Can new knowledge change established values or beliefs?
The following IB Theory of Knowledge (ToK) exhibition explores the question: Can new knowledge change established values or beliefs? Through the lens of three distinct objects—Galileo’s pendulum, the Vinland Map, and the Book of Mormon—the essay author illustrates how new knowledge can either challenge or reinforce established beliefs. Galileo’s pendulum and the Vinland Map serve as key examples of how new evidence can lead to significant shifts in understanding. In contrast, the author uses the Book of Mormon to demonstrate how new knowledge may not necessarily alter established beliefs. This sample IB essay adheres to the instructional framework of a ToK exhibition, emphasizing the complexity of the relationship between new knowledge and established beliefs.
Octobre 11, 2024
* The sample essays are for browsing purposes only and are not to be submitted as original work to avoid issues with plagiarism.
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Student’s Name
Professor’s Name
Course
Date
Can new knowledge change established values or beliefs?
In society, inquiry often leads to the production or discovery of new knowledge.
However, to what extent can this knowledge challenge the beliefs or values of knowers? This
question will be answered through the analysis of three distinct objects. As such, this
commentary will discuss the prompt "Can new knowledge change established values or
beliefs?".
Object 1: Galileo’s Pendulum
Image Source: https://images.app.goo.gl/rw6aYqrHZivZtnFj7
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Galileo's pendulum is the first object that I have selected for this prompt. This scientific tool was
used to describe the periodic and consistent motion of a weight on a swing through the
relationship between length, gravity, and time. It works as a device to measure time and further
explain the concepts of inertia and uniform motion. The pendulum, found in Galileo's laboratory
in 17th-century Italy, was part of his extensive experiments seeking to challenge the established
scientific beliefs of his time, particularly those steeped in Aristotelian physics (Matthews 692).
Indeed, prior to Galileo's experiments, it had been generally assumed that heavier objects fall
faster than lighter ones; the assumption itself was deeply embedded within scientific and
philosophical thought. By careful experimentation with the pendulum, Galileo proved that all
objects, independent of their mass, fall at the same rate in the absence of air resistance. This
empirical data contradicted centuries of Aristotelian philosophy and laid the ground for the
building of classical mechanics. Thus, the pendulum is an exemplary object for this prompt
because it embodies within itself the revolutionary character of scientific investigation and the
compelling ability of empirical evidence to refute even the most deeply rooted convictions (Cobb
11). In just the same measure as the study of motion, the work of Galileo with the pendulum
contributed to a more general philosophical turning in the understanding of knowledge itself.
Galileo's pendulum forms one of the strongest pieces of evidence for the understanding that new
knowledge indeed has the potential to alter entrenched values and beliefs.
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Object 2: The Vinland Map
Image Source: https://images.app.goo.gl/zGMi4zyRkagDmqyw8
The next object I have selected is the Vinland Map, an intriguing artifact believed to have been
created in the early 15th century that depicts areas of North America that were purportedly
explored by Norse sailors. It not only carries importance regarding the information of
cartography but also due to its controversial history, which assumes that the Norse explorers
came to North America almost five centuries earlier than the currently recognized date. It
basically questioned the accepted history of the "discovery" of the New World and the dates of
European exploration (Waxman). The map thus becomes a powerful artifact, especially for this
prompt, in showing the degree to which historical interpretations can be dramatically revised
with the arrival of new evidence. Centuries of the discovery of the Americas rested primarily
upon the ideas of Columbus and his voyages. Then, the finding of the Vinland Map brought a
paradigm shift with the proposition that there was an earlier European presence on the North
American continent. This would, therefore, give historians a rethink of general pre-Columbian
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exploration and details of the Norse maritime capabilities. This artifact calls for reflective
thinking in how historical narrative is built since this tends to underscore the relevance of
questioning the established doctrines in search of new knowledge (Chapman 8). Looking at it
differently, the Vinland Map presents an example of how new knowledge may challenge
established values or beliefs in the study of history. It thus serves to underline the dynamic nature
of historical interpretation, while underlining once more the crucial role played by artifacts in
shaping ideas about the past.
Object 3: The Book of Mormon
Image Source: https://images.app.goo.gl/kc4wFv12AUTh7wWg9
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The final object I have chosen is the Book of Mormon, a volume of sacred scripture within the
Latter-day Saint movement, which was first published in 1830 by Joseph Smith. This book is
considered scripture by the millions of adherents to Mormonism throughout the world, who
consider it divinely inspired and a continuation of God's revelation to humanity (Miller 68). This
book has formed beliefs, practices, and communal identity for adherents through its unique
contrast to traditional Christian ideologies. When considering the connection between the Book
of Mormon and the prompt, it becomes highly critical to state that while the text gives a narrative
that is filled with thoughts and ideas that challenge core beliefs in Christianity, this new
understanding does not necessarily become an established value or belief. For example, my
interaction with the Book of Mormon has not changed my personal and established beliefs in
Christianity. I consider the Book of Mormon, although it actually denies the mainstream doctrine
of Christianity, to be a kind of art that reflects human diversity in spirituality and the search for
an understanding of divinity. My faith is a foundation and way of knowing on which I can
engage with this new information without feeling it infringes upon my beliefs. In this case, faith
is a guideline that leads me to the comprehension that in the case of colliding beliefs, I can stay
loyal to what I believe to be true. Thus, the Book of Mormon would be an example of how new
knowledge could question the beliefs in place without ultimately changing them. It is in that
sense that faith acts as a steadying component, solidifying and firming one's comprehension and
devotion to what one believes in.
Conclusion
The analysis of Galileo's pendulum, the Vinland Map, and the Book of Mormon offers a contrast
in the underlying relationship between new knowledge and established belief. What this
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underlines, ideally, is the complexity of how new knowledge interacts with values and beliefs by
showing its effect varies greatly based on individual perspectives.
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Works Cited
Chapman, Arthur. "Historical Interpretation: Deconstructing Represented Pasts." 2023.
Cobb, David. "Empiricism in the Philosophy." 2022.
Matthews, Michael R. "Idealisation and Galileo’s Pendulum Discoveries: Historical,
Philosophical and Pedagogical Considerations." Science and Education 13.1 (2004):
689-715.
Miller, Dave. "Is The Book of Mormon From God? Parts I and II." Reason & Revelation 29.9
(2009): 66-71.
Waxman, Olivia B. The Troubling History of the Fight to Honor Leif Erikson—Not
Columbus—as the Man Who ‘Discovered America’. 4 October 2019. 7 October 2024.
<https://time.com/5414518/columbus-day-leif-erikson-day/>.
Octobre 11, 2024
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Academic level:
IB Student
Type of paper:
IB ToK exhibition
Discipline:
Philosophy
Citation:
MLA
Pages:
3 (825 words)
Spacing:
Double
* The sample essays are for browsing purposes only and are not to be submitted as original work to avoid issues with plagiarism.
