Matilde Frontini In English we were analyzing the novel: "The Stranger" by Albert Camus. We ended up discussing about morals, because in the story, the protagonist seems to have different beliefs and is judged and sentenced based on them. The two presenting asked us whether we, in our life, make judgement on others according to their morals. I then asked myself: how do you judge someone based on something of which there is hardly general consensus? Everyone has different morals and beliefs, so how can you judge them? Wouldn't it be like judging someone based on their hair colour?
Sarah Egger I had my TOK moment in history when we were looking at the statements of different historians about Nazi Germany. Then I started wondering if it would be wrong for someone to think that Hitler was a great leader. Mostly everyone (including me) think that what he did was horrible. However, there are people who think that he did the right thing for Germany. I thought about how people would react when they'd hear such a comment. Is it wrong to believe something you don't believe in just because everyone does? Or are there exceptions such as the case with Nazi Germany?
In English, yesterday, I was giving a presentation on "A Nihilistic approach to 'The Outsider'". While discussing Nihilism I couldn't help thinking about where people came up with the idea. I was wondering whether or not the founders of the idea of Nihilism based their idea about morality and criticizing it on previous experiences because surely one cannot imagine what a world without morals could come to be or what it would be like. Basically my TOK moment in English (or Philosophy) was whether Nihilism was based on experience? I ask this because maybe there was an instance where morals came into someone's (someone who founded the idea's) life and they found it to be wrong that such a practice of morals was used to harmfully effect them, therefore questioning the moral code.
My Subject TOK moments have mostly been popping up in Biology class. We have just started studying the immune system, and we are going to be looking at the moral issues associated with HIV/AIDS. Patients from AIDS often suffer from discrimination, and are associated with marginal people such as drug users and homosexuals. However, research does prove that this is not true, as anybody can develop AIDS. Furthermore, the people that seem to catch AIDS the most often are heterosexuals in poor, developing nations which contradicts the statement that they must all be gay. AIDS is a current problem in the world, and the lack of defense and medication against AIDS is apparent especially in third world countries. And so a moral battle ensues between the people who argue that the people with AIDS have it because of their own lifestyle, and those, with the support of people who got AIDS accidentally (faulty blood transfusions who want to find a cure and a vaccine for the HI/AIDS virus.
My TOK moment came in History the other day, whilst we were discussing the conflicting views on the cause of World War One. There were multitudes of different viewpoints on the matter,and each seems to speak like it is the only one. This makes me then think, how can anyone possibly know for certain? There are so many different theories, the authors coming from a number of countries, who is right and wrong? Could it just be the author's bias that leads them to those conclusions? For example it just happened to be a professor of military history that gave a purely military reason for the outbreak of the war. This leads me to believe that nothing can be taken with certainty, as even those alive at the time had a different view on things. History is of course an argument without an end, so it is quite difficult to really 'know' anything about it, especially the causes of things, and the reasons things turned out the way they did.
I don't know, if what I'm about to write about,can be called a TOK moment, but I during Bio class yesterday I've realized something, that can help me in the future. What does it take to study and understand what you're learning? Is it really only sitting at a desk for two hours after school, memorizing every word that's mentioned in the book, that you're studying out of? I don't think so, for me a much greater part of studying is motivation. Motivation, that keeps you on track, that lets you see a goal, far away and by doing the work and studying you can step closer to that goal. So my conclusion is that studying is much more dependant on willingness to learn, rather than taking the time to sit down and actually study. If that is not a TOK moment, then I guess I didn't have one so far.
I recently had a TOK moment during my math class. We often say that the only truth is in mathematics. However, recently we started the topic on imaginary numbers, and complex numbers. This both fascinated me and intrigued me since imaginary numbers don't exist in the 'real' world, but they exist in mathematics. Additionally, imaginary numbers are also applied to other fields such as physics. When we worked on this unit, I really questioned myself about the reason why imaginary numbers exist if they are imaginary. Are they really part of the real world? Those were questions that made me think about knowledge, and how we know certain things.
My TOK moment was a while ago in Biology class when we were discussing evidence for the cell theory. We discussed whether a hypothesis can become a theory if there is evidence that supports the theory and if the prior theory should be abandoned. It brought up the question: what evidence is needed for a theory to be accepted or rejected.
In English class I had a presentation about Nihilism. Nihilism has to do with morality. In TOK we talked about what morals are and how people’s morals differ. So I could relate about what we talked about in TOK about morals to mz English presentation.
In Chemistry in our equilibrium unit we were talking about reactions in different temperatures and pressures, and later got on to the subject of the scientists in Nazi Germany wanting to create bombs out of natural resources in Germany, and how dangerous it was with the amounts of pressure they were working at. That reminded me of the Albert Einstein talk in Tok about whether Einstein should be blamed for the bombing of Hiroshima and Nagasaki. Those scientists in Germany were actually working towards building devices for the government, in full knowledge of the fact that their products would kill people. Are all scientists aware of what might happen if what they were researching was successful? And if thy did know it would harm the world, do they disregard that fact and produce it anyways in the name of progress? DaVinci, as an example of the contrary, said in one of his notebooks, that he knew how people could stay underwater for long periods of time. However, he said he would not reveal it because he knew people would use his knowledge to kill people and start sinking boats.
In Biology we talked about antibiotics and their effect on our body. Many people take antibiotics to deal with small ailments and then stop taking them after starting to feel better, even when they are supposed to take them for a few more days. This ruins the effect of the drug because bacteria can develop an immunity to the antibiotic. I was thinking about why we bother to take antibiotics at all. Granted, they can be helpful in curing some sicknesses, but I find it much better letting your body deal with the bacteria itself. When I was little we were never given tablets or pills when we felt sick, and it did not matter if we got dirty because we were merely strengthening our immune system. As a result, our family is rarely sick. Nowadays so many people live in sterile environments and take medications when they feel the slightest bit of discomfort. It seems like people do not want to deal with the consequences of being sick.
In my last history class, I was discussing my IA topic with Mr. Castelli. I wanted to focus my topic on the Hitler youth, because I find it very interesting to see how children and young men and women were betrayed and modified by the Nazis. As our discussion went on, Mr. Castelli told me varies facts about the time when the Hitler youth was formed and how it worked. His information were very helpful, but the fact, that he told me the fact straight out of his had made me criticize him. At the very end of our discussion, I asked him about a book or source which I could use to research further, but most of the sources I got were not specific enough. This made me think about how he got the knowledge he has today. When I came home I called my grandfather. He worked as an historian and he could therefore give me a variation of good and helpful sources. These sources helped me to believe the knowledge of my grandfather.
In Biology we are learning about the heart and how it functions. We observed the cardiac cycle which is one heartbeat. The blood flows into the atria and when pressure is high, the AV valves open and the blood gets pumped from the atria into the ventricles through muscle contraction. When the pressure increases in the ventricles the semi-lunar valves open, the AV valves close, the cardiac muscle contracts, and the blood gets pumped up into the aorta and pulmonary artery. All this happens in just one heartbeat. The heart of an average adult beats about 70 times in a minute. So in a day, the heart beats about 100,800 times pumping 5.6 liters of blood through our bodies. How did the human body come to be? How were our bodies made to function so well? What force could have possibly created the human body so perfectly?
Matilde Frontini
ReplyDeleteIn English we were analyzing the novel: "The Stranger" by Albert Camus. We ended up discussing about morals, because in the story, the protagonist seems to have different beliefs and is judged and sentenced based on them. The two presenting asked us whether we, in our life, make judgement on others according to their morals. I then asked myself: how do you judge someone based on something of which there is hardly general consensus? Everyone has different morals and beliefs, so how can you judge them? Wouldn't it be like judging someone based on their hair colour?
Sarah Egger
ReplyDeleteI had my TOK moment in history when we were looking at the statements of different historians about Nazi Germany. Then I started wondering if it would be wrong for someone to think that Hitler was a great leader. Mostly everyone (including me) think that what he did was horrible. However, there are people who think that he did the right thing for Germany. I thought about how people would react when they'd hear such a comment. Is it wrong to believe something you don't believe in just because everyone does? Or are there exceptions such as the case with Nazi Germany?
In English, yesterday, I was giving a presentation on "A Nihilistic approach to 'The Outsider'". While discussing Nihilism I couldn't help thinking about where people came up with the idea. I was wondering whether or not the founders of the idea of Nihilism based their idea about morality and criticizing it on previous experiences because surely one cannot imagine what a world without morals could come to be or what it would be like. Basically my TOK moment in English (or Philosophy) was whether Nihilism was based on experience? I ask this because maybe there was an instance where morals came into someone's (someone who founded the idea's) life and they found it to be wrong that such a practice of morals was used to harmfully effect them, therefore questioning the moral code.
ReplyDeleteMy Subject TOK moments have mostly been popping up in Biology class. We have just started studying the immune system, and we are going to be looking at the moral issues associated with HIV/AIDS. Patients from AIDS often suffer from discrimination, and are associated with marginal people such as drug users and homosexuals. However, research does prove that this is not true, as anybody can develop AIDS. Furthermore, the people that seem to catch AIDS the most often are heterosexuals in poor, developing nations which contradicts the statement that they must all be gay. AIDS is a current problem in the world, and the lack of defense and medication against AIDS is apparent especially in third world countries. And so a moral battle ensues between the people who argue that the people with AIDS have it because of their own lifestyle, and those, with the support of people who got AIDS accidentally (faulty blood transfusions who want to find a cure and a vaccine for the HI/AIDS virus.
ReplyDeleteMy TOK moment came in History the other day, whilst we were discussing the conflicting views on the cause of World War One. There were multitudes of different viewpoints on the matter,and each seems to speak like it is the only one. This makes me then think, how can anyone possibly know for certain? There are so many different theories, the authors coming from a number of countries, who is right and wrong? Could it just be the author's bias that leads them to those conclusions? For example it just happened to be a professor of military history that gave a purely military reason for the outbreak of the war. This leads me to believe that nothing can be taken with certainty, as even those alive at the time had a different view on things. History is of course an argument without an end, so it is quite difficult to really 'know' anything about it, especially the causes of things, and the reasons things turned out the way they did.
ReplyDeleteI don't know, if what I'm about to write about,can be called a TOK moment, but I during Bio class yesterday I've realized something, that can help me in the future.
ReplyDeleteWhat does it take to study and understand what you're learning? Is it really only sitting at a desk for two hours after school, memorizing every word that's mentioned in the book, that you're studying out of?
I don't think so, for me a much greater part of studying is motivation. Motivation, that keeps you on track, that lets you see a goal, far away and by doing the work and studying you can step closer to that goal.
So my conclusion is that studying is much more dependant on willingness to learn, rather than taking the time to sit down and actually study.
If that is not a TOK moment, then I guess I didn't have one so far.
I recently had a TOK moment during my math class.
ReplyDeleteWe often say that the only truth is in mathematics. However, recently we started the topic on imaginary numbers, and complex numbers. This both fascinated me and intrigued me since imaginary numbers don't exist in the 'real' world, but they exist in mathematics. Additionally, imaginary numbers are also applied to other fields such as physics.
When we worked on this unit, I really questioned myself about the reason why imaginary numbers exist if they are imaginary. Are they really part of the real world? Those were questions that made me think about knowledge, and how we know certain things.
My TOK moment was a while ago in Biology class when we were discussing evidence for the cell theory. We discussed whether a hypothesis can become a theory if there is evidence that supports the theory and if the prior theory should be abandoned. It brought up the question: what evidence is needed for a theory to be accepted or rejected.
ReplyDeleteIn English class I had a presentation about Nihilism. Nihilism has to do with morality. In TOK we talked about what morals are and how people’s morals differ. So I could relate about what we talked about in TOK about morals to mz English presentation.
ReplyDeleteIn Chemistry in our equilibrium unit we were talking about reactions in different temperatures and pressures, and later got on to the subject of the scientists in Nazi Germany wanting to create bombs out of natural resources in Germany, and how dangerous it was with the amounts of pressure they were working at. That reminded me of the Albert Einstein talk in Tok about whether Einstein should be blamed for the bombing of Hiroshima and Nagasaki. Those scientists in Germany were actually working towards building devices for the government, in full knowledge of the fact that their products would kill people.
ReplyDeleteAre all scientists aware of what might happen if what they were researching was successful? And if thy did know it would harm the world, do they disregard that fact and produce it anyways in the name of progress?
DaVinci, as an example of the contrary, said in one of his notebooks, that he knew how people could stay underwater for long periods of time. However, he said he would not reveal it because he knew people would use his knowledge to kill people and start sinking boats.
In Biology we talked about antibiotics and their effect on our body. Many people take antibiotics to deal with small ailments and then stop taking them after starting to feel better, even when they are supposed to take them for a few more days. This ruins the effect of the drug because bacteria can develop an immunity to the antibiotic. I was thinking about why we bother to take antibiotics at all. Granted, they can be helpful in curing some sicknesses, but I find it much better letting your body deal with the bacteria itself. When I was little we were never given tablets or pills when we felt sick, and it did not matter if we got dirty because we were merely strengthening our immune system. As a result, our family is rarely sick. Nowadays so many people live in sterile environments and take medications when they feel the slightest bit of discomfort. It seems like people do not want to deal with the consequences of being sick.
ReplyDeleteIn my last history class, I was discussing my IA topic with Mr. Castelli. I wanted to focus my topic on the Hitler youth, because I find it very interesting to see how children and young men and women were betrayed and modified by the Nazis. As our discussion went on, Mr. Castelli told me varies facts about the time when the Hitler youth was formed and how it worked. His information were very helpful, but the fact, that he told me the fact straight out of his had made me criticize him. At the very end of our discussion, I asked him about a book or source which I could use to research further, but most of the sources I got were not specific enough. This made me think about how he got the knowledge he has today. When I came home I called my grandfather. He worked as an historian and he could therefore give me a variation of good and helpful sources. These sources helped me to believe the knowledge of my grandfather.
ReplyDeleteIn Biology we are learning about the heart and how it functions. We observed the cardiac cycle which is one heartbeat. The blood flows into the atria and when pressure is high, the AV valves open and the blood gets pumped from the atria into the ventricles through muscle contraction. When the pressure increases in the ventricles the semi-lunar valves open, the AV valves close, the cardiac muscle contracts, and the blood gets pumped up into the aorta and pulmonary artery. All this happens in just one heartbeat. The heart of an average adult beats about 70 times in a minute. So in a day, the heart beats about 100,800 times pumping 5.6 liters of blood through our bodies. How did the human body come to be? How were our bodies made to function so well? What force could have possibly created the human body so perfectly?
ReplyDeleteThat is where Faith play its role :) Faith to god, the creator. Well, faith is also one of the ways of knowing.
DeleteI'm glad to see so many TOK moments taking place in History class - English and biology seem to be popular TOK moments as well.
ReplyDelete