Philosophy of ignorance and ignorance studies (agnotology)

Timetable

Type of class: lecture with elements of discussion

Place:  Campus Ogrody, Philosophy Faculty,  street: Szamarzewskiego 89c

Time: will be provided

Module aim (aims)

The philosophy of ignorance is an area of philosophical enquiry that investigates the essence, origins and ramifications of ignorance. It scrutinises not only the nature of ignorance, but also the factors that give rise to it, the manner in which it is constructed, and the means by which it can be either circumvented or embraced.The philosophy of ignorance explores the notion that ignorance is not merely the absence of knowledge, but rather an active process that can manifest in various forms, often propelled by intentionality, social structures or cognitive limitations.

Key questions that the philosophy of ignorance seeks to address include the following:

1. Why do individuals or societies choose to ignore certain truths or facts?
2. How does ignorance influence the decision-making processes of individuals and groups?
3. Can a conscious decision to ignore certain facts be considered a moral or ethical choice in some contexts?
4. A central concept in the philosophy of ignorance is that of deliberate or strategic ignorance, where individuals or groups choose to avoid certain knowledge to uphold their worldview, avoid confronting uncomfortable truths, or protect their interests.

Agnotology, defined as the study of ignorance, is a related interdisciplinary field that focuses on understanding how ignorance is socially constructed and maintained, particularly by powerful institutions or corporations.It is often used to study the deliberate spread of misinformation or disinformation, exploring how certain knowledge gaps are created and sustained, sometimes as a strategy for political, economic, or social control.

To illustrate this point, agnotology has been employed to examine the tobacco industry's protracted efforts to obfuscate the health risks associated with smoking, or the active promotion of climate change denialism by certain groups to impede the implementation of environmental policy. Moreover, agnotology has been utilised to comprehend the influence of media, education, and culture in shaping our knowledge and ignorance.

In summary, course investigates two intertwined areas:

1. Philosophy of ignorance examines the essence of ignorance itself.

2. Agnotology explores the genesis, distribution and perpetuation of ignorance within societies.

A unifying theme that emerges is the notion that these two fields challenge the prevailing assumption that ignorance is merely an absence of knowledge, proposing that it can be a multifaceted and deliberate phenomenon.

The objectives of the course are as follows:
1. To comprehend the concept of ignorance as both a philosophical problem and a social and political reality, with particular reference to the concept of agnotology and its significance in social research.
2. Analysis of the sources and mechanisms of ignorance.
3. The impact of ignorance on society, politics and science. 
4. The development of critical thinking and analytical skills.

Pre-requisites in terms of knowledge, skills and social competences (where relevant)

Students are expected to have both passive and active comprehension skills in English. The course consists of a lecture part supplemented by discussions. In addition, students will be provided with reading material (articles, book chapters) and audio-visual material.

Syllabus

Week 1: Introduction to the Philosophy of Ignorance

Overview of course objectives and key themes

Introduction to the concept of ignorance: What does it mean to "not know"?

The role of ignorance in philosophical inquiry

Week 2: The Nature and Forms of Ignorance

Examination of various types of ignorance (e.g., passive, active, and deliberate ignorance)

Case studies that illustrate these different forms

 

Week 3-4: Introduction to Agnotology

Definition, history, and scope of agnotology—the study of ignorance and the systematic creation of ignorance

Readings: Foundational texts on agnotology, including works by scholars like Robert Proctor

Case studies on how ignorance has been deliberately fostered (e.g., tobacco industry, climate change)

Week 5: Deliberate and Strategic Ignorance

Exploration of "deliberate ignorance" and its ethical implications

Case studies in which individuals or groups intentionally avoid knowledge

Week 6: Mechanisms of Knowledge Suppression and Epistemic Injustice

Examination of techniques and strategies used by institutions to suppress or distort knowledge

Case studies: Tobacco industry, climate change denialism, misinformation campaigns

Week 7: Ignorance in Media, Education, and Culture

Role of media, education, and culture in shaping public understanding and ignorance

Analysis of how information is framed, omitted, or distorted in popular media

Readings: Critical media studies, research on the sociology of education, and cultural studies texts

Week 8: Ignorance and Power 

Exploration of how ignorance can be used as a tool for political, economic, or social control.

Case studies of knowledge gaps being exploited for power (e.g., misinformation in authoritarian regimes, corporate manipulation)

Week 9: Research Methods in Agnotology

Introduction to methodologies for studying ignorance and misinformation

How to design and conduct research within the interdisciplinary field of agnotology

Week 10 - 11: Case Study Analysis

In-depth examination of real-world case studies of knowledge suppression, misinformation, or deliberate ignorance

Group presentations and class discussions focused on analyzing and critiquing these cases

Readings: Case-specific research articles, including both historical and contemporary examples

Week 12: Conclusion and Synthesis

Review and reflection on the key concepts and themes discussed throughout the course

Open discussion on future research directions in the philosophy of ignorance and agnotology

Readings: Synthesis of course materials, selected readings for final reflection

Reading list

Angulo, A. J. (2016). Miseducation: A History of Ignorance-Making in America and Abroad. Johns Hopkins University Press

Croissant, J. L. (2014). Agnotology: Ignorance and absence or towards a sociology of things that aren’t there. Social Epistemology, 28, 425.

Drążkiewicz E. 2021 “Rights, Responsibilities, And Public Health Realities: Vaccine Conspiracies And Covid-19”; in Viral Loads: Coronavirus, Inequality and an Anthropology of the Future, ed. Nancy Burke, Ayo Wahlberg, and Lenore Manderson, London, UCL Press (together with Elisa Sobo).

Drążkiewicz E. 2021 “Taking vaccine regret and hesitancy seriously. The role of truth, conspiracy theories, gender relations and trust in the HPV immunisation programmes in Ireland”. Journal of Cultural Research, vol. 25:1. pp: 69-87. Drążkiewicz E. Journal for Cultural Research 25. (1)/2021

High, C., Kelly, A. H., & Mair, J. (Eds.). (2012). The anthropology of ignorance: An ethnographic approach. New York: Palgrave Macmillan.

Kata, A. (2010): A postmodern Pandora's box: anti-vaccination misinformation on the Internet. w: Vaccine 28 (7), s. 1709–1716.

Kenyon, Georgina (2016 January 6). "The man who studies the spread of ignorance." BBC Future.

Klein, Naomi, Doppelgänger, 2023. 

Koronska, M. Lompe, R. Rogers. (2022) Mapping controversial narratives related to the Russo-Ukrainian War in Polish-language social media, Digital Methods Initiative, https://wiki.digitalmethods.net/Dmi/RussoUkrainianWarPolishSocialMedia2022 (13.06.2022).

Mair, J., Kelly, A. H., & High, C. The anthropology of ignorance: An ethnographic approach (2012). New York: Palgrave Macmillan.

Michaels, David (2008). Doubt is Their Product: How industry's assault on science threatens your health. Oxford University Press. 

Mooney, Ch.; Kirshenbaum, Sh. (2009): Unscientific America. How scientific illiteracy threatens our future. New York: Basic Books.

Mooney, Chris (2005). The Republican War on Science. Basic Books.

Moore, W. E., & Tumin, M. M. (1949). Some social functions of ignorance. American Sociological Review, 14, 787795.

Naeem, Salman Bin; Bhatti, Rubina (2020): The Covid-19 'infodemic': a new front for information professionals. w: Health Information and Libraries Journal 37 (3), s. 233–239.

Offit, Paul A. (2011): Deadly choices: How the anti-vaccine movement threatens us all: Basic Books.

Oreskes, N., & Conway, E. M. (2010). Merchants of doubt: How a handful of scientists obscured the truth on issues from tobacco smoke to global warming. New York: Bloomsbury.

Oreskes, Naomi; Conway, Erik M. (2010): Defeating the merchants of doubt. w: Nature 465 (7299), s. 686–687. DOI: 10.1038/465686a.

Peels, R. (2023). Ignorance: a philosophical study. New York, NY: Oxford University Press.

Proctor, R. N. (1995). Cancer wars: How politics shapes what we know and don’t know about cancer. New York: Basic Books.

Proctor, R. N., & Schiebinger, L. (Eds.). (2008). Agnotology: The making and unmaking of ignorance. Stanford: Stanford University Press.

Ravetz, J. R. (1993). The sin of science: Ignorance of ignorance. Science Communication, 15, 157165. doi:https://doi.org/10.1177/107554709301500203

Rescher, N. (2009). Ignorance: On the wider implications of deficient knowledge. Pittsburgh: University of Pittsburgh Press.

Smithson, M. (1989). Ignorance and uncertainty: Emerging paradigms. New York: Springer. Tapp, K. P. (2000). Distinguishing non-knowledge. The Canadian Journal of Sociology, 25, 225– 238.