ABSTRACT
What is ignorance? The chapter begins with the observation that we speak of ignorance in more than one way. Kinds of ignorance differ normatively: ignorance can be a lack or the mere absence of knowledge. They also differ with respect to the states of mind of the cognizer: ignorance can go along with investigative attitudes, it can be dogmatic, or a mental blank. The chapter offers a distinction between investigative ignorance, presumed knowledge, preferred ignorance, and complete ignorance. It argues that typically we have reason to prefer states of ignorance that motivate inquiry over states of ignorance that do not.
