TOK EXHIBITION COMMENTARY

Exam Session – May 2022

Prompt - Does all knowledge impose ethical obligations on those who know it?

Prompt Number - 27

Theme - Knowledge and Knower

Word Count - 922

 TOK Exhibition -:

Does all knowledge impose ethical obligations on those who know it?

Object 1: Enron Shares

On September 17th, 2001, former Enron Corporation’s Chief

Executive, Jeffrey Skilling, attempted to sell the company’s stock at
the first opportunity. This was because only Jeffrey Skilling and
Kenneth Lay had access to insider information regarding the
financial troubles in the energy company due to which the stock
price was speculated to drop.

Therefore they planned to dump the stock in the market to other

investors, an action aimed at furthering his own vested interests.

Had he revealed the information and knowledge that he had, it

would have averted the big disaster and avoided the Wall Street Crash. Being a stock-broker and the
knower of this situation has made me realise that when shareholders or the public invest in a
company, they put their faith and trust in it which has to be safe-guarded. Although both parties,
whether issuing stocks or investing, aim to earn profits, the knowledge that they hold cannot be free
from ethical considerations. However, if there exists asymmetric information, as in this case, then
there is huge turmoil and impact on the public. Only thinking about your own benefit at the cost of
others, no matter how rational your choices, would definitely be unethical and against social
responsibility.

My object, the Enron shares show that whether it is the company or the stockbroker who consumes
the knowledge, withholding or concealing any knowledge which could hurt the public as a whole,
would be likely to be considered unethical on any grounds. Thus this object adds value by showing
the repercussions of mala-fide intentions and malpractices.

Object 2: The Airplane

The Wright brothers, Orville and Wilbur, were two

American aviation pioneers credited with inventing,
building, and flying the world's first successful
motor-operated airplane.

Their invention was intended to launch the world into

the aviation field, hoping to ease and quicken
transportation throughout the world.

In today’s world, aircrafts are used on a massive

scale, helping people become more socially interactive, explore the world and facilitate travel. It has
been beneficial with imports, exports, tourism, and business. However such an invention and its
utilisation due to modern means have cost us a lot as well, both financially and sustainably.
Amongst the several disadvantages, the most dominant is its contribution to global warming,
pollution (noise & air), and leaving a huge carbon footprint. Airplanes run on kerosene fuel, which
when combusted, releases a large amount of carbon dioxide and other gases into the atmosphere.
The aviation industry is one of the fastest-growing sources of carbon gases in the atmosphere. It
continues to affect the climate with no recourse because of its growth and there being no alternative
to kerosene as fuel.

Being an environmental activist and seeing the earth slowly but gradually collapse makes me
definitely wonder, when it was first invented, would we have been able to imagine that it would
lead to impacting nature in such a horrific way? Would we be right in thinking that such an
invention was pre-decided to adversely affect our world, the way it has ? Obviously not. Whenever
any invention is made, it is done with the sole purpose of enhancing the quality of human life and
making it better. The Wright brothers, as knowers, could not have envisaged the damage that their
invention could have caused, hence ethical considerations could not be applied. From the inventors’
point of view, they were just doing what they thought would be the best for the world and the
future, little did they know what turn things could take years later and could not be guilty of it.

The Wright brothers, Orville and Wilbur, were two American aviation pioneers credited with
inventing, building, and flying the world's first successful motor-operated airplane.

Their invention was intended to launch the world into the aviation field, hoping to ease and quicken
transportation throughout the world.

 Object 3: The Babbage Engine (Difference engine)

My third object is an image of the very first

automatic computing engines designed by Charles
Babbage who pioneered the concept of a digital
programmable computer.

The difference engine was built in 1821 and was the

first computer, it was a calculating machine, its
purpose being to calculate and systemise polynomial
functions.

This device created by Charles Babbage has led us to

the age of digitalisation, however there are many concerns as there are many cases of data
infringement and violation of data privacy. People are tracked right from the time they wake up to
the time they reach work and sleep. Everyone with a digital device is at the risk of data loss, privacy
invasion and losing their money through hacking.

Being a 21st century student, especially in the time of Covid 19 where all education systems have
become more and more technical, the question that arises is, should Charles Babbage be held
responsible for the unethical use of this knowledge? He should not as he had no idea that the simple
computer he created could be used for nefarious purposes like hacking, something that did not exist
then.

The reason for including this object in the exhibition is to show that creators of knowledge in
technological advancement , inventions and discoveries do not have the foresight to look into the
future. Therefore to conclude, I can safely state that Charles Babbage cannot be held ethically under
obligation for the knowledge he possessed, for the outcome and to blame him for ethical obligations
would be rather unjust as he was a knower who had knowledge about the processes and
commitment but not responsible for the devious misuse and malpractices carried out later.

Bibliography -:

https://www.econcrises.org/2016/12/07/enron-corporation-2001/
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wright_brothers
https://www.britannica.com/biography/Wright-brothers
https://www.wright-brothers.org/History_Wing/Wright_Story/
Wright_Story_Intro/Wright_Story_Intro.htm
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Airplane
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Difference_engine
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Charles_Babbage