Welcome to the human sciences. This page gives you a quick overview of this TOK area of knowledge, and four padlets offering quotes, knowledge questions, real-world stories, and important thinkers.
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Human sciences: a quick overview
The human sciences are collectively dedicated to exploring human behaviour, society, and cognition, encompassing fields including psychology, economics, anthropology, and sociology.
They connect directly to key concepts including evidence, explanation, and perspective, and are exemplified well by two figures: Sigmund Freud, whose pioneering work on the subconscious mind revolutionised our understanding of human psychology, and Margaret Mead, whose groundbreaking research on cultural variations and gender roles in different societies challenged conventional assumptions about human behaviour and the relationship between nature and culture.
Contemporary issues make this area of knowledge especially rich and contested. Debates about artificial intelligence and ethics highlight the profound impact of advancing technology on human behaviour and decision-making, while discussions about cultural relativism raise important questions about the moral responsibilities involved in studying and representing diverse cultural practices.
During our exploration of the human sciences, we’ll analyze human behaviour critically, appreciate the complexity of our societies, and develop the ethical awareness needed to conduct and evaluate research into the most fundamental questions of our shared human existence.
1 QUOTES Who said “If it’s far away, it’s news; if it’s close to home, it’s sociology”?
Explore these quotes on the human sciences by a wide range of different thinkers. Which quotes are the most and least insightful?
How do they challenge assumptions about the core theme? What do they reveal about links between the this and other aspects of the TOK course?
2 KNOWLEDGE QUESTIONS How should competing claims be evaluated?
Exploring knowledge questions is at the heart of TOK, prompting us to reflect on our assumptions and evaluate the reliability of our knowledge.
They give us a focus point for deeper understanding, and play a central role in both the essay and the exhibition assessment tasks.
3 REAL-WORLD STORIES Is misinformation ethically and factually, unacceptable?
Grasp the human sciences, see how TOK ideas manifest in the real-world, and support exhibition commentary discussions, via these examples.
They’ll also help you to challenge your assumptions and biases, and become an authentic critical thinker.
4 NOTABLE THINKERS What insights does Crockett provide on the media & science?
These thinkers will help you consolidate your understanding of the human sciences, and articulate your ideas about the world more clearly.
Draw on them to support exhibition commentary discussions, and add depth and authority to the claims you make about knowledge.
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