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 information from our senses. Through our senses, we form preconceived ideas about the world and how we interact with it. But humanity is ignorant. Many things we believe about our world are false. This is due to discrepancies between our memory of an event and the actual events. But too often, people ignore the evidence that proves them wrong by reinterpreting the information so that it supports their position. These people are examples of willful ignorance. Willful ignorance is defined as intentionally and blatantly ignoring the truth because it conflicts with your existing belief. Through repeated examples in their works, Jostein Gaarder and Plato prove that willful ignorance is morally harmful. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on “Why Violent Video Games Should Not Be Banned”? Get the original essay Ignorance, in general, describes individuals who lack knowledge, information, and awareness. Everyone ignores a particular topic. For example, Socrates was incredibly knowledgeable in philosophy, but knew nothing about Greek shipbuilding methodology. The distinction between willful and involuntary ignorance is necessary when evaluating one's intentions. Eliminating an individual's ignorance is impossible, but small steps toward knowledge can have a significant impact. Plato's Apology is the account of Socrates' defense against the false accusations made by his accusers. Socrates was brought before the Court of Athens for corruption of youth and impiety. Socrates begins his defense by condemning his reputation as a sophist; a paid professor of philosophy and rhetoric. Socrates refutes this statement by identifying himself as a philosopher, teacher, or sage. Socrates compares himself to a gadfly; that is, an individual who stimulates others by questioning their actions and beliefs. Socrates believed that the work of the sophists caused the corruption of youth, not philosophy. In his defense against the corruption of the youth of Athens, Socrates states that the sophists "seized many of you from childhood, and they accused me and persuaded you." (Apologies, 18B). This is precisely what makes the sophists the most dangerous of Socrates' accusers. They are deliberately 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 willful ignoramuses. Their arguments are usually riddled with errors and misconceptions 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 deceptive. Socrates' resentment of willful ignorance allows him to use the concept as a tool to enlighten others. Those who follow Socrates of their own accord are reluctantly ignorant. They long for knowledge, understanding and truth. In contrast, sophists simply pretend to know, but continue to know nothing. Socrates found this kind of self-deception morally wrong because of the knowledge and truth it prevents this individual from attaining. Worse still, this self-deception tends to be a lasting state of mind rather than atemporary moral setback. This reasoning suggests that self-deception is, ultimately, morally harmful. The philosophy of Socrates 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 elderly philosopher Alberto Knox. Sophie begins receiving mysterious, unsigned letters from Knox and eventually "enrolls" in his informal philosophy course. Knox's weekly letters and postcards contain the fundamental teachings of philosophy, particularly the early Socratic works. Knox's lessons are a blend of teaching and ancient philosophical commentary. In a letter to Sophie, Knox emphasizes the importance of inquiry and doubt about the physical world. He introduces these philosophical concepts by stating that “philosophy finds its origin in man’s sense of wonder” (Gaarder 15). Life itself is like a magic trick that we all watch 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 done, so we examine it and question it. This concept, in essence, is what Alberto Knox sought to teach Sophie in his comparison of life to a magic trick. As Knox's argument progresses, he unpacks and explains the top hat metaphor to Sophie. Knox states that all humans are born at the end of the rabbit's hair, where they are able to gaze upon and wonder at the majesty of the trick. At first, the trick is exciting and confusing for us. But as mortals age and become accustomed to the ever-changing world around us, we slowly begin to slip deep into the rabbit's fur. Once nestled in the fur, almost no one returns to the tips of the hairs. The exception being 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 started to burrow deep into the rabbit's fur, but the philosopher stopped her with his teachings. By choosing to accept the philosophy of Alberto Knox, Sophie rejected life in the triviality of everyday existence. Before taking Knox's class, Sophie was one of the unintentionally ignorant. She didn't know anything, but she didn't know that she didn't know anything. Much like Socrates' work in ancient Athens, Knox acts as a gadfly to Sophie. That is, he questions Sophie's actions and conclusions about life. Socrates perfected this ideology in his teachings, inspiring the Athenians to question the world. The highest function of philosophy is to understand the consequences of people's enlightenment. In Gaarder's Plato's Apologies and Sophie's World, Socrates and Alberto Knox are both depicted as gadflies and master philosophers. Socrates sought 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, Sophia, much like the disciples of Socrates, embraced knowledge. Sometimes people can be awakened from willful ignorance through intellectual prompting 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..