What's Luke Thinking?

Sitting in one of my classes this semester during a group discussion, a member of the class made an interesting remark that the rest of my group seemed to agree with: “Ignorance is malice.” I’m not an expert on the human condition by any means, but this didn’t sit right with me when I heard it. How can unintentional lack be regarded as intentional harm?

Deciding not to speak up about something I was unfamiliar with, I let the conversation pass and opened my laptop to see what I could find about this idea. Instead, I found a lot of content that agreed with the opposite: ignorance is not malice. In fact, to my surprise, there is an entire philosophical razor, a process used in decision-making, around the idea that ignorance is not malice.

“Never attribute to malice that which is adequately explained by stupidity.”

Hanlon’s Razor

Although this reaffirmed my beliefs that ignorance is not malice, I sought out to understand what path of thought my classmates were using to come to their conclusion that ignorance is malice.

The first notable difference I noticed that may have been causing the difference is that in Hanlon’s razor, he decides to use “stupidity” rather than “ignorance.” If one were to look up these words, they’d find that, in short, “stupidity” is marked by a lack of good sence or unintelligence, while “ignorance” is marked by a lack of knowledge. Noting this difference unlocked where I think hanlon’s razor, my classmate’s statement, and my perception of them both could all be expanded for a greater understanding of the issue at hand.

Understanding “stupidity” allows it to be seen that Hanlon is exclusively talking about what results from something that can not be helped in one’s mental state. Understanding “ignorance” allows it to be seen that my classmate is exclusively talking about people who have the ability to change their mental state.

With this in mind, I can see more clearly how my classmate can be upset at those who have the ability to learn and choose not to. Yet, not all who are in ignorance are there by choice. One may have the ability; one may not have the opportunity. That, instead, is willful ignorance or apathy; that is malice.

It’s also important to note, however, that apathy and ignorance are not mutually exclusive. One can be apathetic toward a situation and ignorant of the harm they are causing. Once they are made aware of the harm, if they then choose to care, such a sequence can not be accurately labeled as malice. In short, it’s too hard to label what something is, but it’s much easier to label what something is not.

So, to clarify both Hanlon, my classmate, and myself, a more encompassing statement may look like this:

“Never attribute to malice that which is adequately explained by stupidity something else.”

Luke’s Razor