The world as we know it is an overflowing plethora of information. The Greek philosopher Aristotle used the term tabula rasa to describe the human process of gathering information; meaning we get all the information from our senses. With input from our senses, we form preconceptions about the world and how we interact with it. But humanity is ignorant. Many of the things we believe about our world are false. This is due to discrepancies between our memory of an event and actual events. But, too often, people ignore evidence that proves them wrong, reinterpreting information to support their position. These people are examples of willfully ignorant people. Willful ignorance is defined as intentionally and blatantly ignoring the truth because it goes against your existing belief. Through repeated examples in their works, Jostein Gaarder and Plato demonstrate that willful ignorance is morally harmful. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on "Why Violent Video Games Shouldn't Be Banned"? Get an Original Essay Ignorance, in general, describes individuals who lack knowledge, information, and awareness. Everyone is ignorant of a particular topic. For example, Socrates was incredibly knowledgeable in the field of philosophy, but knew nothing about Greek shipbuilding methodology. The distinction between voluntary and involuntary ignorance is necessary when evaluating one's intentions. Eliminating ignorance from an individual is impossible, but small steps towards knowledge can have a significant impact. Plato's Apology is an account of Socrates' defense of himself against the false charges brought by his accusers. Socrates was brought to the court of Athens on charges of corruption of youth and impiety. Socrates begins his defense by condemning his reputation as a sophist; a paid teacher of philosophy and rhetoric. Socrates counters this statement by identifying himself as a philosopher, teacher, or wisdom. Socrates identifies himself with a gadfly; meaning an individual who challenges others by questioning their actions and beliefs. Socrates believed that the work of the sophists was causing the corruption of youth, not philosophy. In his defense against the corruption of the Athenian youth, Socrates states that the sophists “have seized upon many of you from childhood, and have accused me, and have persuaded you.” (Apology, 18B). This is precisely what makes the sophists the most dangerous of Socrates' accusers. They are willfully trying to deceive children, the most vulnerable population in society. Sophists use rhetoric as a persuasion technique to win arguments. The sophists are an example of a population of stubborn ignorant people. Their arguments are typically full of errors and misunderstandings that are used to their advantage to triumph in rational discourse. Socrates believed that this form of ignorance was not only dishonest and immoral, but also self-deceptive. Socrates' resentment towards willful ignorance allows him to use the concept as a tool to enlighten others. Those who follow Socrates of their own accord are unintentionally ignorant. They strive to achieve knowledge, understanding and truth. In contrast, the sophists simply pretend to know, yet still know nothing. Socrates found this type of self-deception morally reprehensible because of the knowledge and truth it prevents the individual from achieving. Even worse, this self-deception tends to be a lasting state of mind rather than a temporary moral setback. This reasoning suggests that self-deception is ultimately moralharmful. Socrates' philosophy is also fully demonstrated by the characters in Sophie's World by Jostein Gaarder. The story follows Sophie Amundsen, a Norwegian teenager, as she is introduced to philosophy by the elderly philosopher Albert Knox. Sophie begins receiving mysterious, unsigned letters from Knox, and eventually "signs up" to his informal philosophy course. Knox's weekly letters and postcards contain the fundamental teachings of philosophy, especially the early Socratic works. Knox's lectures are a mix of ancient philosophical teachings and commentary. In a letter to Sophie, Knox emphasizes the importance of investigating and questioning the physical world. He introduces these philosophical concepts by stating that “philosophy originated in man's sense of wonder” (Gaarder 15). Life itself is like a magic trick that we all observe in wonder. A magician pulls a rabbit out of what appeared to be a top hat filled only with silk scarves. We don't understand how the trick is performed, so we examine it and question it. This concept, in essence, is what Alberto Knox tried to teach Sophie by comparing life to a magic trick. As the argument progresses, Knox unpacks and explains the top hat metaphor to Sophie. Knox claims that all humans are born at the very tip of the rabbit's fur, where they are able to gaze and marvel at the majesty of the trick. Initially, the trick is exciting and disconcerting to us. But, as mortals age and become accustomed to the ever-changing world around us, we slowly begin to slip deeper into the rabbit fur. Once nestled in the fur, almost none return to the tip of the hair. The exceptions are philosophers and children. This metaphor had an impact on Sophie and her passion for knowledge and truth. Shortly after reading Knox's top hat metaphor, Sophie realized that she had been saved by the philosopher. She had already begun to dig deep into the rabbit's fur, but the philosopher had stopped her with his teachings. By choosing to accept the philosophy of Alberto Knox, Sophie refused to live in the banality of everyday existence. Before taking Knox's course, Sophie was among the ignorant in spite of herself. He knew nothing, but he didn't know he knew nothing. Much like Socrates' work in ancient Athens, Knox acts like a gadfly to Sophie. This means he questions Sophie's actions and conclusions about life. Socrates perfected this ideology in his teachings, pushing the Athenians to question the world. The highest function of philosophy is to understand the consequences of people's enlightenment. In Plato's Apology and Gaarder's World of Sophie, both Socrates and Albert Knox are described as gadflies and master philosophers. Socrates tried to save the Athenians from the deception and ignorance of the sophists. Knox enlightened Sophie about her ignorance of the world and philosophy. While the Athenian people chose to be willfully ignorant, Sophie, much like the followers of Socrates, embraced knowledge. Sometimes people can be brought out of their willful ignorance with intellectual stimulation or the presentation of data. Sophie displays this notion perfectly in her repeated interactions with the philosopher. Ignorance is rooted in human nature, so not everyone can aspire to the realization of Sophie's knowledge. The Hoi Polloi, or general masses, by definition, are not enlightened people. If everyone were enlightened, no one would be. Please note: this is just an example. Get a custom article from our expert writers now. Get a Custom Essay Whether it is for an individual or a company,..