If one wanted to deepen one's understanding of Theory of Knowledge, where would one look? I have a couple of suggestions.
First, while one can stumble upon small online islands of information in surfing the internet, one more substantial site is theoryofknowledge.net. It covers all the different aspects of the course and goes into sufficient detail, being neither too superficial nor too erudite that one is left behind coughing in a cloud of library dust.
Next, I very highly recommend Nigel Warburton's Philosophy: The Basics. A senior lecturer at the Open University in the UK, Warburton writes with admirable clarity and has the natural teacher's gift of making complicated ideas understandable.
Another great resource is Stephen Law's The Philosophy Gym, a book presenting a series of playful and imaginative dialogues on philosophical problems and issues. Law is on the faculty of Heythrop College, originally a Jesuit school and since 1970 a part of the University of London. Like Warburton, he writes lucidly about philosophical problems and makes them understandable and accessible.
Julian Baggini has written many books, but Making Sense: Philosophy behind the Headlines seems expressly written for TOK. He explores philosophical issues raised by news stories. As the publishing blurb states, "The discussions interweave philosophy and current affairs to create a compelling
narrative that challenges how we make sense both of the world around us and of
our own beliefs."
Baggini, Law, and Warburton have written other accessible books on philosophy, and also have websites and blogs. Inevitably perhaps, but also very fortunately, they are more and more present on Youtube through recorded lectures and debates. Civil, insightful, and always clear, they are very enjoyable to listen to, even if one may disagree with what is said.
This extra reading is not mandatory, BUT if one wanted to pursue many of the topics and issues further, one could dip into these books and continue a journey in philosophical thought.
No comments:
Post a Comment