TOK Essay: Quality of Knowledge Measured by Acceptance - Analysis

This Theory of Knowledge (TOK) essay critically examines the claim that the quality of knowledge is best measured by the number of people who accept it. The essay delves into this central question by exploring two areas of knowledge: science and the arts. It defines knowledge and quality, then argues that while widespread acceptance can indicate quality to some extent, it is not a definitive measure, particularly in scientific and artistic contexts. The essay uses examples from science, such as the spherical nature of the earth, and the arts to illustrate its points, contrasting how knowledge is perceived and valued across different fields. It considers the influence of reason, evidence, and human needs in shaping the perception of knowledge quality, and discusses the impact of societal values and individual passions. Ultimately, the essay concludes that the quality of knowledge is best determined by its utility in meeting human objectives and corresponding to the current situation, rather than simply by widespread acceptance, emphasizing that knowledge's value is contingent on its relevance and practical application.

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Theory of Knowledge
Student Name
Institution Affiliation

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The quality of knowledge is best measured by how many people accept it .Discuss this claim in
reference to two areas of knowledge
1The main question of knowledge that comes up in this paper lies in the ideas of its quality and
the ways in which people employ to accept its applicability in different contexts of knowledge.
2The term knowledge is defined as experience, facts or information based on observation. The
above statement shows that if a great number of people possess certain knowledge that is
common to a large extend then the knowledge is regarded as quality (Bertrand 1926). The term
quality refers to the standard of something as measured against other things of a similar kind or
the degree of excellence of something. In reference to the main statement we can say that
knowledge that is regarded to be of high value or standard is the knowledge which many people
have subscribed to. The quality of knowledge to be measured by the number of people who
accept it may be true to some extend however in the case of science related subjects and arts
subjects the claim may prove to be far away from the truth.
Bertrand claims that the quality of knowledge that is rendered to be useful is gotten from science
governed by the principle of reason and so demands strong evidence for everything. It is
reflected in the society by the fact that it leads to great opportunities for example award of
money and power (Bertrand 1926). The rendering of the above reason is gained from one way of
knowing meaning that there is nothing that exists without reason or there is nothing that exists
without a cause. The giving of these reasons is what we call evidence. The account of things by
giving reason is what dominates the best part of sciences in the world we are living today. In our
1 Bertrand, Russel. "Theory of Knowledge." The Encyclopedia Britannica, 1926: 1-88. Retrieved from:
https://www.marxists.org/reference/subject/philosophy/works/en/russell1.htm [Accessed 1 December 2018]
2 Bertrand, Russel. "Theory of Knowledge." The Encyclopedia Britannica, 1926: 1-88. Retrieved from:
https://www.marxists.org/reference/subject/philosophy/works/en/russell1.htm [Accessed 1 December 2018]

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science class we learn that the earth is spherical and there are reasons that substantiate the claim.
The quality of knowledge that many parents prefer to be more important and useful is gained
through the sciences. 3On the basis of human acceptance of knowledge acquired in the study of
science subjects, this is reflected in the modern society and viewed as a more rewarding by a
belief that those who have knowledge in the areas of science areas are awarded great positions
of power and money. This is as a result of different views given by parents and the students
during the subject selection. I have witnessed cases whereby the students who end up pursuing
the science related courses do not end up getting these opportunities as expected for example the
opportunities that arise require people with the knowledge of art. For example the powerful
photographs taken from the space prove that the earth is spherical.
We can also have a different argument to counter the claim above that science is most preferred
because its facts are supported by strong evidence and reason. We can say that the earth is not
spherical in nature because the powerful photographs taken on strong focusing cameras from the
space cannot be the ultimate evidence that the earth is spherical. The evidence given on the
matter is not satisfying for us to be able to prove the fact. 4This is because the powerful lenses
might have captured only one area of the earth and so this cannot be the final reason to make us
believe that the earth is spherical. Therefore the earth cannot be said to spherical on the basis of
that claim and therefore if it is to be accepted to be the final evidence then it should give the most
satisfying evidence. Having observed this happening we are convinced that general knowledge
3 John, Hunter. "Theory of Knowledge." The W.Edwards Deming Institute Blog, 2012. Retrieved
from: Retrieved from: https://blog.deming.org/tag/theory-of-knowledge/ [Accessed 28
June 2018]
4 Gregg, Henriques. "Theory of Knowledge: A unified approach to psychology and philosophy." Psychology
Today, 2018. Retrieved from: https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/experts/gregg-henriques-phd
[Accessed 30 November 2018]

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here that was assumed to be of value in minds of many people failed to prove its quality in such a
scenario as expected. We can contrast this with the quality of knowledge gained in arts subjects,
I have been able to observe many students that followed the arts subjects being awarded the
positions power and money which was not expected of them. We see that although there was
already established knowledge it did not take care of the possible changes that could manifest.
For example in a case whereby the vacancies that arise need the knowledge of art the science
student cannot take the position simply because science is the most preferred course by many
people.
5Although Knowledge that sprouts from the sciences is seen as the most valuable today due to
the fact that its usefulness gives us power to be able to meet our ends which are the forces that
guide human beings to determine what is to be useful. 6The knowledge production of human
beings is the crave to have control of chance and also the necessity that comes from this control.
In order to consider something to be knowledge there must be an account of what that something
is. This knowledge is accounted for using our ways of knowing; this includes our ways of
accounting for things for example ‘why”, ‘what” and “how’ of a certain thing. 7Personal
knowledge which is of much importance to us may be ‘useless’ if it is not disseminated to others.
This knowledge can be given to others through reason, language, emotions or other ways. We
can ask ourselves what knowledge forces an individual to choose for instance a course in
5 Bertnand ,Russel. Theory of Knowledge – EFIA. Retrieved from:
http://knowingandthinking.weebly.com/index.html [Accessed 30 November 2018].
6 Pears.D. What is Knowledge? New York: Harpwe & , 1971. Retrieved from:
https://www.coursehero.com/file/p2isvoi/Pears-D-1971-What-is-Knowledge-Essays-in-Philosophy-
George-Allen-and-Unwin-Ltd/ [Accessed 1 December 2018]
7 Fritsch, Michael. "A knowledge production function Aproach." International Regional Science
Review 25 (2002): 86-101. Retrived from: https://www.urenio.org/metaforesight/library/8.pdf [Accessed 30
November 2018].

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medicine instead of choosing other options which may be available. This is because as we
advance some foreign forces may distort the current knowledge and make it irrelevant so that it
cannot be relied upon. For instance, the quality of knowledge should not be decided on the basis
of how many people have approved it to be the best but it should be rendered of high quality on
the basis of existing facts.
To counter the claim, we are able to see that although many parents believe that knowledge in
science related courses is what may be awarding, comes another time whereby that knowledge is
irrelevant according to the “current situation”. Arts are related to secondary importance. 8In
technological societies that are advanced art is done for leisure and therefore not given the first
priority. However this is quite different from other societies where knowledge gained through art
is secondary to the knowledge gotten from sciences this is as a result of giving an account on the
reasoning and judgement principle. 9The empowerment that is acquired through arts is seen to be
of less importance than the one obtained through sciences this is because the truth of arts is
considered to be subjective personal knowledge and not knowledge we acquire via the scientific
means which is concrete. 10Arts are only seen as of value by their ability to create an aesthetic
experience that deepens our personal knowledge and also the views we get from the arts are only
acquired through the perception. Thus we can say that for knowledge to be able to measure the
quality of knowledge we should dwell on the ability of the knowledge to meet the ends of the
8 Lehrer, Keith. Theory of knowledge. Routledge, 2018.
https://www.taylorfrancis.com/books/9780429962813
9 J.Reason. Humam Error. Cambridge: Cambridge UniversityPress, 1990. Retrieved from:
https://prezi.com/jypedxrv0tem/reason-j-1990-human-error-cambridge-university-press-i/ [Accessed 1
December 2018]
10 Jennifer, Nagel. "Theory of Knowledge: Introduction to Theory of Knowledge." Khan Academy, 2018.
Retrieved from: https://www.khanacademy.org/partner-content/wi-phi/wiphi-metaphysics-epistemology/
wiphi-theory-of-knowledge/v/introduction-theory-of-knowledge [Accessed 30 November 2018]

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human beings. For example, the passion to study arts makes an individual thrive as compared to
those people compelled to take arts while it is not their passion.
In conclusion we can say that the title above that “the quality of knowledge is measured best by
how many people accept it deficient. This is because you may find people that have grasped a
certain knowledge over time and assigned high value to it based on its ability to meet their ends
but with time it proves to be unreliable .In most cases people buy to the knowledge that has
proven to make its way to them and work to fit their demands. However this may not counter the
fact that we may be having other knowledge that is of more value than what people have decided
to buy into but swayed by wrong information that has no facts they end up approving it as the
best.
On the other side we can have few people follow an idea because it has proved to be of high
value, therefore according to me; The quality of knowledge cannot be measured by the number
of people who accept it because others accept it out ignorance. The quality of knowledge can be
best measured by how well we can see the knowledge corresponding to the objectives of the
current situation. Having observed this happening we are convinced that generally the quality of
knowledge cannot be attributed to the number of people that subscribe to it but the quality can be
measured on the basis of by its “utility” in achieving the results/ends kept in the minds of human
beings at the existing moment.
Bibliography

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Bertnand ,Russel. Theory of Knowledge – EFIA. Retrieved from:
http://knowingandthinking.weebly.com/index.html [Accessed 30 November 2018].
Bertrand, Russel. "Theory of Knowledge." The Encyclopedia Britannica, 1926: 1-88. Retrieved
from: https://www.marxists.org/reference/subject/philosophy/works/en/russell1.htm
[Accessed 1 December 2018]
Fritsch, Michael. "A knowledge production function Aproach." International Regional Science
Review 25 (2002): 86-101. Retrived from:
https://www.urenio.org/metaforesight/library/8.pdf [Accessed 30 November 2018].
Gregg, Henriques. "Theory of Knowledge: A unified approach to psychology and philosophy."
Psychology Today, 2018. Retrieved from:
https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/experts/gregg-henriques-phd [Accessed 30
November 2018]
J.Reason. Humam Error. Cambridge: Cambridge UniversityPress, 1990. Retrieved from:
https://prezi.com/jypedxrv0tem/reason-j-1990-human-error-cambridge-university-press-i/
[Accessed 1 December 2018]
Jennifer, Nagel. "Theory of Knowledge: Introduction to Theory of Knowledge." Khan Academy,
2018. Retrieved from: https://www.khanacademy.org/partner-content/wi-phi/wiphi-
metaphysics-epistemology/wiphi-theory-of-knowledge/v/introduction-theory-of-
knowledge [Accessed 30 November 2018]
John, Hunter. "Theory of Knowledge." The W.Edwards Deming Institute Blog, 2012. Retrieved

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from: Retrieved from: https://blog.deming.org/tag/theory-of-knowledge/ [Accessed 28
June 2018]
Lehrer, Keith. Theory of knowledge. Routledge, 2018.
https://www.taylorfrancis.com/books/9780429962813
Pears.D. What is Knowledge? New York: Harpwe & , 1971. Retrieved from:
https://www.coursehero.com/file/p2isvoi/Pears-D-1971-What-is-Knowledge-Essays-in-
Philosophy-George-Allen-and-Unwin-Ltd/ [Accessed 1 December 2018]