Political power and action by

A Conversation article, exploring the way in which disinformation may disrupt democratic elections around the world in 2024, and whether it’s possible to counter its effect.

theory_of_knowledge — 2024-03-14 14:25:54 UTC

A Guardian article, evaluating the use of ‘nudge theory’ and why it is being drawn on by some politicians.

theory_of_knowledge — 2024-03-28 10:30:27 UTC

UNPACKING THE SOURCE Get students to understand what ‘nudge theory’ is first, then how it is being applied by the UK government in order to handle the Covid-19 crisis. What risks are associated with basing decisions on behavioural science? How can conflicts of interest occur? What does this reveal about the level of certainty in knowledge created by human scientists? Overall, what are the problems of linking politics to science?

KEY TERMS Nudge theory, Behavioural economics, Overclaim and overgeneralise, Conflict of interests, Certainty, Confirmation bias.

A Guardian article, looking at the destruction of a statue of a slave trader during the Black Lives Matter protests.

theory_of_knowledge — 2024-03-28 10:31:11 UTC

UNPACKING THE SOURCE For some people, the tearing down of a statue is an ‘attack on history’ - on an entity that is unchanging and real. However, if you view history as a constantly developing view of the past then what happened is, in itself, a historical moment, which will be debated and studied (perhaps) for future historians. Do you agree with Olusoga about the correct way to view this event? Does our very conception of what history is depend on our perspectives?

KEY TERMS Attack on history vs. history, Moral stance

A USA Today article, exploring how we use language to explain and make sense of the protests against the killing of George Floyd, and the racism that exists in society.

theory_of_knowledge — 2024-03-28 10:31:19 UTC

UNPACKING THE SOURCE Does society suffer from racism, or structural racism? Are people protesting, or rioting? Is there looting going on, or the venting of frustration caused by subjugation? Check out a couple of related articles as well - for example, what did MLK mean when he said that “riot is the language of the unheard”? And does this Minnpost article get it right when it argues that the protests are the ‘language of grief rather than a ‘primal scream’?

KEY TERMS Definitions, Loaded term, Political implications, Symbols.

A Conversation article, looking at how punctuation has been adapted as a central tool of Black activism.

theory_of_knowledge — 2024-03-28 10:31:24 UTC

UNPACKING THE SOURCE First, get students to grasp the general gist of the article - how can punctuation be used to “extend, contradict and play with meaning”? Then think about the way this power can be harnessed, and used in the context of activism. What does this tell us about the role of language in changing the world, informing people of viewpoints, and persuading them to help move society forward?

KEY TERMS Power, Dominant narrative

This highly partisan Guardian article looks at the process whereby people arrived at their position on Brexit.

theory_of_knowledge — 2024-03-28 10:32:44 UTC

UNPACKING THE SOURCE Ian McEwan, the novelist, offers a virulent attack on ‘reason’, arguing that the decision to leave Europe was achieved via manipulation and dishonesty. Is this an example of reasoned argument? Is it possible to apply reasoned argument to such emotive issues? Can politics ever be studied objectively?

KEY TERMS Cynical, Reasoned argument, Argot, Nationalism

A Guardian article, looking at how the British Museum has been flooded by calls on Instagram, demanding that it return the Easter Island statues.

theory_of_knowledge — 2024-03-28 10:33:43 UTC

UNPACKING THE SOURCE (How) should debates about the return of indigenous artifacts be managed?

KEY TERMS Self-promotion vs. genuine concern, Cultural authority, Rightful owner

A Conversation article, looking at the findings of a research report about the quality of national elections all over the world.

theory_of_knowledge — 2024-03-28 10:34:00 UTC

UNPACKING THE SOURCE How do we effectively evaluate the integrity of electoral systems?

Key terms Global assessment, Perceptions of electoral integrity

A New Humanist article, exploring the implications of voters in a democracy “getting it wrong”.

theory_of_knowledge — 2024-03-28 10:34:06 UTC

UNPACKING THE SOURCE Do we understand politics more objectively if we accept the concept of ‘false consciousness’?

KEY TERMS Propaganda and outright deception, Irrational, Truths, False consciousness, Power, Systematic falsehoods, Explanation

An Aeon video, which tries to figure out whether the success of democracy can be mathematically proven.

theory_of_knowledge — 2024-03-28 10:34:11 UTC

UNPACKING THE SOURCE What were the ideas of Plato, Jean-Jacques Rousseau, and Nicolas de Condorcet on the best way to govern a state? How did de Condorcet try to justify his theories? What counter arguments can we offer to his ideas - and what are the implications of these? To wrap up: To what extent can we apply a mathematical, data-driven approach to understanding political and social realities?

KEY TERMS The jury theorem, Philosophical speculation vs. mathematical truth, Empirical and philosophical complexities, Consensus

A Guardian article, examining how AI is impacting on democracy in both positive and negative ways.

theory_of_knowledge — 2024-03-28 10:34:16 UTC

UNPACKING THE SOURCE How is AI affecting the way we interact with democracy?

KEY TERMS Truth and trust, Information ecosystems, Verified information, Facilitate dialogue, Incentives, Distrusted information

An AP article that looks at how different interpretations of words can lead to different outcomes of meaning - and how our political affiliations drive this.

theory_of_knowledge — 2024-03-28 10:34:46 UTC

UNPACKING THE SOURCE Focus on the word ‘fight’ - how should we interpret it? How do our political perspectives affect the way we do so? What does this indicate about our ability to use language objectively?

Key terms Political speech, Context, Free speech vs. incitement

A Big Think article, examining the efforts of scientists who are seeking to add ‘neuro-rights’ to the UN Universal Declaration of Human Rights.

theory_of_knowledge — 2024-03-28 10:36:59 UTC

UNPACKING THE SOURCE A lot of questions centre around this quote from the article: “If the human imagination can create an idea, it can be transformed into reality, and not all humans are benevolent.” How can we legislate within an industry that deals with knowledge and ideas that are constantly changing? What is the relationship between the development of new knowledge, and the moral constraints on that knowledge (ie do they impede or support each other)?

Key terms Cognitive liberty, Agency

A CNN article, asserting that Xi Jinping is rewriting history in order to consolidate his own position as leader of China.

theory_of_knowledge — 2024-03-28 10:39:07 UTC

UNPACKING THE SOURCE A good starting point (of course) is the Orwell quote at the end of the article - "Who controls the past controls the future: who controls the present controls the past." This is sometimes difficult to make sense of, so what does it mean, and can students think of any examples? Then move onto the article - how does this align to Orwell’s words? What does it reveal about the relationship between politics and history, and the manipulation of the latter by those involved in the former? What challenges does this indicate for those seeking the truth about the past? Check out this article from the New Yorker, looking at the same issue.

Key terms Curated, Control over narratives

A Guardian opinion piece, in which the writer Michael Harriot asserts the legacy of MLK has been appropriated by groups who oppose what he stood for.

theory_of_knowledge — 2024-03-28 10:39:13 UTC

UNPACKING THE SOURCE First, why does Harriot argue that King has been “made palatable for white consumption” - and how strong is his case? Why does he believe this has happened? What does this indicate about the way our perception of historical figures (and history in general) changes over time? Who controls history, and what implications does this present for accessing the past objectively? Explore King’s ‘nuanced politics’ in Vox here.

Key terms Virtue-signalling, Caricature, Whitewashing, Cherry-pick quotes, Powers that be, Historical facts

An Atlantic article, exploring the extent to which strong leaders misuse history to consolidate their positions of power.

theory_of_knowledge — 2024-03-28 10:39:23 UTC

UNPACKING THE SOURCE Which examples does it give of leaders retelling the past in order to serve a current agenda? How credible are their versions of history? What methods do they use to control our understanding of the past? Why does the author draw on George Orwell when discussing these examples? As an extension, what further examples could students find of reconstructing historical narratives (perhaps from cultures and societies not controlled by autocrats)? Overall, how do students feel we can protect the truth about the past - or do they feel that such a thing does not exist?

Key terms False retelling, Autocratic rewriting of history, Historical nihilism, Credible, Absurd fiction, Official account, Truth

An NPR article, which looks critically at the way everyone is vocally celebrating MLK day - even those who would have been naturally opposed to his ideas.

theory_of_knowledge — 2024-03-28 10:39:33 UTC

UNPACKING THE SOURCE How do we know that people’s interpretations of historical figure’s legacies are objective and accurate?

KEY TERMS Trojan horse, Manipulate and defang, Interpretation

A Time article, looking at the debate over whether to rename India ‘Bharat’, and the political motivations behind this change.

theory_of_knowledge — 2024-03-28 10:40:26 UTC

UNPACKING THE SOURCE Why is there talk of a name-change to India? What is the historical background to changing the country’s name? From the information here, do you think this is an example of a country distancing itself from its colonial past and finding a more ‘appropriate’ name, or a “nationalist push” that indicates “pettiness & intolerance”? To wrap up: What is conveyed by a country’s name, and what relationship do they have with the management of power?

KEY TERMS Controversy, Nationalist push, Colonial past, Appropriate, Intolerance, Authentic

A Big Think article and podcast, looking at how political partisanship can affect our ability to remember things accurately.

theory_of_knowledge — 2024-03-28 10:40:32 UTC

UNPACKING THE SOURCE Why does it argue that “memory is a tricky thing” and what examples does it give to support this? How does the phenomenon of false memories occur, and what relationship does this have with our cognitive ability - and how are we sometimes vulnerable to ‘pseudo-profound bullshit’? What effect can political partisanship have on our capability to recall past events objectively? Overall, do we need to escape our political affiliations in order to ensure our memory functions accurately?

Key terms False memories, Cognitive ability, Pseudo-profound bullshit, Partisanship

A Conversation article, discussing how fact-checking won’t help people to discuss different viewpoints and ideas.

theory_of_knowledge — 2024-03-28 10:41:04 UTC

UNPACKING THE SOURCE How can focusing on the facts prevent us from overcoming the problems that divide society?

Key terms Shared sense of reality, Fact-checking, Scientific consensus, Mutual learning vs. being right, Disagreement checks

A New Statesman article, exploring how audiences hear two different stories when they watch the congressional hearings about the Capitol Hill riots.

theory_of_knowledge — 2024-03-28 10:41:11 UTC

UNPACKING THE SOURCE What does this reveal about the difficulties of establishing a ‘true account’ of the events of January 6th 2020? What role has evidence played in both sides’ attempt to ‘control the narrative? “Facts are mere weapons in war over the narrative, and the question of what is true has become not empirical, but political” - what does this mean, and what are the implications? Finally, ask students: will opposing political beliefs always prevent us from reaching a consensus on the truth? Is there a solution to this problem?

Key terms Facts, Evidence, Bifurcation of reality, Truth

A Salon article, asking the question, ‘when does a political movement become a cult?’

theory_of_knowledge — 2024-03-28 10:41:20 UTC

UNPACKING THE SOURCE What warning did George Washington issue after he had ceased to be the president - and why does the writer feel that he anticipated many modern-day problems in politics? What is the difference between normal partisanship and a political cult, and what examples are offered for the latter (hint - focus on the word ‘infallible’)? What are the consequences of people worshiping political figures, rather than holding them to account? Overall, how do we approach politics objectively, and how should we deal with those who refuse to do so?

Key terms Partisanship, Fanaticism, Cult-like devotion, Infallible, Mind-control, Narcissism

A Conversation article, looking at the problems associated with people thinking they know more about politics than they actually do.

theory_of_knowledge — 2024-03-28 10:41:26 UTC

UNPACKING THE SOURCE How does ‘political overconfidence’ affect our ability to understand politics and human sciences?

Key terms Emotion-laden, Overconfidence, Defensive, Partisanship, Experts, Experimental treatments, Reality check, False claims, Humility

A Conversation article, analyzing how people from both sides of the political spectrum only detect bias when it supports the opposing party.

theory_of_knowledge — 2024-03-28 10:41:33 UTC

UNPACKING THE SOURCE What does it say about the way Democrats and Republicans perceive bias? Why is this the case? How does rethinking the way we define ‘the media’ help us to understand bias? What is the significance of the fact that “we are the audience whose attention media outlets want to attract”? Overall, what responsibilities do we have in order to ensure the media provides us with accurate and informative information about what really matters?

Key terms Brainwash, Bias, Perspective, Objective journalism, Audiences, Attention

A Conversation article*, contending that Socrates’s approach to wisdom can help reduce the negative effects of political polarization.

theory_of_knowledge — 2024-03-28 10:41:38 UTC

UNPACKING THE SOURCE Is humility the most essential step in the search for truth?

KEY TERMS Polarized deadlock, Epistemic humility, Dangerous, Power holders, Certainty, Absolute truth, Open to being wrong

*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.

A Vox article, which argues that to understand modern politics, you have to understand fandom.

theory_of_knowledge — 2024-03-28 10:41:44 UTC

UNPACKING THE SOURCE does the article justify the assertion that modern politics resembles ‘fandom’? Divide the class into groups to explore three ways in which fandom and politics converge: 1) Dependence on big, shared narratives; 2) Emotions shaping reality; 3) Projecting our own symbols onto celebrities. Swap findings with the other groups when you have finished. To wrap up: How can - and should - we make politics more about rational consideration than emotional reaction?

KEY TERMS Fandom, Disinformation and zealotry, Emotional attachment, Shared story, Higher Moral purpose, Truth, Objective version of reality, Collectively created construct, Idolatry

A long Guardian article, looking at the work of Sefton Delmer, who successfully countered Nazi disinformation, and found ways of breaking into other people’s ‘echo chambers’.

theory_of_knowledge — 2024-03-28 10:41:49 UTC

UNPACKING THE SOURCE Who was Sefton Delmer, and why does his work resonate with those looking to counter disinformation today? How did his approach differ from anti-propaganda information produced by organizations such as the BBC? How did he change his tactics with the station, Soldatensender Calais? What does the article mean when it says, “The real antidote to [disinformation] is not plying them with facts. It’s helping to fix the underlying lack of agency”? To wrap up: “You can’t shove “the truth” down people’s throats if they don’t want to hear it, but you can inspire them to have the motivation to care about facts in the first place.” How does the work of Sefton Delmer help us to learn how to do that?

KEY TERMS Disinformation, Alternative reality, Truth, Roles, Grievance narratives, Social tribe, Values

A Vox article, considering the way in which the word ‘brunch’ has become a politicized term.

theory_of_knowledge — 2024-03-28 10:42:10 UTC

UNPACKING THE SOURCE How do words become politicized?

Key terms Meme, Insular mindset

A BBC article and video, looking at the way President Zelensky adapts his language and message according to the audience he is dealing with.

theory_of_knowledge — 2024-03-28 10:42:19 UTC

UNPACKING THE SOURCE How and why does he use ‘undiplomatic language’ to communicate with other world leaders and parliaments? What other means of communication does he employ other than words? How does he tailor his message, and the way the message is delivered, to fit his audience? How does his background help him to make an intimate connection with those listening to him?

Key terms Highly tailored, Visceral, Undiplomatic language, Perspective

A Sky News report, discussing New York mayor Eric Adams’s use of audio deep fakes to make promotional calls in languages he doesn’t speak.

theory_of_knowledge — 2024-03-28 10:42:27 UTC

UNPACKING THE SOURCE How has mayor Eric Adams been using AI tools to communicate with residents? Why have some people called this ‘unethical’ and ‘Orwellian’? What is your position on the story - is his use of AI justified? To wrap up: Where is the line between AI-usage that facilitates our ability to communicate with others, and AI-usage that misleads us when we communicate with others?

KEY TERMS Robocalls, Unethical, Orwellian

An FT article, arguing that our understanding of the term ‘civilization’ is deeply flawed - bringing with it big implications.

theory_of_knowledge — 2024-03-28 10:42:32 UTC

UNPACKING THE SOURCE How do those in power use the word ‘civilisation’ to help them consolidate their position? How did the Harvard academic Samuel P Huntington shape the way we use the term? Why does the author argue that they are an invented “modern confection”? How does viewing the world as being interconnected refute ‘civilisational thinking’? To wrap up: “There has never been a pure western culture that is now under threat of pollution. No single people is an island, unless they’ve been there for a very long time and haven’t invented boats.” How does this help us to understand history more effectively, and avoid being misled by those with an agenda?

KEY TERMS Under attack, Universal good, Moral dimension, Justify, Cultural superiority, Connectivity

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A History Today article, taking a broad look at the debate surrounding statues that celebrate controversial characters from the past.

theory_of_knowledge — 2024-03-28 10:43:09 UTC

UNPACKING THE SOURCE First, think about what purpose statues serve. Going on from here, how has this purpose changed over time? Focus on the quote in the last paragraph: “On the one hand are those who regard them as embodying some essential and imperishable historical certainty. On the other are observers who are able – and willing – to look beyond a particular statue to a more complex and contestable past reality.” Which camp do you fall into? Also check out this Aeon article for further reference!

Key terms Purpose, Controversial, Statuomania, Political values

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 13:37:40 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 Art Newspaper article, arguing that attacking and damaging works of art in order to protest against issues such as the climate crisis achieves nothing.

theory_of_knowledge — 2024-05-02 13:07:37 UTC

UNPACKING THE SOURCE Can the damage of art in the name of protest ever be justified?

KEY TERMS Civilised society, Pointless, Cultural violence, Iconoclasm

theory_of_knowledge — 2026-06-08 10:17:43 UTC

Check out our key concepts here, which will help you to apply a critical thinking lens to this topic, and articulate your ideas about it. These concepts are highlighted.