Can new knowledge change established values or beliefs?

This TOK exhibition investigates the knowledge question: "Can new knowledge change established values or beliefs?" Using three real-world objects—a 1950s cigarette advertisement, Darwin’s *On the Origin of Species*, and the Rorschach Test—the author explores how scientific advancements challenge existing norms.

The argument demonstrates that empirical evidence in epidemiology, evolutionary biology, and neuroscience can invalidate long-held societal and professional beliefs. By analyzing these objects, the submission illustrates how new knowledge triggers paradigm shifts, reshaping everything from public health policies to anthropocentric worldviews. This exemplar is valuable for its diverse application of the knowledge claim across the natural and human sciences, demonstrating how evolving methodologies can transform deeply rooted cultural and scientific values.