How can a literary work of fiction, which is by definition non-factual, convey knowledge?
by Jordan, on April 15th, 2012
Question 2:
How can a literary work of fiction, which is by definition non-factual, convey knowledge?
In class, our group discussed whether a literary work of fiction can convey knowledge. I think fiction, which is non-factual can convey knowledge. For example, fairy-tales are passed down by generations and they all contain morals, which teach children to do what is right and to not do what is wrong. Stories are one of the most important ways to knowing, although they are non-factual , they all cary a message or lesson from experience to teach us. However, some works of fiction tend to contain biased knowledge and inaccurate. In class, Mr MacKnight came up with a good example of a fictional story about murders and psychopaths. The readers can potentially gain knowledge in this area and become a psychopath or a murderer, so in a sense works of fiction can be classified as a way of conveying knowledge.
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Important Dates Y12 Orals: May 22, May 31, June 5, June 7.
June 11: Y12 TOK Day
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"The arts, ideas, natural beauty, and good conversation provide lasting pleasure."
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"The less people know, the more stubbornly they know it."
—Werner Vogels
Your Daily Chinese Character
Comments . . . . . . are open only to students of the class, but if you are a non-student and would like to comment you can email Mr. MacKnight at ericmacknight AT mac DOT com.
Is TOK a Philosophy Course? YES, in the sense that the name of the course itself is in any dictionary effectively synonymous with "epistemology."
NO, in the sense that IB-specific ToK has many philosophical elements, but is not just philosophy. ToK is at root an interdiscipinary course that allows students to become aware of how the six subject-groups on the corners on the Diploma hexagon overlap and integrate. The interdisciplinary aspect is the crucial thing . . . .
—Bruce Bartlett
Le Collège français
Toronto, Canada
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"A conclusion is the place where you got tired of thinking."
—Steven Wright
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Webs & Chains Natura in reticulum sua genera connexit,
non in catenam: homines non possunt nisi
catenam sequi, cum non plura simul
possint sermone exponere.
Nature knits up her kinds in a network, not
in a chain; but men can follow only by
chains because their language can’t handle
several things at once.
—Albrecht von Haller (tr. Howard Nemerov)
[Epigraph to Nemerov's poem, "The Dependencies"]
About This Blog Until June 2011, this TOK blog was managed solely by Eric MacKnight. Beginning in the fall of 2011, its name changed to "DCSZ TOK Class Blog", and since then it has been used by all TOK students at Dulwich College Suzhou. The lead teacher is Julie Connah, assisted by Alan Connah and Eric MacKnight. Content posted before August 2011 was written by Eric MacKnight and his students at Suzhou Singapore International School. In August 2012 John Fitzgerald replaced Alan Connah in the DCSZ TOK team.
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