TOK Essay May 2024 Title 6

Title 6: Are we too quick to assume that the most recent evidence is inevitably the strongest? Discuss with reference to the natural sciences and one other area of knowledge.

The recency bias—the assumption that what’s newer is better—is captured succinctly in your question: “Are we too quick to assume that the most recent evidence is inevitably the strongest?” This is a pertinent issue that often flies under the radar but affects the very framework of how we approach and accept knowledge.

Keywords to Define:

1. Quick to Assume: A tendency to make judgments without sufficient reflection.
2. Most Recent Evidence: The latest information or data to support a claim.
3. Inevitably: Unavoidably or unquestionably.
4. Strongest: Most persuasive, accurate, or compelling.

Natural Sciences

Questions to Ponder:

• Does the pressure to publish new findings in scientific research inadvertently encourage a bias toward the most recent evidence?
• What are the ethical implications of disregarding older, yet still relevant, scientific data?

My Strong Suggestions:

• Defend Recency: Let’s face it, science evolves. New techniques and technologies enable us to observe phenomena more accurately than before. There’s merit in giving weight to the latest evidence.
• Question Recency: But hold on a second. New doesn’t always mean better. Sometimes, what’s recent is simply fashionable or aligned with current funding streams. Don’t forget the enduring contributions of older research.

Real-Life Examples:

• Advances in CRISPR technology may seem like the pinnacle of genetic research, but the foundation laid by earlier work in the Human Genome Project remains significant.
• The retraction of initially promising but ultimately flawed studies, such as some fast-tracked COVID-19 treatments, serves as a warning against recency bias.

Ethics

Questions to Ponder:

• Are newer ethical theories inherently superior because they address contemporary issues?
• Do classic ethical frameworks like utilitarianism or deontological ethics lose their potency over time?

My Strong Suggestions:

• Champion Evolution: Ethical questions evolve with society. Current theories may be better suited to address issues like digital privacy, which didn’t even exist a century ago. So there’s value in the new.
• Respect Time-Tested Wisdom: However, some ethical quandaries are as old as humanity itself. The age of an ethical theory doesn’t necessarily diminish its applicability or depth.

Real-Life Examples:

• Contemporary bioethics tackles new challenges like gene editing and AI, but its foundation often lies in older philosophical traditions.
• The continued use of the Golden Rule—an ethical guideline present in various forms across numerous cultures and eras—as a basic principle of morality.