Word Count: 833
Is bias inevitable in the production of knowledge?
Object 1:
Knowledge is the information one acquires through either occurrence or study. Each
person receives and interprets information in a unique way which illustrates that being biased is
almost inevitable when it comes to deriving and elucidating knowledge. One’s experiences,
opinions birth their inclination or prejudice which molds the way they perceive elements of life
as well as knowledge.
Whether you are biased purposely or accidentally, viewing that everyone has their own
critical lens, bias is nearly inevitable in the production of knowledge. The object I chose to
represent and support the claim I stated, is an abstract painting my father bought to decorate our
hallway. Paintings are pieces of work that are very versatile and can serve endless purposes and
messages depending on the person. This is defined by one’s perspective which involves their
biases and opinions.
Using the painting I have provided above as an example, one can illustrate a message
behind the piece of art while another person can develop and craft a completely different opinion
to what the purpose of the art piece serves.
My father has a different way of perceiving the painting and the interpretation behind the
body of work due to his own critical lens and biases which results impact the way the knowledge
of the art piece is taken and perceived. I personally translated the painting to signify the gradual
loss of hope as I perceive the color black to manifest anxiety and the color blue to denote
serenity. My father, on the other hand, believes that the painting is a landscape. This shows that
the way one incorporates their own emotions, experiences, biases, and views in accordance with
a painting is completely different and unique which actively illustrates how bias is nearly
inevitable when it comes to the production of knowledge and how it is discerned.
Object 2 :
The bluest eye is a novel written by Toni Morrison that I studied this year in my English
course. The book delves into many topics and serves many different themes and purposes which
everyone elucidates differently based on their biases. For example, blue eyes are a recurring
symbol in the book. As we had many stimulating discussions in class surrounding the symbolism
behind blue eyes in the novel, I understood that each student derived the book differently based
on their own biases.
For example, I personally believed that the blue eyes represent white privilege and white
beauty standards, and in hope of blue eyes, characters are actually wishing to see the world in a
white perspective to preserve their purity as black children's innocence is hindered by society. A
classmate on the other hand believes that blue eyes symbolize happiness as blue is a color that
can signify serenity. Another student claimed that blue eyes depict a portrayal of a well put
together person in the public eye as white people are viewed as superior in some societies. Each
of us derived different meanings behind the same symbol in the same book based on our biases
and personal input. For this occurrence, it is clear that when it comes to the production of
knowledge, biases are inevitable in most cases.
Object 3:
Though biases are almost inevitable when it comes to the production of knowledge, they
are a few cases that prove the opposite. Mathematics and equations are elements of knowledge
that don’t include biases or prejudice as there is only one correct answer. The object I chose to
support my claim is my Hase Mathematics workbook. This workbook was assigned to me by my
math teacher as it explores Ib sl math units.
Is math really a subject that doesn’t involve biases? The answer to this question is very
versatile. In most math equations or problems, it consists of an equation and a formula that does
not allow for a person to apply their opinions, and biases. Since there is usually one answer,
people don't have much personal input on the subject allowing no biases in this form of
production of knowledge.
But why is math a subject that does not stimulate people's biases? Usually, when people
are confronted with an issue, they tend to base the solution on their emotions and past
experiences which creates inevitable biases. However, in math, people don’t necessarily use their
past emotions and prejudice to solve a problem which is why when it comes to elucidating a
math equation or formula, people’s personal biases are not implemented in that form of
production of knowledge.
For example, when I am in English class, I can't help but be biased when we are studying
a text or book as it is almost inevitable. With math, I have an equation and a formula to plug in
the problem, which does not allow me to use other information that I am presented with. Since
there is one answer, and math problems are not up for interpretation, no biases are stimulated
when learning in math. Therefore, bias can be inevitable when it comes to the production of
knowledge.
