Case Study Report
Cyrusxx
L11-Epistemologiesofignorance.pptxOrganisational Analysis
Exploring epistemologies of ignorance
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“The only thing more valuable than the illusion of perfect knowledge is the ability to profess perfect ignorance.”
(Davies & McGoey, 2012: 81)
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Lecture Aims
Previously: epistemology
→ understanding what counts as knowledge, being able to deconstruct knowledge claims
→ responsible decision-making.
Today: ignorance
→ Understanding ignorance in relation to knowledge
→ Deconstructing ignorance
→ Connections to organisational behaviour
→ Connections to Organisational Analysis learning outcomes
→ A challenge to you, in your future careers
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Epistemology: reminder
“The nature of knowledge, its possibility, scope and general basis.”
Deals with questions such as, How do we know that something is true, and trustworthy, rather than mere opinion or belief? How can we be certain? On what basis can we consider our beliefs to be justified?
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(Hamlyn, 1995: 242, cited in Crotty,1998: 8)
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Ignorance: definitions
“The state or fact being ignorant; lack of knowledge, learning or information.” (Macquarie Dictionary, 2002)
‘Agnotology’: “The cultural reproduction and transmission of ignorance.” (McGoey, 2012: 4, referencing Proctor)
“Non-knowledge.” (McGoey, 2012: 3)
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Ignorance: conceptions
Some conceptions (Kassar, 2018):
“Lack of knowledge / true belief”
“Actively upheld false outlooks” (e.g. Charles Mills, José Medina)
“Bad epistemic practice” (e.g. Alcoff, 2007)
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Ignorance v knowledge?
“Ignorance and knowledge are often thought of as opposite phenomena.” (McGoey, 2012: 553)
Knowledge: “a source of power”. Ignorance: “a barrier to consolidating authority in political and corporate arenas.” (McGoey, 2012: 553)
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Yet …
“Ignorance is like Kansas, a great place to be from.”
(Proctor, 2008)
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Three cases
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“Doubt is our product”
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Images from Unsplashed
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Ignorance
“A productive force in and itself … the twin and not the opposite of knowledge.” (McGoey, 2012: 3)
Ignorance can be strategic. (McGoey, 2012)
Ignorance can be a resource that helps one retain privilege & power. (McGoey, 2012)
Ignorance can be manufactured for profit. (Proctor, 2008)
Ignorance can be motivated. (Smith, 2008)
Ignorance can suppress epistemological diversity. (DeSousa Santas, 2009)
RMIT University
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RMIT University
Ignorance that advances and privileges: Another epistemic vice?
“Epistemic malevolence”: “Wilful hiding of the truth, denying people access to the truth; “spread of ignorance and confusion”
“Epistemic insouciance” (indifference): Disregarding the importance of truth, coherence, honesty, and reasoning. E.g. social media platforms
“Epistemic hubris” (unfounded over-confidence): Unfounded arrogance in the validity of one’s own beliefs
“Epistemic injustice”: Dismissing people’s experiential knowledge and lived experience (e.g. not taking seriously your employees’ experiences and knowledge)
Baird & Calvard, 2019
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Ignorance at the global level
A fundamental property of (some) political philosophies?
E.g. Liberalism? E.g. Neo-liberalism? (Mills, 2015)
E.g. “White ignorance” (Mills, 2015; Medina, 2013)
E.g. “Epistemological asymmetry / fascism” (DeSousa Santos, 2009)
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Individual level
Individual level
Ecology of ignorance & paradox of embedded agency
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Individual level
Organisational level
Societal level
Paradox of embedded agency:
“How can actors change institutions if their actions, intentions and rationality are all conditioned by the very institution they wish to change?” (Holm, 1995, cited in Battilana & D’Aunno, 2009: 31)
A question and challenge:
Are you independent variables, or dependent variables?
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RMIT University
Consider your learning outcomes
Your learning outcomes (Lecture 1)
A question and challenge:
Are you independent variables, or dependent variables?
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Ignorance: implications and remedies
Retrain ourselves, ongoingly (Medina, 2013)
Seek to become a “learned ignorant” (DeSousa Santos, 2009: 115)
Respect uncertainty and limitations of knowledge; declare them
Foster diversity of thought (see prior lecture)
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References
Davies, W & McGoey, L (2012) Rationalities of ignorance: On financial crisis and the ambivalence of neo-liberal epistemology. Economy and Society, 41(1): 64–83.
DeSousa Santos, B. (2009) A non-Occidentalist West? Learned ignorance and ecology of knowledge. Theory, Culture & Society, 26(7-8): 103–125.
El Kassar, N (2018) What ignorance really is. Examining the foundations of epistemology of ignorance. Social Epistemology, 32(5): 300–310.
McGoey, L (2012) The logic of strategic ignorance. The British Journal of Sociology, 63(3): 553 – 576.
McGoey, L (2012) Strategic unknowns: Towards a sociology of ignorance. Economy and Society, 41(1): 1–16.
Mills, CW (2008) Racial liberalism. PMLA 123(5): 1380–1397.
Mills, CW (2012) Occupy liberalism! Or, ten reasons why liberalism cannot be retrieved for radicalism (and why they’re all wrong). Radical Philosophy Review 15(2): 305–323.
Proctor, RN (Agnotology: A missing term to describe the cultural production of ignorance. In Agnotology: The Making and Unmaking of Ignorance, (Eds. RN Proctor and L Schiebinger). Stanford, California: Stanford University Press.
Smith, MS (2008) Racism and motivated ignorance. The Ardent: Anti-racism & Decolonization Review, 1(1): iii – xiv).
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