The Role of Experts in Influencing the Consumption and Acquisition of Knowledge

This ToK exhibition explores the prompt: "What role do experts play in influencing our consumption or acquisition of knowledge?" The author examines the dynamics of trust, gatekeeping, and institutional bias using three real-world objects: prescription medication, comparative biology notes, and COVID-19 vaccination records.

Applying the correspondence and pragmatic theories of truth, the analysis argues that while experts facilitate knowledge acquisition through simplification and credibility, they also exercise control that can restrict a knower's full interpretation. The work is distinguished by its ability to link abstract epistemological frameworks to personal, academic, and societal contexts, providing a balanced evaluation of expert authority versus critical thinking.