The Paradoxes of Ignorance in Early Modern England and France

In the early modern period, ignorance was seen as a sin, flaw, defect, and threat to religion and social order. However, praises of ignorance were also expressed in the same context. Sandrine Parageau's book explores the moral, cognitive, and epistemological virtues attributed to ignorance in the long seventeenth century in England and France, highlighting its role in the production of knowledge and its assimilation into philosophical and scientific discourses. The rehabilitation of ignorance emerged as a paradoxical cornerstone of the nascent modern science.

Format: Paperback / softback
Length: 264 pages
Publication date: 03 April 2023
Publisher: Stanford University Press

In the early modern era, ignorance was widely regarded as a sin, a flaw, a defect, and even a threat to religion and social order. However, at the same time, there were expressions of praise for ignorance within the same context. Sandrine Parageau delves into the history of the seemingly paradoxical moral, cognitive, and epistemological virtues attributed to ignorance during the long seventeenth century (1580s-1700) in England and France. Through a meticulous textual analysis of previously overlooked sources and a reevaluation of canonical philosophical works by figures such as Montaigne, Bacon, Descartes, Locke, and others, Parageau specifically explores the role of ignorance in the production of knowledge. She identifies three common virtues of ignorance as a mode of wisdom, a principle of knowledge, and an epistemological instrument in philosophical and theological works.

How could an essentially negative notion be transformed into something profitable and even desirable? In the context of Renaissance humanism, the Reformation, and the Scientific Revolution, which all sought to redefine and reaffirm knowledge, ignorance was not discarded in the early modern quest for new ways of thinking and knowing. Instead, it was assimilated into the philosophical and scientific discourses of the time. The rehabilitation of ignorance emerged as a paradoxical cornerstone of the nascent modern science.

Parageau's study sheds light on the complex and multifaceted nature of ignorance in the early modern period. It challenges the traditional notion that ignorance is solely negative and highlights its potential for wisdom, knowledge, and epistemological tools. By examining the praises of ignorance in the context of religious, philosophical, and scientific discourse, Parageau provides a fresh perspective on the history of knowledge and its development. Her work contributes to our understanding of the complex relationship between ignorance, knowledge, and the pursuit of truth in the early modern world.

Dimension: 229 x 152 (mm)
ISBN-13: 9781503635319