Homo Ignorans: Deliberately Choosing Not to Know

Western history of thought abounds with claims that knowledge is valued and sought, yet people often choose not to know. We call the conscious choice not to seek or use knowledge (or information) deliberate ignorance . Using examples from a wide range of domains, this chapter 1 demonstrates that deliberate ignorance has important functions. We systematize types of deliberate ignorance, describe their functions, discuss their normative desirability