Ignorance

{{philosophy}}
{{cquote|Where ignorance is bliss, 'Tis folly to be wise.|||Thomas Gray<ref>http://www.thomasgray.org/cgi-bin/display.cgi?text=odec#99</ref>}}
{{cquote|The realm of ignorance is so vast that no one volume can fully cover all of it.||| Ilya Somin on the ''Routledge International Handbook of Ignorance Studies''<ref>[https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/volokh-conspiracy/wp/2015/06/16/everything-you-ever-wanted-to-know-about-ignorance-but-were-afraid-to-ask-the-routledge-international-handbook-of-ignorance-studies/ Everything you ever wanted to know about ignorance, but were afraid to ask – the ''Routledge International Handbook of Ignorance Studies''] by Ilya Somin (June 16, 2015) ''The Washington Post''.</ref>}}
{{cquote|First [[Nazi Germany|they]] came for the [[socialist]]s, and I did not speak out—<br/>
Because I was not a socialist.

Then they came for the trade unionists, and I did not speak out—<br/>
Because I was not a trade unionist.

Then they came for the [[Judaism|Jews]], and I did not speak out—<br/>
Because I was not a Jew.

Then they came for me—and there was no one left to speak for me.|||Martin Niemöller}}
'''Ignorance''' is lack of [[knowledge]] regarding a particular subject. It should not be confused with stupidity; many people might be uninformed (ignorant) about the [[fact]]s of, say, [[evolution]], but are quite knowledgeable (not stupid) on many other subjects. [[Education]] (below or at university level) tends not to instill [[reasoning]] power, but teaches how to pass various tests. The competition of peer pressure and [[Religion|religious]] teaching can easily overwhelm the teaching of compulsory (and therefore less liked by students) [[secular]] education. The [[belief]]s of parents are the third leg of information input. It ain't the poor dear's fault — it's the fault of the system. [[Homeschooling|Homeschooled]] people might receive misinformation from all three ''education'' directions.

[[Propaganda]] is the attempt to influence the ignorant by pushing information with a particular ''point of view'' (POV).

*The platforms [[Breitbart News|Breitbart]] and [[InfoWars|InfoWars]], known for their far-right stances, typically disseminate content that aligns with propaganda due to its ideologically driven and often one-sided nature. Similarly, from the far-left perspective, platforms like [[The World Socialist Web Site|WSWS]] and [[Democracy Now!|Democracy Now]] are often considered sources of propaganda, as their content strongly reflects their political ideologies.

*In contrast, [[Associated Press|AP News]] and [[The New York Times|The New York Times]] are renowned for producing information that is based on journalistic integrity and an effort towards neutrality, making them reliable sources of information. Additionally, [[BBC]] represents a source of information known for its balanced reporting and commitment to journalistic objectivity, often considered as a benchmark for reliable information.<ref group=note>While AP News, The New York Times, and BBC strive for accuracy and fairness, no source is completely free from bias or error.</ref><ref group=note>These organizations have rigorous editorial standards to ensure the quality and reliability of the information they provide.</ref>

Remember: your propaganda is my information (and vice versa).

Of course, "ignorance ≠ stupidity" has the corollary "knowledge ≠ [[intelligence]]." The guy who wins the quiz down at the pub is in all probability ''not'' the most intelligent, just the most knowledgeable about trivia.

''Ignorantia juris non excusat'' (ignorance of the law is no excuse) is a general legal principle that means ignorance will not help in one's defense. Using ignorance as an excuse is different than using lack of intent as an excuse, which will work for some crimes, such as [[perjury]], which requires intent, but not for making a [[false statement]] while under oath, which does not require intent.

==See also==
*[[Willful ignorance]] — not so much being ignorant than failing to ''acknowledge'' facts
*[[Faith]]
*[[Dunning-Kruger effect]] — a phenomenon wherein when someone is uninformed about a given subject, they tend to overestimate their knowledge and competence at it, and vice versa
*[[Fractal wrongness]] — a combination of gross ignorance and utter misinformation resulting in viewpoints that are completely divorced from reality

==Notes==
{{reflist|group=note}}

==References==
{{reflist|2|80%}}

{{stub|education}}
[[Category:Education]]

Categories: Education