Essential Questions

  • I. How Do We Know What We Know?
  • II. What Are The Problems of Knowledge?
  • III. What is the role of Perception in attaining Knowledge?
  • IV. How does Language influence how he gain Knowledge?
  • V. How does our use of Reason help or hinder us as we attempt to gain knowledge?
  • VI. Is Emotion the best way to gain knowledge?

ToK Essay

In a 3-5 page TYPED paper, please address the following question. Essays are due May 22.

I. Why are informal fallacies (i.e. Ad ignorantiam, Hasty Generalization, Circular Reasoning, Special pleading etc.) often plausible and convincing?
II. In regards to Enron, when, where and by whom were they formulated? Please be specific and cite the movie and the Gladwell reading (only if you want an A or a B).
III. Are there circumstances under which the use of informal fallacies can be justified? For example, in public advertising campaigns aimed at persuading us to donate money for good causes. Consider Gladwell's quote that "It's your fault as well." What are the implications of this? What would be the counterclaim?
IV. Have you ever used informal fallacies? In a paragraph, provide specific details on when this occured.

Opening paragraph, body, transitions and conclusion needed to receive highest mark on Organization section of rubric.
The essay will be graded on the ToK Essay Rubric found on this blog.

Enron #3

Please read the rest of the Gladwell article on Enron and answer the following questions. Your answers must be posted by May 8.

1. What does Gladwell mean when he says that, 'Puzzles are "transmitter-dependent"; they turn on what we are told. Mysteries are "receiver dependent"; they turn on the skills of the listener.'?
2. Why didn't Enron have to pay taxes on their S.P.E.'s? What would be Enron's defense? Can you name the Illogical Fallacy present?
3. Did Enron try to hide the fact that they weren't paying taxes?
4. Why does Gladwell claim that, 'Woodward and Bernstein would never have broken the Enron story.' Why don't you think anyone asked about Enron's financial statements? Is there a fallacy at work here?
5. Gladwell claims that, 'Mysteries require that we revisit our list of culprits and be willing to spread the blame a little more broadly. Because if you can't find the truth in a mystery—even a mystery shrouded in propaganda—it's not just the fault of the propagandist. It's your fault as well.' Do you agree with the implications of this statement?
6. What was the advice of the Cornell students to anyone who held Enron stock?

Visiting Seniors Reflection & EE Assignment

Please take a few moments to reflect on the visit by Seniors. What is the ONE PIECE OF ADVICE that you took away from their presentation? What can you do to follow that advice? What might keep you from following the advice? This Blog is due April 29th.

Also, remember that the Library has an assignment due May 1st. This must be completed ON TIME and will be a ToK grade. Late work will not be accepted. If you lost the sheet, please look directly under the Extended Essay heading on this blog.

Mr. Andre Reflection

Please take a moment to REFLECT on Mr. Andre's presentation in ToK. Did you learn something new? Did you enjoy his riddles? Why or why not? How do you think the Riddles about Monopoly and the Explorers relate to the story of Spider and Black Deer? This post must be completed by April 15.

Enron #2

Please answer the following questions from the Enron article. Answers must be posted to your blog by April 18.

1. How does a Special-Purpose Entity (S.P.E.) work? Why does the "partnership" giving money to your company make a big difference?
2. How did Enron pit "twists into the S.P.E. game?" What does it mean that Enron "didn't always put blue-chip assets into the partnerships"? What was problematic about Enron using its own executives to manage the S.P.E? What was Enron's guarantee?
3. How did the world come to learn of Enron's use of S.P.E.'s? Is Gladwell correct in claiming that this is another example of a mystery? Explain.
4. What is the difference between "scrounged up" and "downloaded?"
5. Why does Gladwell claim that "It scarcely would have helped investors if Enron had made all three million pages public."? Explain what Gladwell means when he says, "But here the rules seem different." Who is Andrew Fastow?
6. Why has he "Disclosure Paradigm" become an anachronism?
7. Why did treating the German secret weapon as a mystery prove to be more useful? Specifically, how did the "propaganda analysts" (the batty geniuses) use reason to uncover the Nazi V-1 Rocket?
8. How has diagnosing Prostate Cancer transformed from a puzzle to a mystery?
9. Following the fall of the Soviet Union, how has "the situation facing the intelligence community has turned upside down?"
10. How does Admiral Bobby R. Inman believe the U.S. should strengthen the U.S. intelligence system? Why was his answer seen as unusual?
11. Gladwell writes: In a post-Cold War world of "openly available information," Inman said, "what you need are observers with language ability, with understanding of the religions, cultures of the countries they're observing." Inman thought we needed fewer spies and more slightly batty geniuses.

Does this curriculum sound familiar?

Enron #1

Please click http://www.gladwell.com/2007/2007_01_08_a_secrets.html and read the first few pages of Malcolm Gladwell's Open Secrets. Then, answer the following questions. All answers must be posted to your blog by April 8.

1. How did Anne Beliveaux respond to Jeffrey Skilling's claim that he was "innocent of every one of these charges." What were the charges?
2. What was Daniel Petrocelli specifically asking Judge Lake to do? What was the response of the judge?
3. What is the difference between a Puzzle and a Mystery? Be as specific as possible! Please consider why Gladwell does not believe the difference to be "trivial."
4. What does Gladwell mean when he states: "Puzzles come to satisfying conclusions. Mysteries often don't."
5. Initially, what did most people think of the Enron scandal? Did they think it was a Mystery or a Puzzle? Why would it matter? What does Gladwell think?
6. Please explain Mark-to-Market Accounting.
7. Gladwell claims that: "When a company using mark-to-market accounting says it has made a profit of ten million dollars on revenues of a hundred million, then, it could mean one of two things..." Please explain the two possibilities. What did Wall Street Journal report Jonathan Weil's source want him to find out?
8. What is the connection between subprime loans and Mark-to-Market Accounting?
9. Why did Weil find Enron's financial statements "sobering?"
10. Why was James Chanos interested in Enron?
11. Who was Bethany McLean?
12. Why does Gladwell believe Watergate to be a classic puzzle?
13. Did Jonathan Weil have a Deep Throat?
14. Why was Weil concerned that the officials at Enron weren't concerned about who would win the 2000 election?
15. After considering how Weil got his information, why does Gladwell believe Enron to be a mystery?