What’s up, IB fam? Check out our rundown of the freshest TOK prompts, featuring all the latest November 2025 TOK essay titles.
TOK Essay Prompts – November 2025
Below you will find a list of November 25 TOK essay questions that IBDP just dropped:
- For historians and artists, do conventions limit or expand their ability to produce knowledge? Discuss with reference to history and the arts.
- What is the relationship between knowing and understanding? Discuss with reference to two areas of knowledge.
- Should knowledge in an area of knowledge be pursued for its own sake rather than its potential application? Discuss with reference to mathematics and one other area of knowledge.
- To what extent do you agree that, however, the methods of an area of knowledge change, the scope remains the same? Answer with reference to two areas of knowledge.
- In the pursuit of knowledge, is it possible or even desirable to set aside temporarily what we already know? Discuss with reference to the natural sciences and one other area of knowledge
- Is empathy an attribute that is equally important for a historian and a human scientist? Discuss with reference to history and the human sciences.
In this guide, I’ve unpacked everything from the big-picture questions in history and the arts to the more nuanced issues in the natural sciences and human sciences. It is packed with straightforward advice to help you break down those 2025 TOK essay titles and get your ideas flowing.
Prompt 1 Nov25
Essay Prompt: For historians and artists, do conventions limit or expand their ability to produce knowledge? Discuss with reference to history and the arts.
- History:
- What Holds You Back: Think about how common practices in writing history—like sticking to established time periods or traditional narratives—can sometimes box in new interpretations.
- What Opens Up Possibilities: On the flip side, these agreed-upon methods also give historians a common ground to compare sources and ideas, which can spark fresh insights.
- The Arts:
- Cramped by Rules?: Consider how set artistic styles or standard techniques might cramp an artist’s style, making it tough to express something totally new.
- Breaking the Mold: At the same time, these same styles can act as a launching pad, letting artists play around with and twist those rules to come up with cool, innovative work.
- Putting It All Together:
- Weigh up how both history and art benefit from having a base of conventions, while also feeling the push to break away from them for fresh ideas. This balance can shape how knowledge gets created in both fields.
Prompt 2 Nov 25
Essay Prompt: What is the relationship between knowing and understanding? Discuss with reference to two areas of knowledge.
- Area One (e.g., Natural Sciences):
- Knowing Stuff: Start with gathering data, facts, and theories—what you learn from experiments or observations.
- Understanding Stuff: Then, figure out how these bits come together to form a bigger picture that lets you predict and explain things.
- Area Two (e.g., History or Ethics):
- Collecting Facts: In subjects like history, it’s all about collecting records, documents, and stories.
- Making Sense of It: Here, you connect the dots, see patterns, and get why events happened the way they did.
- Linking the Two:
- Compare how both fields move from just having facts to really getting what they mean. This shows how knowing isn’t the end game but the start of a deeper grasp of ideas.
Prompt 3 Nov25
Essay Prompt: Should knowledge in an area of knowledge be pursued for its own sake rather than its potential application? Discuss with reference to mathematics and one other area of knowledge.
- Mathematics:
- Pure Love for the Subject: In math, many people chase problems and theories just for the beauty of the subject—even if there’s no immediate payoff.
- Surprise Benefits: Remember, even if the work seems useless at first, it often ends up sparking real-world applications later on.
- Other Area (e.g., Natural Sciences or the Arts):
- Theory vs. Practice: In this field, think about whether focusing on the subject for its own vibe is more valuable than always having a clear, practical goal.
- Real-Life Examples: You might point out cases where basic research eventually led to cool tech or artistic movements that changed the game.
- Bringing It Together:
- Compare the pros and cons of studying something purely for the love of it versus having a clear, practical end in sight. This helps to show how each field finds its own balance.
Prompt 4 Nov25
Essay Prompt: To what extent do you agree that, however the methods of an area of knowledge change, the scope remains the same? Answer with reference to two areas of knowledge.
- Area One (e.g., Natural Sciences):
- Shifts in How We Do It: Think about how new tech, tools, and experiments change the way scientists work.
- The Big Picture: Even with these changes, the overall goal of figuring out natural laws stays pretty much constant.
- Area Two (e.g., History):
- Modern Twists: In history, the way research is done changes with new evidence and tech, like digital archives.
- Same End Game: But the aim—to understand human events and their impact—remains the same.
- The Overall Picture:
- Look at how both fields may change their techniques over time but still stick to the same ultimate mission of discovering truth and meaning.
Prompt 5 Nov25
Essay Prompt: In the pursuit of knowledge, is it possible or even desirable to set aside temporarily what we already know? Discuss with reference to the natural sciences and one other area of knowledge.
- Natural Sciences:
- Questioning What’s Established: Sometimes, scientists question what’s been accepted to see if there’s something new hiding in plain sight—think of major shifts in theories.
- Weighing Risks: But, dropping what’s known can be risky since it might also mean losing a solid base that’s proven reliable.
- Other Area (e.g., The Arts or Ethics):
- Fresh Perspectives: In fields like art, putting aside the usual rules can spark innovative creations that shake things up.
- Possible Downsides: On the flip side, there’s always the danger of discarding important lessons that help build a strong foundation.
- Summing It Up:
- Compare the upsides and downsides in both areas to see when it might be smart to hit pause on what you know, and when it might hurt more than help.
Prompt 6 Nov 25
Essay Prompt: Is empathy an attribute that is equally important for a historian and a human scientist? Discuss with reference to history and the human sciences.
- History:
- Getting into the Minds of Others: Empathy helps historians understand different viewpoints, motivations, and the human side of events, making their narratives richer.
- Why It Matters: This kind of understanding can turn a dry recounting of facts into a story that really captures what people went through.
- Human Sciences:
- Connecting with People: In fields like psychology or sociology, having empathy is key to understanding behavior, emotions, and social interactions on a deeper level.
- Practical Benefits: It also builds trust, which can lead to more accurate and meaningful research findings.
- Making the Connection:
- Compare how empathy plays a role in both fields, looking at whether it serves the same purpose in bringing out deeper insights about people or if its impact is felt differently across disciplines.
Wrapping Up
Whether you’re staring down an IB TOK essay prompt 2025 that seems tricky or just want to score some extra points by connecting different ideas, we’ve got some cool tips and friendly suggestions for you.
Remember, these tok essay questions 2025 are all about showing off your unique take on things and keeping your arguments real. Keep it chill, stay curious, and let your thoughts do the talking. So, good luck with your TOK essay writing!
Drop your assignment info and we’ll craft some dope topics just for you.