Aristotle taught that all human beings want to know. Our own experience teaches us that all human beings also want not to know, sometimes fiercely so. This has always been true, but there are certain historical periods–we are living in one–when the denial of evident truths seems to be gaining the upper hand, as if some psychological bacillus were spreading by unknown means, the antidote suddenly powerless. Mesmerized crowds follow preposterous prophets, irrational rumors trigger fanatical acts, and magical thinking crowds out common sense and expertise. The perennial profiteers in such times are ambitious ideologues of ignorance, the learned despisers of learning and curiosity who idealize minds unclouded by reflection and help them erect ramparts around their confident false beliefs. One can always find proximate causes of such surges in resistance to truth, whether historical events or social changes or new intellectual and religious currents promising a holiday from reality. The source lies deeper, though, in ourselves and in the world itself, which takes no heed of our wishes.

On Thursday, April 25th at 6 PM, join Mark Lilla (History) for a dinner seminar.