Theory of Knowledge
13
Chapters
165
Notes
Chapter 1 - Knowledge & The Knower(Core)
Chapter 2 - Knowledge & Technology(Optional)
Chapter 3 - Knowledge & Language(Optional)
Chapter 4 - Knowledge & Politics(Optional)
Chapter 5 - Knowledge & Religion(Optional)
Chapter 6 - Knowledge & Indigenous Societies(Optional)
Chapter 7 - History(AoK)
Chapter 8 - The Human Sciences(AoK)
Chapter 9 - The Natural Sciences(AoK)
Chapter 10 - The Arts(AoK)
Chapter 11 - Mathematics(AoK)
Chapter 12 - ToK Exhibition
Chapter 13 - ToK Essay
Theory of Knowledge
Chapter 5 - Knowledge & Religion(Optional)
Religion Vs. Science: Competing Answers Or Complementary Queries?
738 words
4 mins read
Last edited on 14th Jun 2024
Table of content
Opposition or different questions?
- Common Western perception sees science and religion as opposing or mutually exclusive ways of describing reality. An example of this is the debate between creationism and evolutionary theory in the United States.
- However, some suggest that instead of giving competing answers to the same questions, science and religion may actually ask different questions altogether.
- For example, imagine a universe as a poem. Science provides tools to understand its structure, rhyme, and meter, while religion tries to tell us the poem’s meaning or why the poem exists.
Science and religious knowledge in theory of knowledge (TOK)
- Science is seen as an area of knowledge, while religious knowledge is treated as a theme in TOK.
- There's a shift from considering religious knowledge as an area of knowledge itself, to treating it as a theme. This might be due to the evolving understanding of these domains and how they intersect.
- It's essential to be critical of the boundaries drawn between different knowledge domains. The idea of religion and science being incompatible is a recent conception emerging from specific historical and cultural contexts.
Western vs. non-western perspectives
- The perceived conflict between religion and science may primarily be a Western phenomenon, resulting from the development of science in early modern Europe and its strained relationships with the Church.
- Scholars like Varadaraja V. Raman argue that the divide between science and religion is not as prominent in other cultural contexts. For instance, Eastern religious traditions separate religious knowledge from intellectual, analytical, and secular knowledge.
- Raman suggests that the world's complexity cannot be fully encapsulated within the realm of rationality. He argues that the success of modern sciences has created an addiction to rationality, and the religious experience offers a more profound understanding of existence.
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Theory of Knowledge
Chapter 5 - Knowledge & Religion(Optional)
Religion Vs. Science: Competing Answers Or Complementary Queries?
738 words
4 mins read
Last edited on 14th Jun 2024
Table of content
Opposition or different questions?
- Common Western perception sees science and religion as opposing or mutually exclusive ways of describing reality. An example of this is the debate between creationism and evolutionary theory in the United States.
- However, some suggest that instead of giving competing answers to the same questions, science and religion may actually ask different questions altogether.
- For example, imagine a universe as a poem. Science provides tools to understand its structure, rhyme, and meter, while religion tries to tell us the poem’s meaning or why the poem exists.
Science and religious knowledge in theory of knowledge (TOK)
- Science is seen as an area of knowledge, while religious knowledge is treated as a theme in TOK.
- There's a shift from considering religious knowledge as an area of knowledge itself, to treating it as a theme. This might be due to the evolving understanding of these domains and how they intersect.
- It's essential to be critical of the boundaries drawn between different knowledge domains. The idea of religion and science being incompatible is a recent conception emerging from specific historical and cultural contexts.
Western vs. non-western perspectives
- The perceived conflict between religion and science may primarily be a Western phenomenon, resulting from the development of science in early modern Europe and its strained relationships with the Church.
- Scholars like Varadaraja V. Raman argue that the divide between science and religion is not as prominent in other cultural contexts. For instance, Eastern religious traditions separate religious knowledge from intellectual, analytical, and secular knowledge.
- Raman suggests that the world's complexity cannot be fully encapsulated within the realm of rationality. He argues that the success of modern sciences has created an addiction to rationality, and the religious experience offers a more profound understanding of existence.
Unlock the Full Content!
Dive deeper and gain exclusive access to premium files of Theory of Knowledge. Subscribe now and get closer to that 45 🌟