as Christian - but are also reluctant to label themselves as atheists.

theory_of_knowledge — 2024-03-28 16:32:50 UTC

UNPACKING THE SOURCE Do human beings have a ‘spiritual need’?

KEY TERMS Nones, Post-Christian

An Independent article which reports on the reaction to the Archbishop of Canterbury’s assertion that representations of Jesus shouldn’t always be white.

theory_of_knowledge — 2024-03-28 16:32:58 UTC

UNPACKING THE SOURCE A very short article that looks both at what Justin Welby said about the way we portray the ethnic identity of Jesus, and the reaction (from white Westerners) of his assertion. This prompts us to ask how our cultural perspectives influence the way we produce religious knowledge. Why were people offended by what he said? Do gods make us in their image, or do we make them in ours?

KEY TERMS Cultures, Ahistorical, Erasure of history

A Big Think article, considering why we view time as linear, and whether it’s advantageous to perceive it differently.

theory_of_knowledge — 2024-03-28 16:33:12 UTC

UNPACKING THE SOURCE To start: How would you represent time in a visual way? How many of you offered a ‘timeline’? From the source: What ideas did the Greeks have about the nature of time - and how did Plato differ from the other thinkers? How did Plato’s approach to time fit in with Christian ideology? What is Sacred Time - and how influential has this idea been? What other ways of visualizing time are there - and what advantages do they offer in order to understand the ‘true’ nature of time? To wrap up: “the world is in a ceaseless process of change.” (Carlo Rovelli) How should we build this realization into the way we perceive time?

KEY TERMS Linear view of time, Different ways of seeing the world, Illusion, Deliberate narrative, Sacred Time

A Variety review of a film about missionary John Chau, who died whilst trying to spread Christianity to the ‘unreached’ people of North Sentinel Island.

theory_of_knowledge — 2024-03-28 16:33:19 UTC

UNPACKING THE SOURCE Watch this trailer about the new documentary about John Chau, to gain a basic understanding of what happened to him in 2018. What two questions are asked about John Chau in the second paragraph of the article, and what does this reveal about the difficulties of telling his story objectively? How does missionary work differ from that done by anthropologists? What different factors motivated John Chau to try to make contact with the Sentinelese people? To wrap up: How should we balance our desire to communicate (what we believe is) useful knowledge with an awareness that that knowledge may not be desired or required?

KEY TERMS Biases and beliefs, Civilization, The Great Commission, Religious fanaticism, Imperialist agenda

A Conversation article, analyzing how religious outlooks shape the way we feel about vaccines.

theory_of_knowledge — 2024-03-28 16:33:26 UTC

UNPACKING THE SOURCE What is the relationship between religious outlooks, and scientific skepticism - and how should we make use of our understanding of this link?

KEY TERMS Hostility, Nuanced, Stereotypes, True, Conspiratorial belief

A Conversation article, looking at the ‘battle’ over the reincarnation of the Dalai Lama.

theory_of_knowledge — 2024-03-28 16:33:32 UTC

UNPACKING THE SOURCE How do Buddhists view consciousness and ‘rebirth’, and how do their beliefs contrast with Communist party doctrine? Why will a Communist party-appointed ‘Panchen Lama’ have no authority as a religious leader? Why do you think governments throughout history have often tried to control the way religion is practiced? To wrap up: Who or what should be in charge of the way people practice their religious beliefs?

KEY TERMS Appropriate beliefs and practices, Sole legitimate arbiter, Rival ideologies, Revere

A Big Think article, exploring why Carl Sagan and Albert Einstein believed that science is a source of spirituality.

theory_of_knowledge — 2024-03-28 16:33:39 UTC

UNPACKING THE SOURCE What is Bobby Azarian’s definition of spirituality, and how similar is it to the students? Do students agree with Einstein when he said, “the path to genuine religiosity does not lie through the fear of life, and the fear of death, and blind faith, but through striving after rational knowledge.”? How does developing a ‘cosmic perspective’ help bring different peoples together? Overall, give students the final line of the article - “You are not a cosmic accident. You are a cosmic imperative.” - what responsibilities does this suggest we have as knowers?

KEY TERMS Incompatible, Sense of connection, Supernatural, Genuine religiosity, Rational knowledge, Immanent entities, Meta-awareness, Interconnected whole, Cosmic perspective

A Big Think video, in which Francis Collins argues that science and religion are asking very different questions.

theory_of_knowledge — 2024-03-28 16:34:04 UTC

UNPACKING THE SOURCE What does Collins say is the purpose of science and religion, and how do they fundamentally differ? Why, in his opinion, does this mean there is no need to see them as being contradictory? What is his explanation for the fact that many people believe the relationship between them is problematic? Overall, do we understand the world more or less by incorporating both a scientific and religious worldview?

KEY TERMS Rigorous answers to questions, Scientific method, Philosophical realm, Shrill pronouncements, Harmony perspective

A National Geographic article, exploring how Christmas has developed over time in different cultural contexts.

theory_of_knowledge — 2024-03-28 16:34:14 UTC

UNPACKING THE SOURCE This is a great overview of the development of Christmas, with plenty of links taking you to further information about different aspects of the holiday season. For us, it prompts the question: in order to fully understand something, do we need to know about its history and development? Apply this to Christmas: how does it help us to understand this celebration by grasping its cultural, artistic, religious, culinary, and technological background?

KEY TERMS Secularized, Cultures, Innovation, Traditions

A Conversation article, questioning the popular perception of Buddhism as a religion devoted solely to peace.

theory_of_knowledge — 2024-03-28 16:34:22 UTC

UNPACKING THE SOURCE You could begin an exploration of this story by thinking about students’ perceptions of Buddhism, and the extent to which they are based on first hand knowledge, or knowledge gained by any degree of study. Then discuss the aspect of Buddhism that most of us would focus on - its non-violent outlook, and how this distinguishes it from other organized religions. Then look through the article. Are they surprised by its links to violence - such as the large number of Buddhists in the British army? How has our understanding of Buddhism been shaped by colonization and the ‘framing’ of its identity? Thinking more broadly, is our understanding and awareness of world religions based on image or reality? Is this a problem - and if so, how can we overcome it?

KEY TERMS Reputation, Framing, Stereotype, Generalisations

An Atlantic article, considering the closeness of religious and scientific beliefs about the universe.

theory_of_knowledge — 2024-03-28 16:34:28 UTC

UNPACKING THE SOURCE This is a long article, but it’s perfect for TOK, and raises some massive questions. Start by thinking about the way in which our ideas of ‘natural’ and ‘supernatural’ developed alongside the development of science, and the construction of our ‘laws of nature’. Next think about how recent discoveries in science have shaken all this up - and how scientists lack the evidence to prove many of their hypotheses. To what extent, then, do (and should) we rely on ‘faith’ in order to support our scientific suppositions? How does this differ from religious knowledge? Does knowledge have to be provable?

KEY TERMS Believers and nonbelievers, Miracles, Supernatural, Laws of nature, Faith, Evidence, Falsifiability, Proved

A Conversation article, examining research that investigates the link between people’s religious and non-religious affiliations, and their gender.

theory_of_knowledge — 2024-03-28 16:34:36 UTC

UNPACKING THE SOURCE What part does gender play in our religious outlooks - and how can we meaningfully assess this?

KEY TERMS Nones, Life cycle effect

A New Statesman article, which explores the way in which science and religion try to achieve the same aims, via similar thought processes.

theory_of_knowledge — 2024-03-28 16:34:44 UTC

UNPACKING THE SOURCE This long article seems tailor-made for critical thinking, so it’s worth investing the time in reading and unpacking it. Rather than assessing the extent to which science can learn from religion as the title says, focus instead on thinking about the “connection, rather than a boundary” between science and religion as outlined in the article, which is illustrated in a number of ways. First, how have religious thinkers tried to pursue knowledge in a scientific way? Second, what examples does the article give of scientists who view science as having a spiritual dimension? Third, to what extent does science and religion ask the same questions? Fourth, how do scientists approach science in an ‘evangelical’ way? Finally, in what way have scientists drawn on the experience of religious thinkers to explore human awareness of the world?

KEY TERMS Conflict, Faith, Spirituality, Neogeocentrism

In this short Independent article, Nick Perham considers why people believe in God, looking at the way in which it fulfills many of our psychological needs, and how religious thinking impacts on our personal and societal behaviour.

theory_of_knowledge — 2024-03-28 16:35:06 UTC

UNPACKING THE SOURCE Understanding religion can be tricky, particularly for those who subscribe to no religious faith. Many people have tried to explain it via psychological or evolutionary terms - as Perham begins to do here. Is this a valid way of trying to explain why people believe in God? What are his key arguments? Or do we have to somehow ‘go beyond’ reason when we seek to understand religious knowledge systems? Can religion be explained via the human sciences? What constitutes ‘reality’? How can we tell what knowledge we should question? Are religious knowledge systems ‘beyond reason’?

KEY TERMS God-shaped hole, Cognitive decoupling

An Aeon article, which looks at the extent to which Buddhism can be updated for the modern world - particularly in terms of its belief in reincarnation.

theory_of_knowledge — 2024-03-28 16:35:22 UTC

UNPACKING THE SOURCE To what extent can religions be ‘cleaned-up’ to suit modern outlooks and ways of life?

KEY TERMS Stereotypes, Complexity, Cleaned-up version

This History Today review of Ethan Shagan’s new book, The Birth of Modern Belief, considers that it isn’t just the concept of religion that has changed over time, it is also the concept of belief.

theory_of_knowledge — 2024-03-28 16:35:40 UTC

UNPACKING THE SOURCE First, students could consider the way in which religion has developed over time, based on the first paragraph of the article (plus their own ideas, and outside reading). Then get them to think about the meaning of belief. What are the implications of this in terms of how we understand and produce religious knowledge?

KEY TERMS Secularism, Belief

A Conversation article, exploring how “spiritual but not religious” people in America are finding new ways of pursuing meaning.

theory_of_knowledge — 2024-03-28 16:35:50 UTC

UNPACKING THE SOURCE What does it say is currently happening in the US in terms of those who identify as ‘SBNR’? How are they finding ‘spiritual fulfillment’? How is technology driving the change? Overall, what does the rise of secular forms of spiritual practice indicate about people’s need for meaning in life?

KEY TERMS Meaning, Unaffiliated, SBNR, Sense of belonging, Secular and atheist churches, Supernatural vs. self-improvement, Digital spiritual

An Aeon/TED animation, looking at how Zen Buddhist ‘Koans’ help us to embrace uncertainty, rather than asking questions about the unknowable.

theory_of_knowledge — 2024-03-28 16:36:00 UTC

UNPACKING THE SOURCE A really nice animation, which outlines one of the key aspects of Zen Buddhism. First get students to understand what the ‘Koans’ were - perhaps focusing on how they help us to avoid binary thinking. Next think about what they tell us about the struggle to explain everything: is this a futile quest? Do they agree that enlightenment means resisting the urge to know the seemingly unknowable?

KEY TERMS Answer, Unexplainable, Interpretations, Grey area, Observable world vs. deeper knowledge, Binary thinking, Understanding

This Big Think story focuses on the assertion of Dartmouth physicist Marcelo Gleiser that labelling yourself an atheist - in other words, stating that something does not exist when you have no evidence either way - is incompatible with a scientific outlook.

theory_of_knowledge — 2024-03-28 16:36:10 UTC

UNPACKING THE SOURCE Many people link a scientific approach to knowledge with the rejection of religious phenomena, and so call themselves ‘atheists’, but Geiser’s provocative remarks suggest that that is invalid. What do students think - should all ‘true’ scientists call themselves agnositics? After arriving at a conclusion about this RLS, students could think about the wider question, which is: where should the burden of proof lie - on those proving, or disproving an idea?

KEY TERMS Evidence

Nat Case at Aeon considers how it is possible (for him, at least) to be both an atheist and a Quaker. As he explains, this has much to do with the search for ‘truth’.

theory_of_knowledge — 2024-03-28 16:36:58 UTC

UNPACKING THE SOURCE This is a very thought-provoking article, which should get people considering the point of religious knowledge, and how integral believing in God is to being religious. First, how does he summarize the Quaker view of ‘truth’, and what its role is in their organization? Second, what does he mean when he says, “theological differences are not necessarily an issue when there’s work to be done”? Finally, does he succeed in persuading you that not believing in God is perfectly viable whilst belonging to a Christian community? Does religious belief provide us with pragmatic truth?

KEY TERMS Atheism, Quakerism, Community

A Conversation article, exploring the limitations of our moral circle, and how it can be enlarged.

theory_of_knowledge — 2024-03-28 17:01:57 UTC

A Big Think video, in which Kelly Richmond Pope explores the parameters of people’s ethical behaviour.

theory_of_knowledge — 2024-03-28 17:02:04 UTC

UNPACKING THE SOURCE What does Kelly Richmond Pope do for a living, and how might that impact on her approach to ethics? What does she mean when she says, “We need to own the unethical aspects of our decisions” - and what examples does she give to support this? To what extent is your own moral code based on the extent to which you can get away with things? To wrap up: Should we assess the morality of a decision via its impact on the world (consequentialism), or based on its inherent rightness and wrongness (deontology)?

KEY TERMS Rationalize, Honest, Internal controls, Opportunistic

A Conversation article, arguing that humility is the key to leading a virtuous life.

theory_of_knowledge — 2024-03-28 17:02:11 UTC

A Discover magazine article, exploring what ‘empathy overload’ means, and why it particularly affects those who work in caring professions.

theory_of_knowledge — 2024-03-28 17:02:17 UTC

A Vox article, exploring why every generation seems to think that people in the past were nicer than those living in the present.

theory_of_knowledge — 2024-03-28 17:02:25 UTC

UNPACKING THE SOURCE How did the researchers define the term ‘morality’? How did they set out to objectively determine whether morality has really declined over time - and do you think they succeeded? Why do people (incorrectly, according to this study) believe that morality has declined over time? To wrap up: How important is it to apply objective methods in order to understand the way people treat each other? What are the consequences of not doing so?

KEY TERMS Morality, Declining, Illusion, Objectively, Biased exposure effect, Biased memory effect

A DW article, exploring what ‘compassion fatigue’ is, and how it can shape the way we view the world.

theory_of_knowledge — 2024-03-28 17:02:32 UTC

UNPACKING THE SOURCE What research did Brad Bushman carry out, what were his results, and how convincing do you find his evidence? What does the work of Yasmin Aldamen reveal about the role language plays in desensitization? How can social media affect (in both a negative and positive way) compassion fatigue? Overall, to what extent is it our responsibility to resist compassion fatigue in order to properly understand and interact with what’s going on in the world? How best can this be done?

KEY TERMS Compassion fatigue, Overexposure, Empathy, Unstable emotion, Desensitize, Humanistic perspective

A Big Think video, featuring Paul Bloom, who reiterates why he is ‘against empathy’.

theory_of_knowledge — 2024-03-28 17:02:45 UTC

UNPACKING THE SOURCE Should empathy be the basis of moral judgements?

KEY TERMS Moral guide, Moral capacities, Distinct, Rational compassion, Reconfigure

A Big Think article, considering when it is, and when it isn’t, acceptable to break moral rules.

theory_of_knowledge — 2024-03-28 17:03:06 UTC

UNPACKING THE SOURCE Why does the writer, Jonny Thompson argue humans are morally inconsistent? How does he align our moral decision-making with Daniel Kahnman’s concept of ‘thinking fast’ and ‘thinking slow’? As a final question, What does this statement about ethics mean, and do you agree: “we must live in dissonance, our beliefs wrestling one another. We must assume laws are unbreakable, yet accept that they need breaking from time to time”?

KEY TERMS Inconsistent, Golden rule, Thinking fast & thinking slow, Deontological, Consequentialist, Absolutist rules, Dissonance

A Conversation article, exploring the concept of ‘personhood’, which it argues is at the heart of the abortion debate.

theory_of_knowledge — 2024-03-28 17:03:12 UTC

UNPACKING THE SOURCE How should ethical questions be justified?

KEY TERMS Personhood, Hotly contested, Full moral value, Defining death, Right, Hypothetical example, Shifting the conversation

An Aeon article, exploring the way virtue-signalling is a highly ‘evolved tool’ in expressing our ideas.

theory_of_knowledge — 2024-03-28 17:03:19 UTC

UNPACKING THE SOURCE What is more important: acting altruistically, or communicating to others that we act altruistically?

KEY TERMS Signalling theory, Dishonesty, Mathematical models, Common knowledge, Intuitions

An Aeon article, looking at the validity of thought experiments (such as the Trolley Problem) in providing us with ethical insights.

theory_of_knowledge — 2024-03-28 17:03:25 UTC

UNPACKING THE SOURCE This article gives a thorough introduction to what ethical thought experiments are, and how they are used to help us understand and construct value systems. What are their pros and the cons? Can they be equated to scientific thought experiments? Ultimately, as the article asks, “should we give up thought experiments as sources of ethical insight?”

KEY TERMS Thought experiments, Hypothetical scenarios, Implications, Implausible, Imagination, Internal and external validity, Intuition pumps

The philosopher Daniel DeNicola argues in Aeon that we don’t have the freedom to believe in what we choose; our beliefs must be supported by valid evidence.

theory_of_knowledge — 2024-03-28 17:03:36 UTC

UNPACKING THE SOURCE This article could form the heart of a great debate – is DeNicola right, or is he wrong? Should we be allowed to believe in anything, even things that we can’t prove or justify? Does it depend on the area of knowledge? Is it wrong “to believe anything upon insufficient evidence”? Do people have a responsibility to believe in certain things (and not in others)? What is the difference between belief and knowledge?

KEY TERMS Belief, Truth, Personal values, Tolerance

A BBC article, covering new guidelines issued by the Vatican that the Catholic Church should take a more cautious approach to recognizing supernatural phenomena.

theory_of_knowledge — 2024-06-05 12:01:57 UTC

UNPACKING THE SOURCE How are religions evolving in order to cope with the impact of social media on our relationship with the world?

KEY TERMS Truthfulness, Carefully assessed, Fraudulent, Disinformation and rumour, Debunk, Authentication, Mysticism

A IFLScience article, looking at news that the first millennial saint has been recognized - a 15-old Italian computer programmer - and offering some background on how saints are appointed.

theory_of_knowledge — 2024-06-05 12:03:15 UTC

UNPACKING THE SOURCE “Faith and Reason are like two wings on which the human spirit rises to the contemplation of Truth”. How does the concept of sainthood support John Paul II’s assertion?

KEY TERMS Officially recognized, Vox populi, The devil’s advocate, Skeptical view, Evidence, Miracle, Inexplicable

theory_of_knowledge — 2026-06-08 10:20:52 UTC

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