Should some knowledge not be sought on ethical grounds?
TOK Exhibition Prompt 16 — Object Examples & Rationale
A complete, examiner-written breakdown of IB TOK Exhibition IA Prompt 16 — five worked object examples, linked optional themes, knowledge questions and top-band commentary to help you nail the TOK exhibition for IB DP May 2026.
The Prompt
“Should some knowledge not be sought on ethical grounds?” — Prompt 16 of the 35 prescribed IA prompts.
Assessment Weight
TOK exhibition = one-third of your final TOK grade.
Word Count
950 words max across all 3 objects combined (plus references).
Session
Updated & mapped for TOK assessment.
Decoding Prompt 16 – “Should some knowledge not be sought on ethical grounds?”
IB TOK Exhibition Prompt 16 forces a confrontation with one of the most uncomfortable questions in epistemology: are there some kinds of knowledge whose very pursuit is wrong, regardless of what they might reveal? The prompt pushes you beyond the assumption that more knowledge is always better and invites you to examine the ethical, cultural, medical, technological and political grounds on which a knowledge-seeking activity might be deemed unjustifiable. For a strong exhibition, each of your three objects must illustrate a different ethical fault line — whether bodily autonomy, cultural sovereignty, surveillance, or genetic manipulation.
A top-scoring IB TOK exhibition on Prompt 16 does three things well: it links each object to a specific ethical dilemma in knowledge pursuit, it justifies why that pursuit is morally contested, and it connects back to an optional theme or area of knowledge.
TOK Exhibition Objects for Prompt 16
Each example below includes the object, linked optional theme, examiner-written rationale, and a knowledge question to extend your analysis.
CRISPR-Cas9 Gene Editing Kit
The availability of CRISPR-Cas9 gene-editing kits for both professional and amateur use raises profound ethical questions about the boundaries of genetic manipulation. This technology embodies the dilemma of whether all scientific knowledge should be pursued, given its potential for both groundbreaking medical treatments and controversial applications such as designer babies, biohacking, or heritable genetic modifications. It prompts discussions on the responsibilities of scientists and society in setting ethical limits on knowledge exploration, balancing the benefits of genetic advancements against potential risks, irreversibility and moral concerns about consent and species-level harm.
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- Ready-to-submit commentary within 950-word limit
score 8+ on TOK exhibition
Facebook’s News Feed Algorithm Patent
The patent for Facebook’s News Feed algorithm, which determines what content is prioritised and shown to users, exemplifies the ethical considerations in curating and disseminating information. This object highlights the impact of algorithmic decision-making on public discourse, privacy, mental health and individual autonomy, raising questions about the ethical responsibilities of tech companies in managing and sharing knowledge. It invites reflection on the balance between personalisation and manipulation, exploring whether there should be limits on the knowledge algorithms seek to optimise — particularly when that knowledge is about human attention, emotion and behaviour, and is used to influence rather than inform.
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A Map of Indigenous Sacred Sites
Maps detailing the locations of indigenous sacred sites confront the ethical dilemma of documenting and revealing knowledge that indigenous communities may wish to keep private. This object serves as a basis for exploring the tension between academic interest or public curiosity and the right of communities to maintain secrecy or control over their cultural and spiritual knowledge. It prompts discussion on the ethics of knowledge discovery and dissemination, especially in contexts where such knowledge is deeply intertwined with cultural identity, spirituality, land rights and the long history of colonial extraction — and asks whether the pursuit of geographic completeness can ever justify violating cultural sovereignty.
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2 More Objects for Prompt 16
Two additional examiner-written object examples to help you finalise your TOK exhibition selection.
"The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks" by Rebecca Skloot
This book tells the story of Henrietta Lacks and the immortal cell line — HeLa cells — derived from her cancer cells without her knowledge or consent. It highlights ethical issues in medical research and the pursuit of knowledge without considering the rights, dignity and informed consent of the individuals from whom that knowledge is extracted. The story of HeLa cells raises critical questions about consent, racial injustice, the legacies of medical exploitation of Black communities, and the human cost of scientific progress, prompting reflection on the ethical considerations that should guide the pursuit of knowledge — especially in fields that directly impact human bodies and lives.
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AI-Driven Facial Recognition Technology Patent
Patents for AI-driven facial recognition technology underscore the ethical challenges posed by surveillance capabilities and privacy infringements. This technology represents a frontier of knowledge with significant implications for individual rights, racial bias and societal norms, questioning whether the pursuit of such knowledge respects ethical boundaries. It raises debates on surveillance, consent, the racial accuracy gap of recognition systems, and the ethical use of personal biometric data — highlighting the need for ethical frameworks to guide technological development and knowledge acquisition in sensitive areas where the knowledge produced has the power to track, profile and punish individuals at scale.
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Knowledge Questions for Prompt 16
Use these knowledge questions to strengthen the analytical depth of your exhibition commentary.
Are there categories of knowledge that should be considered intrinsically wrong to pursue, regardless of intent?
Who has the moral authority to declare a line of knowledge ethically off-limits — researchers, regulators, or affected communities?
Can ethical concerns ever fully prevent the pursuit of knowledge, or do they merely delay it?
Does the foreseeable misuse of knowledge make its pursuit unethical, even if its discovery would also bring benefits?
Is there a meaningful ethical distinction between seeking knowledge and applying it?
Should the consent of historically exploited communities be a precondition for certain kinds of knowledge production?
How to Score High on Prompt 16
Three strategies our IB examiners use when coaching students through the TOK exhibition.
Anchor each object to a real ethical debate
Don’t speak in abstractions. Tie each object to a documented case — Henrietta Lacks, Cambridge Analytica, He Jiankui’s CRISPR babies — so the ethics has actual stakes.
Distinguish ‘pursuing’ from ‘applying’
Top-band responses notice that the ethics of seeking knowledge and the ethics of using it are not the same. Make this distinction explicit in at least one rationale.
Justify — don’t just describe
The top markband (9–10) is reached only when the commentary explains why the object illustrates the prompt, not just that it does.
TOK Exhibition Prompt 16 — FAQs
What is TOK Exhibition Prompt 16?
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