TOK ­ Ethics

TOK  Ethics. Learning outcome: Students will identify and justify their own position on an ethical issue. Students will understand what a Knowledge Issue is. Students will be able to identify and evaluate the role of specific WOK in a Knowledge Issue. Students will understand that investigation in to Knowledge Issues requires considerations of multiple perspectives. Students will identify claims and counter claims. Students will demonstrate and apply understanding of various ethical theories. Students will express a personal perspective and compare it to ot her perspectives. perspectives. 1.

RLS:

Wikileaks -

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jfsUbm6Buuw Wikileaks is bad!

Treason

Endangers lives of soldiers. http://www.washingtonpost.com/wpdyn/content/article/2010/08/02/AR2010080202627.htmlhttp://www.washingtonpost.co m/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/08/02/A m/wp-dyn/co ntent/article/2010/08/02/AR2010080202627.html R2010080202627.html

Wikileaks is good! People

have a right to the truth. Challenges partisanship of the media. http://www.wired.com/threatlevel/2010/12/wikileakshttp://www.wired.com/t w.wired.com/threatlevel/2010/12/w hreatlevel/2010/12/wikileaks-edito ikileaks-editorial/ rial/ editorial/http://ww

Students read above articles and take a definitive d efinitive position: good or bad. What  questions did you ask yourself to get this position? TOK requires you to form more general questions about Knowledge  Knowledge

Issues. 1. KIs: KIs: Provide the following KI. Students discuss in small

groups with specific relation to

Wikileaks. To what extent can withholding the truth be justified? y

Possible Knowledge Claims:

Journalists not identifying sources (ethical code). CNN, FOX, BBC release anonymous source based reports all the time, why is this different?  Government withholding information for public protection? E.g. Torture and war  crimes. How can the government claim that Wikileaks have led to death?  Wider implications: implications: Freedom of speech VS Censorship.

WOK:

What role do Language, Reason and Emotion Emo tion play in Wiki Leaks debate? Ask students to identify examples from the above articles and also to find their own examples. Further Knowledge Issues for consideration: y

y

2.

What role should language play

in justifying an ethical position?

To what extent can Language, reason and emotion be used to hinder the search for truth?

Different perspectives and claims and counter claims.

Groups are given one of the following perspectives they must identify their

position on the issue and question each others clams (counter (co unter claims)  Assange, US government, role of the law, journalists, members of the public, Utilitarianism and Kant. Personal Voice:

Each student writes their own perspective (a young person living in HK). How does the Wiki Leaks issue and its wider i mplications impact upon your life? As a possible follow up lesson students could make their own presentation using the steps above as guidance, with a real-life situation of their own choosing.