Language to
map what we
know
• Words and
symbols
• Language as a
knowledge map
• The language of
each AOK
Warm-up:
What might Magritte have
meant with his painting?
“Ceci n’est pas une pipe?”[this
is not a pipe]
Activity
On your linked worksheet, draw
the following…
Breakfast Man
Cat
Woman
Love
Hope
Collateral
God damage/killing of
innocent people
Discussion prompts
following the drawing task:
To what extent are the words or symbols you
used a good representation of “what is really out
there”?
How might the symbols, images, or words we
employ sometimes take on a life of their own?
Is it possible that we sometimes think through
words, signs or symbols and forget (the scope of)
“what is really out there”?
Language and
Meaning:
Video from Crash Course Philosophy.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zmwgmt7wcv8
Language as a map?
Knowledge as a map link to Core theme: (Knowledge and the Knower).
The TOK guide uses the map metaphor to help us understand the concept of knowledge.
"A map is a representation, or picture, of the world. It is necessarily simplified—indeed its power derives from this fact.
Items not relevant to the particular purpose of the map are omitted. For example, one would not expect to see every tree
and bush faithfully represented on a street map designed to aid navigation around a city—just the basic street plan will
do. A city street map, however, is quite a different thing to a building plan of a house or the picture of a continent in an
atlas. So knowledge intended to explain one aspect of the world, say, its physical nature, might look really quite different
to knowledge that is designed to explain, for example, the way human beings interact." (p.16, TOK Guide, First
Assessment 2015).
"A metaphor such as this can support rich discussions about knowledge and accuracy, about how knowledge grows and
changes, and about the difference between producing and using knowledge. It can also prompt interesting wider
reflections on the cultural assumptions behind our understanding of what maps are or should be, or the way that the
cartographer’s perspective is reflected in a map. Maps and knowledge are produced by, and in turn produce, a particular
perspective." (TOK guide, First assessment 2022).
To what extent does language
“map what we know”?
"A map is a representation, or picture, of the world. It is necessarily simplified—indeed its
power derives from this fact. Items not relevant to the particular purpose of the map are
omitted. For example, one would not expect to see every tree and bush faithfully represented
on a street map designed to aid navigation around a city—just the basic street plan will do. A
city street map, however, is quite a different thing to a building plan of a house or the picture
of a continent in an atlas. So knowledge intended to explain one aspect of the world, say, its
physical nature, might look really quite different to knowledge that is designed to explain, for
example, the way human beings interact." (p.16, TOK Guide, First Assessment 2015).
"A metaphor such as this can support rich discussions about knowledge and accuracy, about
how knowledge grows and changes, and about the difference between producing and using
knowledge. It can also prompt interesting wider reflections on the cultural assumptions
behind our understanding of what maps are or should be, or the way that the cartographer’s
perspective is reflected in a map. Maps and knowledge are produced by, and in turn produce,
a particular perspective." (TOK guide, First assessment 2022).
Core learning activity: Language and purpose.
Analyse, research and explore the nature and purpose of language within your allocated AOK.
Group task: each group is allocated a different AOK/subject discipline.
(Research skills, communication, inquiry-based learning)
Present findings on large paper/write on tables/0n laptops (in a visible format).
Be ready to communicate your findings with other groups.
Imagine….
You might consider: Analyse, research and explore the nature and purpose
of language within your allocated AOK.
• objectivity/subjectivity
• key concepts used in that AOK/discipline
• how is knowledge expressed through symbols?
• what role does the language of mathematics play
in this AOK?
• how important is language (and second-hand
knowledge) within this AOK?
• To what extent can technology replace/minimize
the role of language in the AOK?
• how does this AOK overcome ambiguity in
language”?
Photo by fauxels from Pexels
Think-pair-share
Can all knowledge be expressed in words or symbols?
Is it possible to think or know without language?
To what extent is it possible, or desirable, to overcome ambiguity in language?
Howework
Choose one of the questions.
Write 250 words:
Can all knowledge be expressed in words or
symbols?
Is it possible to think or know without
language?
To what extent is it possible, or desirable, to
overcome ambiguity in language?
