First TOK Post

How do we know what is real and certain? Do we know what is real just because it has been told to us numerous times with little to know alternative opinion? These are questions that I believe TOK asks quite a lot (don't take my word for it, I've only had two TOK lessons so far). Maps, explore a part of our world that we essentially view as real. We look at maps as if they are an absolute truth even though, deep down, we may know that with maps there is no real 'correct' perspective. But to most people, Europe is north of Africa, and Australia is almost as south as you can get. But what justification is there for the mp being this way? The answer is pretty much none. The main reason we use the standard world map is mainly because people are used to the world map in its current form, the Mercator Projection. Think about it, doesn't a map that looks like this look wrong?:

If you can get so many different perspectives from an object most consider to be unimportant in their lives, imagine the different perspectives you can get from something that affects people even more. Actually, you don't even have to use your imagination, just look at politics and/or religion. Even looking at just one religion or ideology, one can see there are many differing and even contradicting sects within it. Perspectives also change with time. For example, what exactly is a necessity? If you asked a person two hundred years ago that question, their definition would almost certainly be different to yours. Things like the Internet, cars, or even democracy would almost certainly not be considered as such by that person. But today, since we (at least in countries like the U.S.), have gotten use to a society with all these aspects included, we couldn't survive without them! For most people in countries like the U.S. (low pop. density and less developed public transport system) cars are a necessity to be able to even work. The same goes for the internet (how would you apply for a job, communicate with overseas workers quickly and efficiently, etc.) This shows that perspective means a lot. 

This is also very relevant in IB subjects and subjects in general, as even with science, when one is formulating a hypothesis, for example, one usually has a certain perspective. When a scientist writes a hypothesis, the scientist suspects that this will be backed up by the evidence they find. Now, the scientist doesn't know for sure, that this is the result that they would get, but they use their reasoning, which is based on their past leanings and whatever evidence pertaining to that subject they may have found. It is a perspective/assumption until proven fact. 

However, as humans, we must make our own maps, so that we may navigate the world with greater ease. We make the north up and the south down, because it doesn't make sense to change our perspective/our way of viewing things just because we can. We strive to make our lives better, and these assumptions/perspectives, and these maps, help us make life easier and more efficient for us.