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Applied Ignorance is working with
concepts that cannot
be fully and objectively described,
but which are not arbitrary either.
We call something non-known
if one can rather say for that thing what it is not than describe
what it precisely is -- this is what is meant by neither objectively
describable nor arbitrary in the above definition. Applied Ignorance
then means dealing with such fuzzy, non-known things.
Two examples may contribute to a better understanding:
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It is impossible to precisely define
what justice is. It is, on the contrary, much easier to name situations
that are obviously unjust. Thus, justice is a matter of Applied Ignorance.
Now consider a judge or a jury who is expected to rule justly. We are not
content when their verdicts are not blatantly unjust; we want more: they
should do justice to all parties of a trial. Thus judges and juries typically
face the problem of how to build their judgments (which involve exactly
defined sentences to prison or fines) on the rather vague notion of justice.
Judges and juries are in a situation to "apply ignorance". Most abstract
words (such as "good", "art", "love", "welfare enhancing") fall into the
category "non-known". When our decisions, considerations, and actions are
based on such non-knowns, we apply ignorance.
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Cooking recipes abound in instructions
such as "Add salt." or "Season with pepper and garlic." The exact amount
of the spices to be added is not included in these instructions; obviously
it is matter of "taste". As long as we cook with a well-known recipe or
for ourselves, that vagueness does not pose any serious problems: We know
our tastes, and our experience is a good guide to find out the proper amount
of spices. As soon as we try a new recipe or are cooking for guests, instructions
like the above ones turn out to be problematic. A proper seasoning is thus
a matter of Applied Ignorance: It cannot be precisely defined (otherwise
the necessary amount of spices could be given in milligrams), but it obviously
is not arbitrary either (once salt does no longer dissolve in the soup
we are close to getting an idea of over-seasoning). The decision how much
spices to put into a dish, is an every-day example of Applied Ignorance.
The Institute for Applied Ignorance is an independent research body, dedicated
to the analysis of every-day and general problems of Applied Ignorance. We
collect examples, examine their common structure or dissimilarities, and try
to explain and to develop strategies for appropriately dealing with ignorance.
We are happy to receive your comments, criticism, and suggestions on our
ideas of Applied Ignorance. Please, send us an
e-mail.
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