A Full TOK Essay on Knowledge Bubbles & Confirmation Bias — across History & The Arts
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TOK Essay Example 5
TOK Essay Title :
“Does it matter if our acquisition of knowledge happens in ‘bubbles’ where some information and voices are excluded?” — Discuss with reference to two areas of knowledge.
A ‘bubble‘ refers to a filtration mechanism to selectively retain knowledge that denizens of the bubble concur with, discarding what is refuted by them. It is a universal stipulatory norm that knowledge acquisition is a lifelong process, by virtue of its being innately inexhaustible, resulting in the inevitable formation of knowledge bubbles of varying depth and validity which excludes some information and voices.
However, knowledge acquisition beyond the realm of the bubble is contingent on myriad factors including one’s inclination, education, acumen, perception, social conditioning, beliefs, culture and value-system among other determinants, establishing implicitly the subjectivity of knowledge as whole. This ensures the existence of bubbles in one’s quest for knowledge.
‘Confirmation bias‘ relates to a psychological phenomenon which results in an individuals’ propensity to decode and favour information that is congruent with one’s existing values and beliefs[2]. It is this very ‘confirmation bias‘ which results in buttressing knowledge bubbles. Therefore, I hereby affirm my stance that knowledge bubbles are inextricable in context with acquisition of knowledge and they are in fact most likely to inhibit or impede the acquisition of knowledge[1]. To provide clarity to my stance, I am referring to the Areas of Knowledge — History and Arts.
Einstein, the bomb & bubbles in history
How knowledge bubbles shaped the atomic decision
My stance is bolstered by the historical events that culminated in the inhumane, repugnant atomic bombing of Hiroshima and Nagasaki, Japan, on August 6, 1945. The aforementioned bombs were detonated above the airspace of Hiroshima & Nagasaki by the US air force on the instruction of President Harry Truman, post the demise of President Franklin D. Roosevelt.
In particular, it is Albert Einstein’s rationale behind the inception of against Japan in 1945 that corroborates the contemplation that bubbles can soar knowledge acquisition as even though not directly[3]. In intents and purposes, Einstein was the father of the bomb in two mechanisms: firstly, since he initiated American bomb development, and subsequently, as his equation made the atomic weapons theoretically viable.
Given that he did not intend for bombs to be detonated, Einstein acknowledged himself to be a pacifist. Three months after Germany surrendered, Japan was bombarded with atomic bombs. Einstein had advocated for the deployment of an a-bomb for the Allies along with Germany’s flair to constitute a Nazi a-bomb. Until a year later, Einstein did not speak out in public about the atomic bombing of Japan. “I have always denounced the use of the atomic bomb against Japan”, Einstein ultimately proclaimed[4].
The authentic, intricate narrative of Einstein and the bomb is not adequately depicted by either the public portrayal or the individual objections. Despite popular opinion, Einstein had limited knowledge of the physics of nuclear particles that underlie the bomb. However, the records demonstrate that Einstein did more than simply sign the letter to Roosevelt. Writing it, editing it, and figuring out how to deliver it to the president were all tasks that he worked on extensively[5].
He asserted in front of the public in 1929 that he would “unconditionally refuse to conduct military service, direct or indirect… regardless of how the grounds of the warfare should be evaluated.” His development of the atomic weapon lends credence to the idea that knowledge bubbles liberate knowledge accumulation.
Frida Kahlo & bubbles in the arts
When a personal lens becomes a limiting frame
Similarly, the adverse outcomes of knowledge bubbles also manifest in the domain of arts. Renowned Mexican painter, Freida Kahlo has received immense adulation and fanfare for her paintings that embodied her perception of the themes of feminism, marriage, trauma and survival amongst many others[6]. A motif of her paintings and self-portraits is the depiction of events that mirrored her own life and personal experiences.
While these paintings are unequivocally effable and stimulating, they are conceived from the lens of a bubble, within which Freida Pinto’s knowledge resounded. In particular, her painting titled ‘Unos Cuantos Piquetitos‘ chronicles a tale of a man who murdered his wife by carving small lacerations over her body, which leads towards the bubble knowledge of implications of her other self-portraits exemplifying the emotional abuse inflicted on her by her said former husband.
Kalho has been criticised for her myopic portrayal of men in the backdrop of feminism. Her knowledge bubble rendered her paintings predisposed to a peripheral depiction of marriage and heterogenous relationships. This parochial outlook is often a byproduct of bubbles which prevent the formulation of a balanced outlook devoid of preconceived opinions and viewpoints.
Furthermore, Kalho’s painting titled ‘El Autobus‘ renders the image of a bevy of passengers belonging to strata of society, from varying walks of life, under a single roof in a bus. Some viewers interpret the artwork as Frieda’s conceptualization of social equity. Other polarized interpretations of viewers are based on knowledge of Kahlo’s disquieting bus accident which left her in precarious physical and mental plight. While the specific allusion and connotation of the painting is influenced by Kalho’s own knowledge bubble, the disproportional and inconclusive interpretations of the audience is influenced by their own knowledge bubbles, leading to a chaotic outcome, inhibiting knowledge acquisition.
Knowledge bubbles are not walls — they are lenses. And a lens that refuses to accept light from the side eventually distorts the image at the centre.
Shailey Valecha — IB Examiner
“Watch how this essay splits the same concept — the bubble — across history and art. Einstein’s bubble accelerated a tragic outcome; Kahlo’s bubble limited a perspective. One concept, two AOKs, two opposite effects. That contrast is what elevates a TOK essay from description to analysis.”
The counter-claim: when bubbles liberate creativity
Laissez-faire, Da Vinci & Rowling
On the other hand, non-conformist views, opinions, ideas or notions have ofttimes invalidated the significance of confirmation bias in the course of history, implying that bubbles vitalize creativity. The existence of bubbles sometimes foster reforms which result in the betterment of society. It can stimulate views and counterviews, which in the short run generates unrest, but in the long run promotes a sifting process to weed out social hardships.
The French Industrial Revolution of the nineteenth century paved the way for ‘Laissez Faire‘ governance which entailed no government interference to boost free markets and healthy competition in industries[8]. This form of governance reflected the popular sentiment of France during the given period. This implies that knowledge bubbles were fortified and nourished by popular ideologies rather than individual thought.
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However, a boon offered by this economic system is the curtailment of powers of governments globally. However, in the long run, the Laissez Faire form of governance resulted in crippling income disparities and increased social hardships for the lower strata of society[9]. This unanticipated outcome of this resulted in overlooking flaws and limitations in knowledge bubbles amongst the economic thinkers of the given time.
Subsequently, renowned economists including Adam Smith, regarded as the father of economics, postulated a revised theory of a virtually free market economic system that coexists and thrives with minimal government interference to ensure that economic equilibrium would be regulated when necessary. This underscores the need for enrichment of bubbles by continuous and accelerated learning is indispensable for the attainment of knowledge and ingenious works of improvisation.
Similarly, it may be argued that high aptitudes, inclinations and acumen can result in calibration of, well-informed bubbles, that effectively discard conventional information and voices to create novelty. While this is an infrequent occurrence, it can have highly beneficial outcomes.
In context with art, Leonardo Da Vinci’s sketch of the ‘Flying Machine‘ is a testimony to such bubbles[7]. Illustrated in the fifteenth century, this artwork is regarded as avant-garde and idiosyncratic given that the concept of aviation and air transport was altogether unconceived in the said period, making it arduous to comprehend Da Vinci’s artistic reference.
Such singular labour of genius is the result of a bubble created by Da Vinci, which abandoned conventional ideas and explicable phenomena, laying emphasis on the pursuit of the untraversed paradigm. Therefore, it can be deduced that in some instances bubbles can originate from a systematic discarding of evinced facts, negating the conspicuous need for confirmation bias.
Indistinguishably, creative, abstract bubbles created by elimination of accepted norms has led to the inception of JK Rowling’s Harry Potter series — ground breaking veneration for the ingenuous and visionary representation of an obscure world of witchcraft and wizardry, which is typically predisposed to negative connotations, stereotypes promulgated by myth and general disapprobation[10].
Her knowledge acquisition appears to be seemingly at odds with that of society, given that there existed a high probability that the plot of her narration would be rejected by publishers. By negating these conventions, Rowling composed a literary masterpiece on account of her unorthodox and uncustomary construction of knowledge bubbles, bereft of confirmation bias. Consequently, these instances of artistic genius, pursuant to renouncement of some voices of individuals and information, unexpectedly augment the knowledge acquisition mechanism.
Conclusion
Knowledge bubbles therefore, are the result of critical observation, subject to transposition of information and facts. Knowledge bubbles can in some cases impede or augment the acquisition of knowledge, with reference to art and history. It is highly improbable to vanquish the existence of knowledge bubbles in totality.
In order to alleviate the impediments posed by bubbles, it is imperative to seek ‘mastery‘. However, ‘mastery‘ of a discipline or subject matter, commonly referred to as ‘subject matter expertise‘ necessitates structured learning and a methodical navigation through one’s various knowledge bubbles using strategic tools and devices such as the ‘Goldilocks Rule‘ endorsed by renowned motivation theorist Daniel Pink[11].
They said ‘Goldilocks Rule‘ stipulates that mastery is achieved by collating knowledge which is balanced in terms of complexity i.e. a learning curve which is neither too facile nor too overwhelming. Mastery stimulates the spirit of inquiry which leads to innovation and new discoveries and the learning thereof, enriches one’s bubble.
Knowledge bubbles innately exist on account of one’s education, social conditioning, experiences, levels of exposure etc. Therefore, knowledge bubbles cannot be homogeneous, which permits the prevalence of diversity and variety. Consequently, it can be summarized that it certainly matters that our knowledge acquisition happens in bubbles, but what is of greater consequence is the evolution of rate of growth of the said bubbles.
Bibliography
- Milton, Nick — The Dangers of Knowledge Bubbles: The Brexit Example (Knoco Stories, 8 July 2016)
- Cambridge Dictionary — Confirmation Bias: English Meaning
- Clark, Ronald et al. — Albert Einstein and the Atomic Bomb
- History Unfolded (USHMM) — Albert Einstein Quits Germany, Renounces Citizenship (28 March 1933)
- Isaacson, Walter — Chain Reaction: From Einstein to the Atomic Bomb (Discover Magazine, 18 March 2008)
- 100 Famous Paintings by Frida Kahlo — FridaKahlo.org
- Leonardo Da Vinci’s Dream of Flying — LeonardoDaVinci.net
- Investopedia — What Is a Laissez-Faire Economy, and How Does It Work? (26 July 2022)
- History Crunch — Laissez-Faire Capitalism
- SparkNotes — Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone: Full Book Summary (2 February 2023)
- ASCD — Motivated to Learn: A Conversation With Daniel Pink
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