The power of ignorance.

Though the title of the piece might look like an oxymoron - as we know the power of knowledge - the power built on the capitalisation of mass ignorance has remained an ugly reality across human history. As a conspicuous feature of human societies, power, rather than legitimate authority, has been a central element of social control for millenniums. Notwithstanding their birth as vulnerable beings with potent cognition, humans tried to wield more power and influence the lives of as many people as possible. The source and the origin of this power varied in individual and social contexts. The exploitation of systematically created mass public ignorance has remained a consistent feature in power politics.

That public ignorance and its exploitation have been an evil mean and an end for the mightier sections of societies is an undeniable fact. That sum of the power people and groups wield emanates more from public manipulation than the originally assigned authority is hardly an exaggeration. Instead of popular assent, public ignorance and fears made up most of the authoritative power. They always build the citadel of authoritative power on the capitalisation of public ignorance. By keeping the public in the dark, the powerful undertake the heist on the former's resources and even lives. Such systematic theft barely goes noticed, as most people hardly view them as such. This way, the ignorance of the public gets translated into the force of influential, only to be used against the former.

They do so by barring answering the questions and questioning the fixed answers, except for what serves them. Thereafter, the lives of the public revolve around these unanswered questions and unquestioned answers produced and professed by the powerful in a self-serving manner. The strict censorship and the threats to public thinking and dissent sustain their practices of exploitation of public fears caused by ignorance. Heresy, treason, contempt, social ridicule and sometimes, death welcome the fate of delinquent thoughts, behaviour or actions.

History shows how public ignorance served as fuel to powerful megalomania. As the cause and manifestations of ignorance, mythologies, dogmas, superstitions and fallacies helped the powerful wield and exert more...