Ah - choices. The start of the ToK essay journey.
And perhaps a daunting one, if your goal is to produce a quality essay (which I’m hoping it is). It’s a little different from choosing essay topics/questions in other classes; for those, you probably have a good idea what the final essay will be about before you even start out.
The ToK essay, however, is a bit of a different beast. So selecting the title becomes a more nuanced and longer term endeavour.
The tried-and-true approach, which you might have gone through in class, is to analyze all the titles, underline the key terms, then write out what those terms might mean in different contexts.
And that works.
But let’s use the three ToK Café fundamentals of a good ToK essay to guide the choice a little differently: Curiosity, Clarity, and Coherence.
Maybe these can lead you toward an essay that’s engaging to write, stimulating to think about, and genuinely delightful for your examiner to read.
Curiosity
At first read, is there a title that gives you a jolt of interest - one that makes you want to dig deeper and argue both sides?
Put a big star and triple underline that one.
That spark is your intuition saying, “This is worth paying attention to!”
Ask yourself:
- Do I actually care about the issue behind the title?
- Can I think of real examples that make me curious - that spark a sense of wonder?
- Will I still enjoy exploring it after three late nights of researching and writing?
If you can answer “yes” to all three, that’s your first green light.
Clarity
Next, check whether this title gives you space to demonstrate clarity. To a ToK examiner, clarity means your ability to resolve terms that have a nuanced meaning. To do that, there has to be at least a bit of fog you can clear away.
Look back at the terms in the title. Instead of asking which are the key terms, ask which ones are foggy.
Which have meanings that could shift depending on the Area of Knowledge or perspective?
Words like truth, proof, or values often take a different shape depending on context, and that is what makes them interesting.
Try this:
- Circle or underline the foggy terms.
- Write a quick definition for each in different Areas of Knowledge (if one AoK is specified, focus there).
- Note any examples, or even personal experiences, that make the meaning less foggy.
If your foggy terms resolve differently in two Areas of Knowledge you could use, that’s your second green light.
Your goal in the essay will be to clarify those terms in distinct but valid ways for each area.
Coherence
Finally, let’s test for coherence - how naturally your ideas fit together.
Take a blank page and write one Area of Knowledge you’re considering at the top.
Brainstorm as many related ideas, examples, and case studies as you can. Let this percolate over a few days.
Then:
- Circle each example and label it “+” (supports your idea) or “–” (a counter-claim).
- Pick your strongest claim and counter-claim. Are they equally balanced? Be vigilant of “straw man” counter-claims; examiners often note that weak counter-claims hurt otherwise strong essays.
- Repeat for each AoK you’re considering.
If you can find a pair of claim/counter-claim relationships that echo or parallel each other, that’s your third green light.
Repeat (and Don’t Procrastinate)
If you’re drawn to more than one title, repeat this process for each.
It takes time, but by the end the right essay question will stand out.
The good news? Once you’ve found your match, the writing process flows more easily.
You’ll already have the foundation for an essay that radiates Curiosity, Clarity, and Coherence - the three ingredients every examiner is secretly hoping to taste.
At The ToK Café, we believe clarity isn’t just a skill - it’s a mindset. Choose the question that brings your best thinking to the surface, and you’ll already be halfway to a great essay.