TOK Essay Draft
The road towards the ‘Ultimate Truth’ in various Areas of Knowledge is the primary
goal, expecially in those areas where data and research can be conduction such as History and
the Natural Sciences. Contrasting perspectives encourage further research and the emergence of
new ideas, however there are some cases where it can result in negative impacts on society.
Within the areas of knowledge of the Natural Science, contrasting perspectives nurture new
ideologies, but not always for the health of the discipline.
The prompt mentions ‘the health of a discipline.” When applying this idea to the Areas of
Knowledge of the Natural Sciences and History, this can simply be defined as progress within
the field of study. Within the Natural Sciences, the goal is to discover the truth., or get as close to
the truth as possible. Within science, knowledge is categorized into different areas. Hypothesis
are used for smaller sets of data or areas based of simple observation or logic, while something
like a law is broader, but backed by research, experimentation and considered to be true for an
case
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. The goal for any scientist is to discover a law of the natural world, but many remain
theories for the most part.
For example, the Big Bang Theory, despite being widely regarded by the general
population as the origin story, it is not law because there is no definitive evidence, merely a a
highly probable theory. There are scientist constantly refuting it such as the emergence of the
Cyclic Universe Theory coined by Paul J, Steinhardt, a Professor of Physics at Princeton
University
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. This theory is in opposition to the ideas presented by the Big Bang and had stirred
up much controversy, yet without the chance of debate this idea would have been never
1
“Science at Multiple Levels.” Understanding Science. Accessed December 19, 2018.
2
“Endless Universe.” Princeton University. Accessed December 19, 2018.
discovered. We still do not know which is fact, and we doubt we will ever know, but this a
considerable step forwards from the ignorant mindset that would have remained had the Cycli
Universe Theory not been brought to light.
However, within the Natural Sciences there are also instances where the need to create
any truth overpowers a person’s sense of integrity. Late in 2018, a prominent cardiologist was
cast from the limelight at the discovery of 31 publications of fraudulent data
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. Piero Anversa was
a highly-regarded man in the field of cardiology and whose research had inspired clinical trials
within hospitals and who was backed by millions in funding for research
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. Thinking for a
moment about what that might mean is astounding. The trials may be, in fact, harmful to the
people participating in them. The students who studied his theologies in classes under the area
cardiac regeneration studied lies and believed in mistruths
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. Even other cardiologists have made
public statements declaring that ‘grave damage has been done to the field’, such as Johnathan
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