AOK: History
Factual information or material used to support a claim, such as documents, artifacts, photographs, or primary sources.
What is evidence.
Reason, Emotion, Sense Perception, and this fourth Way of Knowing are all influenced by what we value—which one we trust or prioritize depends on our beliefs and priorities.
What is Language?
The system of communication we use to express and share knowledge—whether through precise scientific terms, storytelling, or written arguments.
What is language (as a Way of Knowing)?
Providing reasons and evidence to support a claim—something that is different from simply having a personal belief that can be examined and evaluated by others.
What is justification?
This term contrasts with "justification" and describes a held proposition even when supporting reasons are absent.
What is "belief"?
To support a historical claim, a historian must provide this—sources, documents, and artifacts that explain why that interpretation is the most reasonable based on available information.
What is justification?
This Way of Knowing is based on our five senses, but our background, expectations, and focus shape what we notice and how we interpret it—this is called this.
What is sense perception?
Words like "freedom fighter" vs. "terrorist," "underdeveloped" vs. "developing," or "mankind" vs. "humankind" all carry different implications about what the speaker finds important AND assumes to be normal or good. What two words identify this interconnection?
What is bias and values (reflected in language)?
The particular way an individual or group views the world, shaped by their background, experiences, culture, values, and beliefs—everyone has one whether they realize it or not.
What is perspective?
One theory of truth judges a diary entry's accuracy by how well it matches facts, while this other theory judges it by how it matches with a set of beliefs or narratives.
What is the "coherence" truth theory?
When two historians examine the same historical documents but reach different conclusions, this process—how we make meaning from evidence—explains the difference.
What is interpretation?
Using logic and critical thinking, this Way of Knowing requires us to explain why our reasoning is valid by showing our logical steps, assumptions, and evidence.
What is justification (or Reason)
When translating a poem from one language to another, its rhythm, wordplay, cultural metaphors, and nuances may not exist in the target language, causing this to happen.
What is meaning lost or changed?
Being free from personal bias versus being absolutely sure—you can have one without the other, such as scientific findings based on this but may be revised with new evidence.
What is objectivity (without certainty)?
Name one of these three factors (the other two are credibility of the perceiver and consistency with recorded evidence) you would check when a vivid eyewitness account conflicts with multiple camera recordings.
What is bias?
In historical accounts of conflicts, one side's primary sources describe events very differently from the other side's. This refers both to the viewpoint of each side and the other term to those having more resources to record and preserve their version (two words).
What are perspective and power?
This Way of Knowing can help us understand human experiences and values, but strong instances of it can cloud judgment, cause us to reject contradicting evidence, and create distortions in our understanding.
What is emotion or bias?
This concept—also known as the Sapir-Whorf hypothesis—suggests that the language we speak influences how we perceive and categorize the world.
What is linguistic relativity?
Raw data or facts like "temperatures have risen 1°C" versus the meaning we make from it like "human activity causes climate change"—the same information can support multiple versions of this (two words).
What is evidence versus interpretation?
In this area of knowledge, experimental reproducibility is a primary standard of justification, which differs from history where archival evidence and interpretation often matter more as justification.
What is "the natural sciences"?
When historians face incomplete or contradictory evidence, they must weigh available sources, acknowledge gaps, and be transparent about this—the ethical obligation to avoid claiming false certainty and invite others to examine their reasoning.
What is responsibility?
Understanding climate change requires: analyzing data, caring about consequences, observing patterns, and communicating findings through this combination. Which Ways of Knowing are utilized?
What is all four Ways of Knowing?
Media, governments, and institutions with this control which terminology and narratives dominate public discourse, potentially marginalizing alternative perspectives and silencing certain voices.
What is power?
These four concepts are interconnected in knowledge production: those in power promote knowledge aligned with these, suppress alternatives, and responsible knowers must recognize this dynamic and acknowledge their own versions of it (4 words).
What are bias, values, power, and responsibility?
This type of justification appeals to a wide range of independent, reliable sources and methods to support a claim, and is stronger than relying on a single type of evidence.
What is triangulation OR the "corroboration" truth theory?