“Avoiding bias seems a commendable goal, but this fails to recognise the positive role that bias can play in pursuit of knowledge.” Discuss this statement with reference to two areas of knowledge
Upon my quest to choose the most suitable Theory of Knowledge (ToK) question, I was provided with several options but the one this statement stood out to me the most. I ceased this opportunity to explore the effects of bias from a ethical and psychological point of view.
Then, I began to ponder upon the word bias; bias can be defined as inclination or prejudice for or against one person or group, especially in a way considered to be unfair. Personally, I believe that no human is born with bias, it is a simple social construct that is developed over time
. Furthermore, the phrase ‘Theory of Knowledge’ suggests the possibility of also have a negative pursuit of knowledge as a result of bias. Many individuals believe that bias has a detrimental impact on one’s pursuit of knowledge.
The areas of knowledge that would support my exploration would be ethics and human sciences. Both areas of knowledge strongly interlink between each other as, human sciences such as psychology can be used to explain the scientific reasoning behind biases and how they affect our ethical judgement.
