The Construction And Unmasking Of Scientific Ignorance

The existence and concept of ignorance have always been the focus of the philosophers,and the development of knowledge cannot be separated from the knowledge of ignorance.Since the middle of the 20th century,with the scientific development of a series of negative effect gradually caught the attention of the public,let we need to review how to know what we don't know and why don't you know it.A new word "Agnotology" created in 1995 by Stanford university history professor Robert.N.Proctor,this word refers to the artificial construction of ignorance and cultural phenomenon,"Agnotology" is a kind of active inhibition information,transmitted through conscious ignorance means to cover the public life of strategy.Last century,America's most famous public health war with the tobacco industry,and the global climate warming up of the earth is the typical case of "Agnotology" strategy,controversial genetically modified(gm)food technologies in today due to no conclusion to the public is in a state of "science and ignorance".The impact of scientific ignorance is mostly negative,commercial interests and political motivation driving the scientific ignorance of social construction,public information for shelter and propagation direction interference judgment,tobacco haven't been suppressed,temperatures was victims of scientific ignorance.Risk assessment and management is the human way of self-protection,the development of the new prevention principle of "Agnotology" will play a checks and balances,at the same time,the government should make good use of network platform in science communication advantages,actively mobilize public participation in science initiative,train the ability of scientists face to face with the public,promote new scientific dialogue to the scientific public debate,increase public scientific interest,to moderated scientists and the public hostility,eliminated the obscured of scientific ignorance.