It is the job of TOK to examine the basis for these first-order claims.
Claims that are made about knowledge. These are the second-order claims made in TOK that are justified using the tools of TOK which usually involve an examination of the nature of knowledge.
Here are some examples:
“There are an infinite number of prime numbers.” This is a first-order knowledge claim because it resides firmly inside the area of knowledge mathematics. It is established using the method of mathematical proof.
“Mathematical knowledge is certain.” This is a second-order knowledge claim because it is about mathematical knowledge. We establish this by examining the methods of mathematics themselves using the tools of TOK.
Both types of knowledge claims might be found in TOK. The second type will constitute the core of any piece of TOK analysis.
Knowledge questions are questions about knowledge. Instead of focusing on specific content, they focus on how knowledge is constructed and evaluated. In this sense, knowledge questions are a little different from many of the questions dealt with in the subject classrooms. In this way, they are considered second-order questions in TOK.
Examples:
How do maps relate to the thing they represent?
“How could we establish that X is an ‘active ingredient’ in causing Y?”
How can a mathematical model give us knowledge even if it does not yield accurate predictions?”
