Christoph Engel (Max Planck Institute for Research on Collective Goods, University of Bonn - Faculty of Law & Economics, Erasmus University Rotterdam (EUR), Erasmus School of Law, Rotterdam Institute of Law and Economics, Students, Universität Osnabrück - Faculty of Law) and Ralph Hertwing (Max Planck Society for the Advancement of the Sciences - Max Planck Institute for Human Development) have published "Deliberate Ignorance: Choosing not to Know" on SSRN. Here is the abstract:
The history of intellectual thought abounds with claims that knowledge is valued and sought, yet individuals and groups often choose not to know. We call the conscious choice not to seek or use knowledge (or information) deliberate ignorance. When is this a virtue, when is it a vice, and what can be learned from formally modeling the underlying motives? On which normative grounds should it be judged? Which institutional interventions can promote or prevent it?
In search of answers, the Ernst Strüngmann Forum invited experts from psychology, economics, history, computer science, sociology, philosophy, and law to scrutinize the phenomenon of deliberate ignorance. Wide-ranging examples spurred the intense discussions: from collective amnesia in transformational societies to the right not to know in genetic testing, blind orchestral auditions, and “don't ask don't tell” policies. This book reports on the novel insights that emerged and outlines avenues for future research into this elusive yet fascinating aspect of human nature.
Comments