International Baccalaureate Diploma Programme
________________ ________________________ ________________ ________________ ________________ ________________ _________________ _________________ ________________ ______________ ______
THEORY OF KNOWLEDGE ESSAY _______________________ ____________________________________ ________________________ ______________ ___
Question 9: Discuss the roles of language language and reason in history _______________________ ____________________________________ ________________________ ______________ ___
School Name
:
TOK International
Candidate Name
:
Peremo Langlogic
Candidate Number
:
001234-001
Session
:
MAY 2011
Word Count
:
1, 272 words
Peremo Langlogic
Theory of Knowledge # 9: Discuss the roles of language and reason in history
History and historians are two things that complement each other for their own existence. To be exact, history is an exponent of historians in which one cannot survive without the significant other. How did the facts emerge in the history books, encyclopedias of history, and biographies if it is not the historians doing? It is the historians’ job to include events in every period of history, thus this depends on them to classify the periods of history in a timeline such as “Medieval, Renaissance, and Reformation period” or “American Revolution (1775‐1783), French Revolution (1789‐1799), and Napoleonic War (1800‐1815).” Before a historical event transpired, ways of knowing (language, perception, reason, and emotion) are used by historians to examine evidences, interpret reliable
Comment [a1]: Remove the section in yellow. Otherwise, the sentence does not make sense
sources, justify the occurrence, and deduce its causes. History is not a record of events, but the story in which historians decide to tell. The subtlety within history that people often disregard is that historians carefully select which events has taken place in the past, so to decide their priorities for the present and later generation to know.To what extent can these statements be true and believable in human perception? This is when logical validity or rationale is required to articulate, justify, and assess knowledge claims. Every knowledge claims must have supportive evidence. In this case, historians refer to primary sources such as eyewitness accounts, visual materials (sculptures and paintings), artifacts, and written or printed documents (letters, treaties, manuscripts, journals, court decisions, and government laws.)1
Comment [a2]: This paragraph is not focused. Perception and logic is mentioned, then abandoned to discuss evidence. Scrap the evidence part. Focus on perception and logic
In history, reason is used as a form of assurance or clarification to inferences gathered from primary sources. Coherence or consistency, as suppose, is a shared standard of evaluation when restoring a historical event parallel to the evidences. In a historical event such as a severe political dispute, historians make use of reasoning to uncover hidden motives behind the determination of a patriot, a political ruler, or an opposing country. However, when it comes to third parties, an avid reader of history will use reasoning to proceed with the deductions, compare opinions, and may or may not accept the knowledge claim for it is ratified or rejected by his own basis or ground. People look for coherence of the knowledge claim against the actual proof before believing or accepting a particular notion. Therefore, the ability to reason an argument is important to assess a subject critically, as in this context is history.
Comment [a3]: This paragraph is not
Although the most obvious and distinguishable use of language in history is seen by the
successful as the argument is vague, no KI is identified and there are no relevant examples
existence of history books, almanacs, and encyclopaedias, it is rather superficial to say that language is only used in the presentation of historical events and information. Language may actually
Comment [a4]: Good argument here.
stimulate thinking processes and subsequently draws in other ways of knowing: reason, perception,
Give an example
and emotion. Especially for readers and revisionists of history, they need the information to be
Comment [a5]: Who are these
derived from language which results in subsequent thinking processes. Nonetheless, language is not
“revisionists”?
1
http://www.library.ubc.ca/hss/primarysources.html
2
