Theory of Knowledge: Background Readings

 

 

 

 

“If it was so, it might be; and if it were so, it would be;

but as it isn't, it ain't. That's logic."--Lewis Carroll

 

 

 

 

The following titles are suggested background reading for Theory of Knowledge (ToK) classes. Consider the author’s treatment of knowledge as you read. The purposes of Theory of Knowledge are to “compare and contrast knowledge claims across subjects and consider the nature of knowledge itself.” (IB Theory of Knowledge Subject Guide)

 

Texts

 

Alchin, Nicholas. Theory of Knowledge. London: John Murray, 2003 (also Teacher’s Book). These two are closely cross-referenced and the latter gives activities and games, puzzles etc to complement the former.

Stuart, T. Regarding the World: A Primer for ToK. 2000

Tomkinson, J. The Enterprise of Knowledge. Leader Books. 1996

Woolman, M. Ways of Knowing An Introduction to Theory of Knowledge. IBID Press, 2000.

 

General

 

Abel, R. Man is the Measure. The Free Press, 1976

Horgan, J. The End of Science. William Morrow and Co. 1994

Nagel, T. What does it All Mean? Oxford University Press, 1989

Palmer, D. Does the Centre Hold? Mayfield, 1991

Pinker, S. How the Mind Works. Penguin 1998.

______. The Language Instinct. William Morrow and Co., 1994

Russell, B. The Problems of Philosophy. Oxford University Press, 1998

 

Special

 

Barrow, J. The World within the World (S)

Berger, J. Ways of Seeing (A)

Blatner, D. The Joy of Pi (M)

Carr, E. H. What is History? (H)

Carrol, Lewis. Alice in Wonderland. (L, M)

Chalmers, A. What is this thing called Science? (NS)

Crighton, Michael. Congo. (L)

________________.Jurassic Park. (M)

Churchill, Ward. A Little Matter of Genocide (H)

Dawkins, R. The Blind Watchmaker (NS, R,)

__________. The Selfish Gene (NS, R)

Dewey, J. What is Truth. (K)

Durant, Will and Ariel. The Lessons of History. (H)

Einstein, Albert. The World as I See It. (E, P)

Evans, R. J. In defence of History (H)

Feynman, Richard. Six Easy Pieces. (NS)

________________. Six Not So Easy Pieces. (NS)

________________. Surely You’re Joking Mr. Feynman. (NS)

Gaarder, Jostein. Sophie’s World (K)

Gardner, M. The Whys of a Philosophical Scriverner. (K)

Gould, Stephen, J. The Mismeasure of Man (HS)

Hardy, H. A Mathematician’s Apology (M)

Heilbroner, Robert. The Worldly Philosophers. (HS)

Hirsch and Davis. Descartes Dream. (M)

Hoff, Benjamin. The Tao of Pooh. (E, R)

______________. The Te of Piglet. (E, R)

Hofdstadter, D. Gödel, Escher and Bach (M)

Horgan, John. The End of Science. (NS)

Jenkins, K. (ed) The Post-Modern History Reader (H)

Kuhn, T. The Copernican Revolution (S)

_________. The Structure of Scientific Revolutions (S)

Korsmeyer, C. ed. Aesthetics: The Big Questions (A)

Leonard, George. Mastery. (K)

Macchiavelli. The Prince. (E)

Marwick, A. The Nature of History (H)

Nagel, Thomas. What Does It All Mean? (E, L)

Numerous translators. The Way of Life According to Lao Tzu. (E)

Pinker, S. How the Mind Works. (HS)

Pirsig, Robert. Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance. (E)

____________. Lila. (E)

Plato. Gorgias. (E)

_____. Phaedo. (E)

Popper, K. The Logic of Scientific Discovery (S)

Quinn, Daniel. Ishmael. (E)

Rand, Ayn. Atlas Shrugged. (E)

__________. The Virtue of Selfishness. (E)

Rhymer, Russ. Genie. (L, E)

Rucker, Rudy. Mind Tools. (M)

Russell, Bertrand. Unpopular Essays. (H, E, L)

Singh, S. Fermat’s Enigma (M)

Stevenson, Leslie. Ten theories of human nature. (E)

Tannen, Deborah. You Just Don’t Understand. (L)

Toole, John Kennedy. A Confederacy of Dunces. (H)

Tuchman, Barbara. Practicing History. (H)

Wilson, E. Consilience. (A, HS, K)

 

This list is a work in progress, if you find other titles that make relevant or important statements about knowledge please let me know. jbeck@tfs.ca

 

 

KEY

A = Aesthetics M = Mathematics

E = Ethics R = Religion /Spirituality

H = History P = Politics

L = Language NS = Natural Science

K = Knowledge HS = Human Science