A rich, wide-ranging history of ignorance in all its forms, from
antiquity to the present day
"Ignorance: A Global History explores the myriad ways in which
'not-knowing' affects our lives, sometimes for good, sometimes for
ill."--Michael Dirda, Washington Post
Throughout history, every age has thought of itself as more
knowledgeable than the last. Renaissance humanists viewed the Middle
Ages as an era of darkness, Enlightenment thinkers tried to sweep
superstition away with reason, the modern welfare state sought to slay
the "giant" of ignorance, and in today's hyperconnected world seemingly
limitless information is available on demand. But what about the
knowledge lost over the centuries? Are we really any less ignorant than
our ancestors?
In this highly original account, Peter Burke examines the long history
of humanity's ignorance across religion and science, war and politics,
business and catastrophes. Burke reveals remarkable stories of the many
forms of ignorance--genuine or feigned, conscious and unconscious--from
the willful politicians who redrew Europe's borders in 1919 to the
politics of whistleblowing and climate change denial. The result is a
lively exploration of human knowledge across the ages, and the
importance of recognizing its limits.
