Matthias Groß - Lecture - Church of Ignorance

Church of Ignorance  Festival at 5-7 Sept 2024, DH5 Cultur Club - Ars Electronica Festival 2024

Lecture, 6 Sept 2024

Matthias Gross is Professor of Sociology at UFZ, Helmholtz, Centre for Environmental Research.

Ignorance is often seen as a state of stupidity or denial. However, not knowing can not only be a form of protection and in everyday life decisions often need to be made before “reliable” knowledge is available. Worse, once knowledge is available the horizon of what is not known (nonknowledge) may widen. Thus, nonknowledge needs to be treated as regular and normal. What is needed are ways to present and discuss nonknowledge in an “honest” manner instead of trumpeting safety when there is none.