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The Unknowers
How Strategic Ignorance Rules the World
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The Unknowers
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Book Hero Magic created this recommendation. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! IS THIS YOUR NEXT READ?
An intriguing investigation, shattering the hackneyed notion that knowledge is power.
An intriguing investigation, shattering the hackneyed notion that knowledge is power.
Book Hero Magic formatted this description to make it easier to read. While it's new and
still learning, it may not be perfect - your
feedback is welcome!
Description
Deliberate ignorance has been known as the ‘Ostrich Instruction’ in law courts since the 1860s. It illustrates a recurring pattern in history in which figureheads for major companies, political leaders, and industry bigwigs plead ignorance to avoid culpability.
So why do so many figures at the top still get away with it when disasters on their watch damage so many people's lives? Does the idea that knowledge is power still apply in today's post-truth world?
A bold, wide-ranging exploration of the relationship between ignorance and power in the modern age, from debates over colonial power and economic rent-seeking in the 18th and 19th centuries to the legal defences of today, The Unknowers shows that strategic ignorance has not only long been an inherent part of modern power and big business, but also that true power lies in the ability to convince others of where the boundary between ignorance and knowledge lies.
Book Hero Magic summarised reviews for this book. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! HOW HAS THIS BEEN REVIEWED?
The Unknowers by Linsey McGoey is praised as an incisive exploration of how strategic ignorance is employed by the powerful to evade accountability and maintain dominance. McGoey deftly connects the concept of ignorance with political and economic structures, offering insight into how these practises shape society and governance. Reviewers highlight it as an essential read for understanding and resisting the manipulative use of ignorance in contemporary global politics.
Book Details
INFORMATION
ISBN: 9781780326351
Publisher: Bloomsbury Publishing PLC
Format: Paperback / softback
Date Published: 15 September 2019
Country: United Kingdom
Imprint: Zed Books Ltd
Audience: Tertiary education
DIMENSIONS
Spine width: 28.0mm
Width: 134.0mm
Height: 214.0mm
Weight: 420g
Pages: 384
About the Author
Linsey McGoey is full Professor of Sociology, University of Essex, UK, where she directs the Centre for Research in Economic Sociology and Innovation (CRESI). She has held visiting positions at LSE and Sciences Po, and is on the Advisory Board of the Centre for Study of Contemporary Solidarity, University of Vienna. Her writing has appeared in the Guardian, Jacobin, Fortune, Open Democracy, and the Spectator.
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