KNOWLEDGE AND THE KNOWER—TOOLS
BELIEF WITHOUT EVIDENCE
In some contexts, Faith is simply belief without evidence. But this is only a starting point. Faith has two primary meanings. It can be used as a synonym for trust in the secular world, and notably, in a more dogmatic sense, for all-or-nothing belief in, and personal commitment to God or Allah, that is central to most denominations of Christianity and Islam respectively. This is a good example of the polysemy of language.
Students will recall the class activity where different uses of opinion and belief were explored in some detail. This unit is well worth reviewing with students before approaching the class activity below.
Wittgenstein’s Beetle in a box
Wittgenstein's famous "beetle in a box analogy" provides further insight. It goes some way to finding a cure for confusing private and shared meanings of words.
CLASS ACTIVITY
The class activity is very simple. Arrange students in groups of four and ask them to pinpoint the role of faith/trust in the five TOK Areas of Knowledge. Also task them to share one real, personal narrative of having faith (or trust) in someone, or something, from their everyday lives.
Groups should appoint a facilitator, two reporters and a scribe. The scribe should capture highlights of the thinking in bullet point notes on the table below (pdf).
Poetic (or pithy) titles should be formulated collaboratively, and recorded, for each of the personal anecdotes. Allow a timed 15 minutes for the activity.
While the students are working, in preparation for some whole class discussion, divide the white board up into 5 sectors and label them with the Areas of Knowledge. Ensure that you have sufficient colored working marker pens on hand for each group.
After calling the class to order, break the ice by asking a reporter from each group to relate the most compelling personal story that was heard in their group. Insist on starting with the pithy title. Allow clarification questions, and candid responses from the original authors of the stories.
Next, ask the remaining nominated reporter from each group should come to the board and transcribe their bullet points in the Areas of Knowledge sectors. The teacher should erase any duplicates; and then unleash some whole group discussion; encompassing at least one salient example from each Area of Knowledge.
This unit can be used to inform the Power and Truth, part of the Knowledge and politics optional theme.