In the pursuit of knowledge, is it possible or even desirable to set aside temporarily what we already know? Discuss with reference to the natural sciences and one other area of knowledge
I have to say that Prompt 5 is one of the most interesting questions the IB has given us in a while. I have spent more time than I care to admit grading TOK essays, and I think about knowledge more than any sane person should. It asks, “Is it possible or even desirable to temporarily put aside what we already know—in the pursuit of knowledge?” It does sound philosophical, but it’s also very practical. Almost every good TOK essay finds a way to balance the abstract and the real. This prompt is no different.
But there’s a bigger problem than just setting aside what we already know. The real question is whether we should. The exciting part of this title is the twist. You have a playground full of ideas that are ready to be tried, pushed, and maybe even forgotten for a while when you add the requirement to discuss the natural sciences and another Area of Knowledge.
Let’s discuss how to deal with it without losing our minds or our prior knowledge.
How to Work on the November 2025 TOK Prompt 5?
Make the prompt into two main questions to begin:
- Can we set aside what we already know?
- Is it desirable to do this?
That’s your hold. After that, you should build your essay by looking at both parts in the context of the two different AOKs. Some of the best TOK writings don’t jump to conclusions right away; instead, they look into the problems. It might be possible in some AOKs but not in others. It might be good in some situations and terrible in others. So, do not lose the subtleties.
Then, have a look at what “setting aside” really means. What do we mean by avoiding knowledge, putting it on hold to think about new ideas, or questioning it? The way you read the text can change the direction of your essay. Be clear about what you mean when you say something, and don’t take an intellectual side trip that doesn’t lead anywhere. Stay true to yourself.
I always say to plan this essay in two columns—really, make them stand out:
- One that says “Possibility.”
- One that says “Desirability.”
Now, put your AOKs next to each other and think of ways that knowledge could be put on hold and what would happen. As long as you’re working in the natural sciences, which you must, think about how scientists set aside personal views or do “blind” studies to be more objective. That’s a perfect example of forgetting something on purpose for a short time. Then you should ask: Can they completely erase what they already know? Most likely not. Brains aren’t like hard drives. We don’t get rid of things; we add to them.
Remember that you are making a well-thought-out case. Don’t use broad or unclear statements. You shouldn’t say, “We need to unlearn everything!” here unless you can back it up with examples and reasons.
To keep in mind, TOK essays love specifics, so explain the case. Use clear examples from real life; we’ll discuss them more later. And don’t just use the book to figure out what words mean, especially “knowledge,” “desirable,” “set aside,” and even “pursuit.” Put them together in a way that makes sense with the AOKs you picked.
What Are the Best AOKs and WOKs for This Title?
The prompt already tells us one AOK: natural sciences. This is great because in science, setting aside what we know for a while is not only normal, but often necessary. Think about how paradigms can change. Newtonian physics wasn’t thrown out when Einstein came along, but it was set aside. Short-term. That is the kind of subtlety TOK loves.
Areas of Knowledge
For your second AOK, you could choose from ethics, history, or the arts:
- Ethics is the right AOK to add Is it moral to seek knowledge while ignoring known harms or consequences? For example, think about medical experiments that don’t examine past wrongdoing because they want to “move forward.” Wantable? Not certain. Is it possible? Yes. You can question the idea of “science for science’s sake” with this AOK.
- History gives you a way to look at things. Historians often reexamine evidence from new angles, sometimes overlooking what others have said. But can they forget what they know about bias, lies, or how power works? This strain can make for a deep conversation.
- The arts give us a new perspective. Often, artists give up what they know or what is expected of them to find new ways to express themselves. But is this a statement or a pursuit of knowledge? It depends on what you mean by “knowledge” when talking about art.
Overall, this prompt gives you the chance to show how different kinds of knowledge behave under pressure.
Ways of Knowing
For Ways of Knowing, prioritize:
- Reason should be your first choice for Ways of Knowing, especially in science, where logical systems demand neutrality (or the appearance of it).
- When we think about ethics and history, our emotions often shape how we understand things. Can we split them up?
- The wild card is imagination. You can discuss how putting what we “know” on hold can open up new perspectives.
- Language is a great way to show how our past knowledge affects how we speak and think, making it harder to let go than we might think.
Plan which AOKs and WOKs you will use, and use them to see how far you can go with what you know you have “set aside.” The best writings will show that we have to let go of some beliefs to make way for better ones. And sometimes, letting go of beliefs can be risky or foolish. The way you think is what matters most, no matter what.
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What Are the Real-Life Situations for This Prompt?
Tok isn’t TOK without real-life situations. You should be able to show that you’re not just thinking about things from a theoretical perspective. So choose situations that are happening now, are complicated, and are a little messy. The best ones are the ones that make the grader stop reading and think, “Okay, this student gets it.”
The idea of briefly putting aside what we already know in the pursuit of knowledge is directly supported by several compelling real-life situations:
- CRISPR gene editing. Scientists had to temporarily set aside prior ethical concerns to consider its potential. Was this desirable? Ask the bioethics community. Was it possible? Technically yes. Ethically, debatable.
- COVID-19 vaccine development. Researchers suspended assumptions about vaccine timelines. “Vaccines take years” used to be a fixed belief. Setting that aside helped fast-track the development of life-saving treatments.
- AI-generated art and copyright law. In the arts and ethics, new technologies force creators and lawmakers to temporarily set aside traditional definitions of authorship and originality, even as they begin to address AI’s impact.
- Historical revisionism in education. Governments sometimes ask teachers to downplay specific facts for the sake of national unity. Is it possible to ignore what we know for a perceived greater good? Sure. Is it desirable? That’s your TOK essay calling.
You should see how your real-life situation relates to the main ideas of the prompt. Was previous knowledge dismissed, questioned, or put on hold? Was what you did productive or problematic? If that knowledge was put aside, how did the appropriate AOKs deal with the effects?
It’s your job to show that the way we handle knowledge in each case reveals something about how we think, reason, and decide what we need to know (and what we need to know again).
Final Thoughts
Remember, at the end of the day (or the start of the essay), that TOK isn’t so much about proving something as it is about showing that you can think clearly, fight well, and ask the right questions. If you write about this prompt, you’ll be writing about something very close to how we learn and sometimes forget.
Don’t try to make the world a better place in 1600 words. Instead, show that you can deal with complexity, hold different ideas in tension, and use logic and examples to support what you say. Think about what you’re doing and don’t just copy and paste meanings from the TOK book, for the love of all examiners.
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