The problem with ignorance

By Joshua Corcuera

 

There is a saying that goes like this, ignorance is bliss. This does not seem to be the case in the real world. In the modern world, ignorance is not bliss, it makes you stupid. And in the words of the late Miriam Defensor-Santiago, stupid is forever. Fortunately, though, ignorance can be cured through education — education that enables critical thinking and deep, comprehensive understanding of the world around us. Besides this, it is essential to discuss how ignorance can affect a person negatively as well as society in general.

 

Because of ignorance, social issues persist 

David Jonathan Gross, an American physicist who won the Nobel Prize in 2004, said that many of the world’s major problems — from bigotry and racism to environmental degradation — are the result of the people’s sheer ignorance. It is apparent as to why ignorance is partly to blame for the struggles that humanity is currently facing. Take environmental degradation as an example. Someone, say person X, has a habit of throwing trash everywhere for that person’s convenience instead of searching for a trash can. Person X would argue that the garbage thrown anywhere is just small and would not affect the environment. It can be deduced that person X is ignorant of how to take care of nature. If the habit of person X to throw trash everywhere is shared by many people, the garbage accumulated would be of considerable amount as to affecting the environment in a negative manner. Thus, the ignorance of some can harm society and humanity.

 

Ignorantia juris non excusat

Ignorantia juris non excusat — this Latin phrase is common knowledge among people who have a background in studying law. It is the Latin for “ignorance of the law excuses no one” which is the conclusive presumption of the law. Imagine this scenario, person X intentionally killed person Y and the relatives of the latter filed charges against the former. The suspect cannot use as a defense that he does not know murder is contrary to the law because of the legal principle mentioned earlier. This legal principle also applies to other cases aside from murder. So, from this principle, what can ordinary people learn? It can be learned that ignorance can send you to jail and to prevent this, it is essential to know and understand important things in life such as the law as well as current affairs.

 

Education could cure ignorance

Being ignorant, as mentioned earlier, can send you to prison. At the same time, ignorance can result in social issues severely affecting humanity at present and potentially harm our future. It could also prevent society from addressing and resolving the existing issues that currently afflict our lives and livelihood. So what can be done to prevent these things from happening? It is necessary to be educated.

This shows the important role played by educational institutions to teach their students to know, understand, and analyze the world around them. Moreover, it is essential for young people to free their minds and wake up from their deep slumber. Through critical thinking, service-oriented, competent, and compassionate students-turned-professionals, it becomes possible to tackle the problems that we must solve to preclude human suffering. Altogether, ignorance is not bliss because it would merely make things worse.