In this podcast we tackle the human sciences, beginning with an examination of their scope, and contrasting the human sciences to other Areas of Knowledge. Next, the podcast attempts to deconstruct the traditional theory of the human sciences, drawing on the work of John Kemeny from his book A Philosopher looks at Science. This lays the groundwork for a more sophisticated understanding of how the human sciences operate. This new understanding is the applied to two very different types of...

In this inaugural podcast we confront the limitations of knowledge based on common sense and develop an alternate view based on the metaphor of map-making. It then examines how we determine truth within knowledge systems, followed by an examination of the implications of the first Western knowledge system, Plato's Allegory of the Cave.

This podcast focuses on our access to the world via the Ways of Knowing and examines 4 WoK's--sense perception, language, memory, and reason. It challenges the assumptions of the unreliability of the ways of knowing, arguing that the WoK's are usually reliable and serve as our primary lifeline to experience. When they prove unreliable, it is due to the conditions imposed by our own physiological constraints, and the argument draws upon research in psychology to examine under what conditions...

This final introductory podcast explores the two different types of knowledge investigated in ToK, personal knowledge and shared knowledge, as well as the relationship between the two. The use of knowledge question to investigate these types of knowledge is also explained.

This podcasts offers an overview of Ethics as an Area of Knowledge. It begins with a discussion of the scope of ethics and next examines the types of moral choices available. Next, the levels of moral choices are examined and the moral systems used by each. The remainder of the podcast focuses on the two areas most relevant to ToK, normative and applied ethics. There is a description of the viewpoints within normative ethics, along with consideration of how to evaluate their claims. Finally...

In this podcast we begin by dissecting the naive view of science and distinguish "real science" from pseudo-science. Next we review John Kemeny's deconstruction of science in order to gain a more realistic understand of how science gains knowledge. This basic revamped view of science is expanded upon by drawing upon the ideas of Bronowski (the notion of certainty), Popper (the concept of falsifiability) and Kuhn (the nature of scientific systems and their paradigms). The aim is to provide you...

In this podcast we tackle the human sciences, beginning with an examination of their scope, and contrasting the human sciences to other Areas of Knowledge. Next, the podcast attempts to deconstruct the traditional theory of the human sciences, drawing on the work of John Kemeny from his book A Philosopher looks at Science. This lays the groundwork for a more sophisticated understanding of how the human sciences operate. This new understanding is the applied to two very different types of...

This podcasts focuses on the arts, and begins by considering what is the subject matter of the arts, and what are their contributions to knowledge. The ways of knowing in the arts are examined, and the issue of how the arts produce knowledge is reviewed. We will consider how we evaluate art, and ask to what degree is there a "method" to the arts? Finally the podcast will examine four interrelated methods for developing informed opinion within the arts. The show concludes with an examination...

Our review of mathematics begins with a consideration of the scope of mathematics, and compares mathematics to other areas of knowledge. The question of whether math is real or discovered is considered, and the curious relation of abstract thought and its persistent relevance to the natural world is examined. The structure of mathematical knowledge is explored, using John Kemeny's A Philosopher Looks at Science as our guide. The ways of knowing are detailed, and the podcast concludes with an...

We begin the podcast by considering the nature of God, and to what degree proofs for the existence of God or Gods are a productive approach to understanding religion. After examining the limitations of this approach, the podcast investigates two alternate approaches, evidentialism and pluralism, and again the strengths and limitations of each approach is evaluated. From this discussion a set of criterion for evaluating religious claims is developed. This is incorporated in the third approach,...

We begin the podcast by considering the scope of history and the unique set of issues that it involves. Next historical research methods are investigated in order to determine what type of truth history yields. This is done in part by comparing it to other areas of knowledge. The primary tools of history—selectivity, simultaneity, and scale-and their implications are discussed., drawing again upon the metaphor ofcartography. Next, the podcast reviews how we evaluate historical claims by...