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Theory of Knowledge Essay

Examination Session- May 2021

Title 6- “Avoiding bias seems a commendable goal, but this fails to recognize the positive role

that bias can play in the pursuit of knowledge.” Discuss this statement with reference to two

areas of knowledge.

Words- 1593
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“Buddha boldly linked human suffering and dissatisfaction not only to a craving for physical and

worldly pleasures but also to an attachment to ideas, opinions, and beliefs.”1

“A gentleman can see a question from all sides without bias.” – Confucius2

In understanding that views are seldom drawn from vacuum, bias is woven deep into the fabric of

human thinking. The first quote highlights the knower’s involvement with the world introducing

an inability sometimes to separate the knower from the knowledge whilst the latter gives rise to

the idea that unexamined assumption as a form of bias is detrimental as it highlights a skewed

perspective. In interpreting the PT, an important question arises- what constitutes bias? In the

various areas of knowledge (AOKs), bias presents itself ranging from the extremes of prejudice

and gender bias to the middle ground of norms, examined and unexamined biases, to finally the

more technical attributes of heuristics and selection or preference bias. The complex construct of

bias may be understood differently in the distinctive AOKs. For instance, in the natural sciences

(NS) the scope and the methodology rely heavily on the production of generalized statements

regarding the natural world through the use of reason and imagination.3 It may be understood that

imagination rarely exists in the absence of any inherent bias, as bias is an implicit or explicit

preference to ideas leading to selection bias by knowledge pursuers, resulting in systematic error.

Conversely, in the domain of the Arts there is an emphasis of arts as a means of shaping belief and

social transformation with key notes on the role of society in determining what is art.4 Here bias

lies within human interest, serving to be both directional and motivational towards the artistic

vision, grounded in the imagination, emotion, ideologies and subjective viewpoints of an artist.

1
International Baccalaureate. (2013). Theory of Knowledge Guide, first assessment 2015. Cardiff, UK: International Baccalaureate
Organization. Accessed January 7, 2021
2
ibid
3
ibid
4
ibid
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On dissecting the PT, two main clauses draw attention- “seems a commendable goal,” and “fails

to recognize the positive role that bias can play…” The prescribed title (PT) presents an

unequivocal stance that underlines the possible positive role of bias when applied to the pursuit of

knowledge. The choice of the word “seems” introduces a viewpoint by which bias may not be

universally detrimental but rather exists in a spectrum. The pursuit of knowledge may be construed

as the production of knowledge through the investigation of truth as well as the acquisition of

existing knowledge by way of justification of a belief. In the epistemic process of accruing

knowledge, the goals reflect human interest and so seldom occurs without bias. Given the unique

stance of the PT the primary question arises: Is the extent of the positive influence of bias

dependent on the nature, circumstances of application and the goals of an AOK. Considering two

AOKs: NS and the Arts, this essay aims to evaluate to what extent bias can play a positive

role in the pursuit of knowledge whilst examining circumstances in which bias needs to be

avoided.

The purpose of NS is to understand the natural world and so adopts a methodology of shared

knowledge that primarily depends on empirical evidence in order to establish models by way of

inductive reasoning, resulting in the scientific method which is the basis of pursuit of knowledge

in this domain. It may be thus argued that knowledge pursuers' confirmation bias in the process

of investigating the truth may hinder the credibility of knowledge produced. A key study is found

in Bisphenol A, a chemical potentially correlated with cancer, a “fact” proven by 90% of

government-funded experiments, while the same was not true in industry funded experimental

studies.5 This may have resulted from the fact that industries carried out testing using a resistant

5Akey study is found in Bisphenol A, a chemical correlated with cancer, a fact proven by 90% of government-funded experiments, while the same
was not true in industry funded experimental studies. Accessed January 7, 2021
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strain of rats, as they needed to produce a study that reaffirmed their beliefs and values.6 The

implications of bias when examined in the context of the pursuit of knowledge by way of

investigating the truth is that it clouds the judgement of the knowledge pursuer causing them to

preferentially select evidence that accords with their hypotheses, thus impairing both the reliability

and credibility in the production of knowledge. In other words, casual relationships established

may be faulted and the objectivity of the disciplines in the AOK lost.

Conversely, it may be asserted knowledge pursuers' reliance on anchoring bias in the process of

justifying a belief may contribute to the robustness of knowledge. This stance can be substantiated

in examining, in Millikan’s resolve to disprove Einstein’s photoelectric effect. In this case, his bias

driven by the contemporary dogma when he set out for a decade to disprove Einstein’s theory led

he develop several revolutionary techniques including scrape cleaning metal and counterintuitively

validate Einstein’s theory.7 While it may be contended that the natural sciences are inherently

objective and aim to reduce the effects of human preferences and desires, it is these interests that

serve as the starting point of scientific inquiry. The intermingling of imagination, emotion and

intuition that is accredited in the formation of hypotheses, motivates the perseverance of

knowledge pursuers in justifying their beliefs. The implication of bias when it comes to

establishing a belief rooted in shared knowledge in NS, is that agents contribute to the robustness

of shared knowledge given that bias engineers a path of discovery either by way of disproof or

validation. To summarize, it is clearly demonstrated that bias can drive the pursuit of knowledge

in creating generalized statements when the purpose is in the acquisition of existing knowledge,

but may compromise knowledge when the goal is the investigation of truth.

6
A key study is found in Bisphenol A, a chemical correlated with cancer, a fact proven by 90% of government-funded experiments, while the same
was not true in industry funded experimental studies. Accessed January 7, 2021
7
"Einstein and The Photoelectric Effect - American Physical Society." Accessed January 5, 2021.
https://www.aps.org/publications/apsnews/200501/history.cfm.
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The Arts as an AOK differs from the nature of NS, as it explores human experience and is viewed

as the bridge between shared and personal knowledge, with emotion as the primary currency of

exchange. It may be contended the audience's cultural bias in conforming to existing conventions

constrains the reliability of evaluating the true value of art. A key case study that is able to

establish this was an experiment by b<> com, which revealed an inherent bias in the evaluation of

artwork created by humans opposed to that created by AI, with artworks perceived as the fruit of

human creation evaluated to be worth three times more than those produced by AI.8 The

implications lie in the knowledge pursuer’s false notions rooted in shared knowledge of culture

which serve as a close-minded prejudice, reducing the reliability of judgements. In cases where

the bias of the audience is defied as exemplified by Steve Reich’s Four Organs wherein the

composer forced upon the audience exactly what they did not want to hear, there is a resistance to

accepting art; showing that art is poorly accepted when it interferes with the confirmation bias of

the audience. It is worth note, however, that conventions and norms of art change with time

demonstrated by initially controversial artworks that are now famous.

In viewing the arts as a mirror to human society and thinking, it is seen that arts examines the

human experience as an essential component of culture. As the creation of art is grounded in human

emotion and imagination it may become increasingly difficult for it to be studied in the absence of

bias. It may thus be argued that bias shaped by the subjective viewpoint of an artist contributes to

the credible production of knowledge in arts as a vehicle of social transformation. A key example

can be found in Tennessee Williams’ work, wherein characters, plotlines and even settings were

influenced be his own preconceived notions on the same, constitutionally based in his beliefs and

8
"There is a preference bias for human-made artwork" explain Martin ...." Accessed January 11, 2021. https://b-com.com/en/news/there-
preference-bias-human-made-artwork-explain-martin-ragot-cognitive-science-researcher-bcom.
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life. His keenness in discussing mental illness modelled off of his sister who suffered from

schizophrenia undergoing a lobotomy during her lifetime and his own struggles with depression

allowed him to highlight topics which for a long time had been shielded from the public stage.9

The implications of bias in art here serves as a vehicle of thought bringing about revolutionary

changes in thinking adding to the quality of knowledge, and hinting at the perceived higher role of

art as an educating tool that inspires introspection. Our very interaction and perception of art is

grounded in bias, while our novel observations and personifications through art are facilitated by

our biases contributing the credibility of the art produced. Thus, within the domain of art where

the pursuit of knowledge is construed as an extra-artistic cognitive function bias affords unique

imagination and the emotion in both the audience and the artist.

This exploration paved the path for significant revelations pertaining to the role of bias in the

pursuit of knowledge. In recognizing that all AOKs do not seek the truth, but may instead be driven

by the goal of understanding human behavior and society as in human sciences and history, or of

introspection in ethics and finally expression in the arts, bias adopts facilitative role allowing for

the introduction of novel perspectives. It is this coexistence of several subjective viewpoints

celebrated in some AOKs such as arts, history, and ethics that allows for bias to play more of a

positive role in some circumstances. From the lens of NS, bias’s role is primarily positive in driving

the acquisition of existing knowledge but becomes cumbersome in filtering data for the production

of knowledge. Thereby the effect of bias is relative and cannot always be generalized. There is

nothing inherently negative about bias, but its role, whether positive or negative, is dependent on

the nature and purpose of the AOK. The title brings to light the potential constructive role of bias

and it merits a glimpse to the other side of the coin called bias.

9
Leclere, Camille. "Triggers of a Mental Breakdown. Understanding Mental Illness in Three of Tennessee Williams’ Lead Female Characters:
Blanche, Catharine Laura." Accessed January 15, 2021
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References

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