Ignorance and philosophy

I am not referring only to ignorance as the absence of technical-scientific knowledge, but as the act of ignoring the truth...

For all time philosophers and sages of history have thought of human behavior from a moral perspective:

Why does man choose evil?

Now! There are many answers.

We are told that evil is a metaphysical entity that fights against God; others say there is no evil, only the absence of good; others say that good and evil are prospects. After all, good and evil are earthly, human, all-too-human values, which depend on our way of being in the world... The point is that evil is in the world; and such answers, moreover, are too generic.

I propose here that we think about the possible origins of evil (however they are or how they are understood by each one), as something that emerges from human ignorance. I am not referring only to ignorance as the absence of technical-scientific knowledge, but as the very act of ignoring the truth (or the facts).

Anyway, what we propose here is to assume that the existence of evil has an infrastructure.

However, what is an infrastructure?

Briefly said, if we take the “etymology” of the word, we have that “infra” means “below” and “structure” something like “support”. Thus, infrastructure is what gives conditions to something to be what it is. For example, the voter works as a support for politics, that is, without voters there is no political system [there is a relationship of mutual dependence].

Our hypothesis is that ignorance is the infrastructure of evil — understood here as evils, for example, violence, corruption, rape, murder, drug trafficking, militia, terrorism, etc.

Now! Ignorance, more than a product of the act of not knowing, would be the result of a disdain for rational knowledge — that is, declared or systematized. However, rational as opposed to emotional or intuitive; not so much, therefore, as synonymous with logical. Thus, or above all, by neglecting the knowledge of the present culture — the technical-scientific and spiritual advances of its people [I am referring to the West: or even Greek, Roman and Hebrew thought].

Therefore, knowing how to gather the knowledge left by other peoples, such as the ancient Greeks, Romans, Hebrews, for example, is a fundamental part of what is understood by “enlightenment” [not exactly enlightenment as Aufklärung, but rather as a way out of ignorance [all and any].

Of course, one could say: “Well, my friend! Violence, for example, does not come from ignorance, but from the absence of opportunity, that is, from the absence of a State/government, not, therefore, from the intelligence and goodness of any social group”.

This argument is commonplace. It contains some truth, yes, yet it masks — conceals:

1. That if man is a product of the environment, he will not change until the environment changes;

2. Which, therefore, has no way of recovering;

3. That whoever chooses crime is innocent, or even has the same dignity as others: we are all corrupt (they tell us), bad, bad, at something. However, this is beyond exaggeration and leveling down. Yes, it is to assume that there is no really good, simple, peaceful, honest, loving, empathetic, altruistic person. As we understand the opposite, that is, that there are good and bad people, we can become critically aware — although this sounds like moralism today, which makes it possible to change positions.

That is, changing course is only possible when we are criticized [or self-criticized] — when we see ourselves and what we are doing wrong [wrong as opposed to right]. Such moral conscience, therefore, would not have the purpose of becoming ill due to guilt - humanity is very little conscientious! —but the proper course of action. — Therefore, it would happen through effective awareness that contempt for culture, for the university, for school, for books, for religions, for philosophy, for science, is what lubricates the gear and machine of ignorance, which, I think , at the limit, to the apex, leads us to violence, terrorism, authoritarianism.

However, unfortunately no one thinks so!

Even if he admits the validity of this thought, that is, that ignorance can be understood as the infrastructure of evil, he seems not to know what ignorance is or, even, if he has an intuition, he does not care: man is too selfish to change behavior for the sake of truth.

Thus, most people go about their lives without reflection! For sure! It's hazing! Hardly anyone meditates on what they say, think and/or say. At least consciously! At most, of course, in the act of dreaming, perhaps something like “reflection” occurs, as it is a way of thinking and reflecting — over which, however, we have no control.

Oblivious to the truth, that's how everyday life is. In general, marked and crossed by indifference to knowledge. Instead of knowing — and knowing the truth — one prefers to believe. What you hear on the radio, see on television or the internet, talk on the street (in short) what in the everyday world is given by others, such as parents, friends, girlfriends, teachers, neighbors, priests, pastors, it is treated as an absolute fact without [however] verification. “It doesn't matter to worry about discrimination, prejudice, stereotypes, as long as they are not part of my life”; “if children die in Afghanistan, I don't care”; or, still, “if drugs lead to crime and death, I don't care if it doesn't kill me and mine”. Since in the everyday world what is in question is the practical — and not ethical — value of a “thing”, person or situation.

"Ethical values do not matter!".

This indifference to truth [understood here as the opposite of ignorance] — because it has no practical value — or even to knowledge, philosophy, science, religions, is what will, in its unfolding, culminate in the Brazilian civil war , which (however) is even present in the media in off-camera and no one treats it with astonishment.

More people die each year in Brazil than Americans die in Vietnam. In 2020, the country recorded more than 60,000 murders per year; while in the Vietnam War, which lasted approximately 17 years, approximately 58,000 US soldiers died. Other data, or information that gives the same weight, may be cited.

Check it out:

In 2018 in Germany, which has 1/5 of our territory and approximately half of our population, there were only 600 murders. — In contrast, in our country it occurred 100 times more. Things are like the other day I read on Facebook: “Brazil” — said a woman — “is a slaughterhouse”.

Do you believe that awareness [that is, the balanced appreciation of thought and culture, both based on books, universities, schools, dialogue] will be able to change the present situation of our “culture” for the better?

Now! On the one hand we are inclined to say yes. On the other hand, however, it is said, deep down in thought, within us, in an incommunicable part, that no, because a life grounded in such terms — in culture, in truth, in knowledge, in reading — is only utopian delusion.

Now! The important thing here is not to turn everything into a snap of the fingers. But yes, open the theme; to call into question the problem of ignorance as a way of life alien to the different manifestations of the human spirit, privileging, here, however, its “wisdom” aspect.

What we want to emphasize is: The absence of a critical moral sense, that is, of us about ourselves, relative to our customs and values, is what hides our way of life marked by a persistent spiritual ignorance, not showing us our mistakes, and, thus, making it impossible to correct them [not so much, like, aiming to highlight the hypothesis above — initial — that ignorance is the substance of evil]. Thus, as we are not concerned with the philosophical, existential and intellectual status of the world, we close ourselves to criticism and thus do not correct our mistakes which, moreover, leave the individual scope as they multiply to the socio-historical level.

How can we, without moral and critical self-awareness, direct ourselves and align our sails and ships with civilization, in its best sense, if we are radically refractory to reflection, criticism, truth (taken here as a verifiable fact and beyond opinion)? , knowledge, books, culture (taken here as the scope of knowledge, difference and dialogue)?

Now! It is by modifying the way we think, by giving — as a society — greater value to classical culture, for example, whether in literature or philosophy, that we will change the way we act. It is, in my view, the only way to make society — or societies — a non-violent and healthy space of coexistence.

However…

Thiago Carvalho.

Psychologist and graduate student in neuropsychology.