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Is our most revered knowledge more fragile than we assume it to be?
This Theory of Knowledge essay example, based on ToK Essay Titles – May 2025, examines the fragility of revered knowledge in the arts and natural sciences, arguing that both areas reveal knowledge’s susceptibility to revision. By critically analyzing these areas of knowledge, the ToK essay writer demonstrates that revered knowledge in both the arts and natural sciences is more fragile than often assumed. Using Jackson Pollock’s No. 5, 1948, as an example, the essay highlights how societal shifts can challenge previously accepted artistic interpretations. In the natural sciences, it examines the transition from a static universe theory to an expanding one, following Edwin Hubble’s findings, to illustrate the adaptability of scientific understanding. This ToK essay underscores the dynamic nature of knowledge, showing that both artistic and scientific knowledge are subject to continuous reevaluation.
Octobre 15, 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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Is our most revered knowledge more fragile than we assume it to be? Discuss with
reference to the arts and one other area of knowledge.
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Is our most revered knowledge more fragile than we assume it to be?
Discuss with reference to the arts and one other area of knowledge.
Historically, knowledge is considered quite valuable, both for its utility and purported
permanence and universality. In many instances, these are the building blocks of whole areas of
knowledge through which we make sense of the world and various developments. Whereas
knowledge within the natural sciences may be founded on empirical observation and extensive
experimentation, it is nevertheless more often than not fundamentally changed by new
discoveries, changes in scientific paradigms, and technology. As a result, it is consistently
subject to amendment or rejection. Accordingly, artistic knowledge is most often rooted in
specific cultural norms and individual standpoints and thus all the more arguably susceptible to
reinterpretation and fluid social mores. This thus begs the question: To what extent is the most
revered knowledge in the natural sciences and the arts considered more fragile than we assume it
to be? In this context, revered knowledge refers to information that has been widely accepted and
has an authoritative value or belief. Fragility, on the other hand, refers to the ability of
knowledge to be susceptible to revision or re-evaluation in the face of additional evidence or
shifting perspectives. This essay will argue that even the most revered knowledge in areas of
knowledge such as the arts and the natural sciences is more fragile than we often realize due to
factors such as the dynamic nature of artistic interpretation and the lack of absoluteness.
The Arts
The most revered knowledge in the arts is often more fragile than we would wish to
believe because artistic interpretations and values so often are deeply tied to the cultural context
within which they exist. The arts, by nature, are subjective and open to interpretation in that the
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field truly depends on the fluctuating perception of society. Artistic knowledge is often steeped
in personal, social, and cultural values that can be fluid over time. As these values change, the
notions of what constitutes an artistic paradigm may be reevaluated, challenged, or even cast
aside (Borgdorff, 2010). This sense of fluidity within the arts leads to the perpetual reinvention
of artistic meaning and significance, therefore exposing the vulnerability of knowledge once
considered authoritative. Artistic knowledge is therefore liable to review for reinterpretation and
forms the unstable nature of cultural expressions and the shifting landscape of aesthetic
appreciation. An example that highlights the fragility of the acquired knowledge base within the
arts is the case of Jackson Pollock's No. 5, 1948. Abstract Expressionism was born in the
mid-20th century. It was lauded for its depth and emotion and it forged a new path that was
different from the traditional forms of the past. With its chaotic, drip-paint technique, Pollock's
No. 5 became an iconic representation of this movement and thus came to symbolize the
innovative spirit of the time, showing the unique approach of the artist toward the conveyance of
emotion via paint. However, as contemporary art began to take its numerous turns and twists,
abstract expressionism started facing increasing criticism on the counts of elitism,
over-self-indulgence, and disconnection with pressing social and political issues. Critics claimed
that such works, like those by Pollock, express the individual and little about society, so forcing a
reevaluation of their placement within today's art world (Hajali, 2019). This shift shows us that
artistic knowledge, even of the most highly valued, is fragile and subject to revision as new
values and tastes continually emerge.
One might also argue, however, that the most respected knowledge in the arts is not as
fragile as it would seem because some basic principles and masterworks transcend both time and
culture, retaining importance and authority as attitudes and values concerning them change.
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Technical skills and methodology developed by artists through generations, like composition and
perspective, often give a certain stability to the insights into and understanding of art, informing
and enriching it and allowing continuity even as styles may change. This extends to an eternal
relevance, where the classical works have kept their relevance even in modern times, proof that
indeed the quintessential values that inspire artistic expressions can transcend time and still be
cherished amidst the tides of change regarding how society perceives life. Among these works is
the masterpiece The School of Athens by Raphael. This fresco, executed in 1511, is the perfect
example of the use of linear perspective for creating a harmonious and balanced composition that
draws the eye of the viewer into the depth of the architectural space. Clarity and precision in the
arrangement of figures representing key philosophers and scholars show how different
techniques bring lasting relevance to bear upon effectively communicating complex ideas. More
importantly, as styles change, the principles that led to The School of Athens continue to inform
and enhance the contemporary practice of art (Guarda, 2023). This resilience within technical
knowledge thus suggests that our most valued art knowledge is perhaps not quite so fragile as we
sometimes assume, but rather part of a continuity of foundational skills that persist across
ever-shifting cultural contexts and artistic movements.
Natural Sciences
The most sacred, accepted, and respected knowledge in the natural sciences is often far
more fragile than we may think. This is because some of the scientific theories and principles
assumed to be absolute truths often get revised or refused with the emergence of new evidence
and technologies. The fragility has its roots in the nature of scientific inquiry, observation,
experimentation, and peer review that establish understanding. When new theories or discoveries
emerge, they challenge existing scientific paradigms leading to the re-evaluation or revision of
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knowledge. In addition, scientific knowledge is collectively critically reviewed by a community
of peers, meaning that established concepts may be revised in the light of new insights. Perhaps
one of the most striking examples from physics pertains to how the notion of a static universe
gave way to the understanding that the universe is indeed expanding. For centuries, the universe
was thought to be static and eternal, an implication of Newtonian physics and the theories of
astronomers such as Ptolemy and Copernicus. This also fits in with the philosophical ideal of a
beautiful, changeless universe. However, into the early 20th century, observations by Edwin
Hubble showed that galaxies were indeed moving away from each other, thus showing that the
universe was expanding. The static universe assumption had been so deeply entrenched when
one was finally able to develop the Big Bang theory, that huge changes in our understanding of
cosmic evolution were seen (Yashio, 2019). This instance thus shows that even the most
accepted scientific knowledge is ultimately considered fragile. The continual development in
understanding really serves to highlight the dynamic nature of the scientific process, where
accepted theories always need refinement in light of new evidence.
However, this perceived fragility of well-established scientific knowledge has been
somewhat exaggerated, considering that many theories and principles have been able to hold
their ground against the test of time. Besides this, the scientific method itself, by emphasizing
testing hypotheses, peer review, and reproducibility, ensures that established knowledge is
rigorously evaluated and refined rather than easily discarded (Voit, 2019). It encourages a
cumulative process where the new findings build from what has come before, long-established
knowledge being able to change and take new information into it without disavowing its core.
The scientific knowledge grows but basic conceptions usually remain stable, showing that at
least the knowledge about the natural sciences constituting the scientific paradigm is resilient
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enough to underpin continued relevance and dependability. One apt example that explains this
fact is the theory of conservation of mass, which was proposed by Antoine Lavoisier toward the
end of the 18th century. This rule insists that, in a closed system, "the mass of the reactants in a
chemical reaction must equal the mass of the products" (Davis & Milton, 2014). The
conservation of mass is still one of the bases of both chemistry and physics, even with the
discovery of new theories that seem to reinforce and complement scientific learning. Such is the
case of Einstein's theory of relativity, which brought up the concept of mass-energy equivalence.
Modern chemistry was founded by Lavoisier, and later developments reinforced rather than
weakened it. As human conception regarding matter and energy has evolved, conservation of
mass has remained a stalwart framework in chemical reactions, time and time again yielding
consistent results not only in laboratory processes but also in industrial applications. That would
mean that some concepts, though the evolution of knowledge in science may change it, will
always retain authority and strength in showing just how resilient and revered knowledge is in
the natural sciences.
Conclusion
To this end, the present analysis has shown that some of the most revered knowledge in
both the natural sciences and the arts is considered more fragile than we may choose to believe.
While the basic theories in the natural sciences are indeed solid, they are at the same time under
continual revision by emerging evidence and methodologies, indicating organic evolution, which
characterizes scientific study per se. Works of the arts, too, considered sacrosanct in meaning and
worth, are dramatically revised as their meaning and worth are revised with new cultural
contexts, a demonstration of just how unstable what is authoritative is. These insights suggest
that knowledge production involves a continuous and iterative process wherein established
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thought and principles must give way to new findings and emerging views. While such fragility
within addition enriches our insight into the nature of knowledge itself and the importance of
critical engagement and openness to revision in both, it also nurtures awareness about the
formulation and acceptance of knowledge in different contexts.
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References
Borgdorff, H. (2010). The Production of Knowledge in Artistic Research. In M. Biggs, & H.
Karlsson, The Routledge Companion to Research in the Arts (pp. 44-64). Routledge.
Davis, R., & Milton, M. J. (2014). The assumption of the conservation of mass and its
implications for present and future definitions of the kilogram and the mole. Metrologia,
51(3), 169-175.
Guarda, M. (2023, March 18). ‘The School of Athens’: the impact of frescoes in the 21st century.
Retrieved from The Boar:
https://theboar.org/2023/03/the-school-of-athens-the-impact-of-frescoes-in-the-21st-centu
ry/
Hajali, S. (2019). Abstract Expressionism: A Case Study on Jackson Pollock's Works. Journal of
History Culture and Art Research, 5(4), 311-324.
Voit, E. O. (2019). Perspective: Dimensions of the scientific method. PLoS Computational
Biology, 15(9), e1007279.
Yashio, Y. (2019). Validity of Expanding Universe Theory—Static Universe Still Consistent with
Hubble’s Law. Open Access Library Journal, 4(1), e3899.
Octobre 15, 2024
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Academic level:
IB Student
Type of paper:
IB ToK Essay
Discipline:
Arts and natural sciences
Citation:
APA
Pages:
6 (1600 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.
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