Abstract

Agnotology is the study of culturally and socially constructed ignorance. This paper seeks to marry the emerging field of agnotology with the institutions and mechanisms of politics by providing analyses of political ignorance focusing on a theoretical framework built on agnotological practices. As the political landscape becomes increasingly more beleaguered with misinformation, an understanding on how gaps in political knowledge are created, incentivized, and maintained can provide insights on how to move remedial ideas of misinformation from theory to praxis. The recognition of ignorance as a tool of power, particularly in areas like business, governance, and politics, has raised concerns about its impact on democracy. Agnotology plays a significant role in shaping political culture and has profound effects on public opinion, discourse, and democratic engagement, which are threatened by information manipulation and fake news. Understanding the historical and contemporary instances of ignorance production can provide insights into diagnosing, predicting, and addressing the epistemic challenges faced by modern democracy. Case studies involving political philosophy, public health, sociology, trans health, pharmaceutical operations, business, the presidency, and nuclear epistemology are used to inform the analysis.