IB Theory of Knowledge Topic 1.1.2 Seeing Knowledge Through Your Own Eyes Revision Notes (SL/HL)

IB Theory of Knowledge Topic 1.1.2 Seeing Knowledge Through Your Own Eyes Revision Notes (SL/HL) | RevisionDojo

Written by official IB examiners

Personal vs. Shared Knowledge: The Foundation

Every piece of knowledge you encounter falls into two categories:
1. Personal knowledge - messy, emotional, and completely yours.
2. Shared knowledge - organized, systematic, and accessible to everyone.
Understanding this distinction changes how you approach TOK completely.

Definition

Shared knowledge

What groups of people have figured out together, tested, and agreed upon

Definition

Personal knowledge

What you know from your own direct experience

Example

Learning to drive
- Personal knowledge
  - You know that hitting the brakes too hard in your dad's old Honda makes the car jerk forward.
  - You learned this through experience.
- Shared knowledge
  - Physics tells us that sudden deceleration transfers kinetic energy, causing objects in motion to continue moving forward (Newton's first law).

Why Your Personal Perspective Actually Matters

Here's what most students get wrong about TOK.
They think it's all about abstract theories and shared knowledge. That's wrong.
TOK explicitly wants your personal perspective because it reveals something crucial about how knowledge actually works.

Knowledge Is Always Interpreted

Shared knowledge doesn't just sit there waiting to be absorbed.

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Definition

Paywall

(on a website) an arrangement whereby access is restricted to users who have paid to subscribe to the site.

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Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam, quis nostrud exercitation ullamco laboris nisi ut aliquip ex ea commodo consequat.

Duis aute irure dolor in reprehenderit

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Note

Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam quis nostrud exercitation.

Excepteur sint occaecat cupidatat non proident

Nemo enim ipsam voluptatem quia voluptas sit aspernatur aut odit aut fugit, sed quia consequuntur magni dolores eos qui ratione voluptatem sequi nesciunt. Neque porro quisquam est, qui dolorem ipsum quia dolor sit amet, consectetur, adipisci velit.

Tip

Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam, quis nostrud exercitation ullamco laboris nisi ut aliquip ex ea commodo consequat.

Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit.
Sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua.
Ut enim ad minim veniam, quis nostrud exercitation ullamco laboris.
Duis aute irure dolor in reprehenderit in voluptate velit esse cillum.

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Personal vs. Shared Knowledge: The Foundation

Every piece of knowledge you encounter falls into two categories:
1. Personal knowledge - messy, emotional, and completely yours.
2. Shared knowledge - organized, systematic, and accessible to everyone.
Understanding this distinction changes how you approach TOK completely.

Definition

Shared knowledge

What groups of people have figured out together, tested, and agreed upon

Definition

Personal knowledge

What you know from your own direct experience

Example

Learning to drive
- Personal knowledge
  - You know that hitting the brakes too hard in your dad's old Honda makes the car jerk forward.
  - You learned this through experience.
- Shared knowledge
  - Physics tells us that sudden deceleration transfers kinetic energy, causing objects in motion to continue moving forward (Newton's first law).

Why Your Personal Perspective Actually Matters

Here's what most students get wrong about TOK.
They think it's all about abstract theories and shared knowledge. That's wrong.
TOK explicitly wants your personal perspective because it reveals something crucial about how knowledge actually works.

Knowledge Is Always Interpreted

Shared knowledge doesn't just sit there waiting to be absorbed.

Definition

Paywall

(on a website) an arrangement whereby access is restricted to users who have paid to subscribe to the site.

anim nostrud sit dolore minim proident quis fugiat velit et eiusmod nulla quis nulla mollit dolor sunt culpa aliqua

Duis aute irure dolor in reprehenderit

Note

Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam quis nostrud exercitation.

Excepteur sint occaecat cupidatat non proident

Tip

Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit.
Sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua.
Ut enim ad minim veniam, quis nostrud exercitation ullamco laboris.
Duis aute irure dolor in reprehenderit in voluptate velit esse cillum.

1. Core Theme: Knowledge and the Knower2 subtopics

2. Optional Themes5 subtopics

3. Areas of Knowledge5 subtopics

4. TOK Assessments2 subtopics

6. Nov 2026 TOK Titles7 subtopics

IB Theory of Knowledge 1.1.2 Seeing Knowledge Through Your Own Eyes Notes

1. Core Theme: Knowledge and the Knower2 subtopics

2. Optional Themes5 subtopics

3. Areas of Knowledge5 subtopics

4. TOK Assessments2 subtopics

6. Nov 2026 TOK Titles7 subtopics

Personal vs. Shared Knowledge: The Foundation

Why Your Personal Perspective Actually Matters

Knowledge Is Always Interpreted

anim nostrud sit dolore minim proident quis fugiat velit et eiusmod nulla quis nulla mollit dolor sunt culpa aliqua

Duis aute irure dolor in reprehenderit

Excepteur sint occaecat cupidatat non proident

Unlock the rest of this chapter with a free account

Personal vs. Shared Knowledge: The Foundation

Why Your Personal Perspective Actually Matters

Knowledge Is Always Interpreted

anim nostrud sit dolore minim proident quis fugiat velit et eiusmod nulla quis nulla mollit dolor sunt culpa aliqua

Duis aute irure dolor in reprehenderit

Excepteur sint occaecat cupidatat non proident

Unlock the rest of this chapter with a free account