IB Theory of Knowledge (TOK) SL Theory of Knowledge Example

Clear, sustained focus on the prescribed title with a qualified line of argument that numbers can contribute to knowledge without exhausting reality.

Effective use of specific examples from both the arts and the human sciences, especially the contrast between Pythagorean ratios and Guernica, and between the Phillips Curve and prospect theory.

Balanced structure with claim/counterclaim development that shows awareness of alternative perspectives rather than a one-sided argument.

Some evaluative thinking is present in the conclusion, where the student considers the wider implications of privileging quantifiable knowledge.

Evaluation is present but not sustained enough to reach the highest band; several claims are asserted more than critically tested.

Some examples are under-examined, especially where the student moves from description to judgement without fully probing the limits of the example.

The arts discussion could be more precise by distinguishing what numbers can measure from what they cannot fully explain about artistic meaning.

The human sciences argument would benefit from deeper scrutiny of the reliability and context-dependence of models such as the Phillips Curve.