5.3.1 Breakdown & Cheat sheet Notes

IB May 2026 (M26) TOK Essay Title #3 Outline

Is the power of knowledge determined by the way in which the knowledge is conveyed? Discuss with reference to mathematics and one other area of knowledge.

The Core of The Question

1. The most important part of the question here is “power of knowledge.”
2. It's intentionally vague, so don’t rush to pigeonhole yourself into a single definition of "power."
3. The better strategy would be for you to show how “power” can mean different things: practical application, reach across communities, ability to persuade, enduring validity.

“Conveyed” Is Confusing

1. Again avoid a rigid definition.
2. Communication looks different in mathematics, history, the arts, and sciences.
3. It might mean symbols, language, publication, teaching, or even digital media.

Avoid Binaries At All Costs

1. Weak essays naively stack "yes's" and "no's"
2. Strong essays will probe why conveying matters in some cases and not in others.
3. The power of knowledge may sometimes depend on how it’s conveyed, sometimes resist poor communication, and sometimes change over time as reinterpretation happens.

For Mathematics

1. Yes cases:
   1. Mathematical notation is concise and universal within the community of mathematicians.
   2. This precision is what gives knowledge portability across cultures.
   3. If Euler wrote π differently, or if calculus notation wasn’t standardized, its power would be harder to apply.
2. No cases
   1. A mathematical truth (e.g. prime number distribution, Pythagoras’ theorem) is powerful regardless of how it is written.
   2. It retains validity even if conveyed badly.

History Works Well As A Second AOK

1. Yes cases:
   1. How knowledge is conveyed can make it powerful by shaping collective memory (knowledge).
   2. The story of the Nanjing Massacre is one example.