Understanding ignorance : the surprising impact of what we don't know /

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Bibliographic Details
Author / Creator:DeNicola, Daniel R., author.
Imprint:Cambridge, Massachusetts : The MIT Press, [2017]
Description:xii, 250 pages ; 24 cm
Language:English
Subject:
Format: Print Book
URL for this record:http://pi.lib.uchicago.edu/1001/cat/bib/11324767
Hidden Bibliographic Details
ISBN:9780262036443
0262036444
Notes:Includes bibliographical references and index.
Summary:Ignorance is trending. Politicians boast, "I'm not a scientist." Angry citizens object to a proposed state motto because it is in Latin, and "This is America, not Mexico or Latin America." Lack of experience, not expertise, becomes a credential. Fake news and repeated falsehoods are accepted and shape firm belief. Ignorance about American government and history is so alarming that the ideal of an informed citizenry now seems quaint. Conspiracy theories and false knowledge thrive. This may be the Information Age, but we do not seem to be well informed. In this book, philosopher Daniel DeNicola explores ignorance -- its abundance, its endurance, and its consequences.