Agnotology
/æɡˈnɒt.ə.lə.dʒi/noun
The study of culturally induced ignorance or doubt, particularly regarding scientific facts.
Did you know?Agnotology shines a light on how powerful entities manipulate knowledge, creating confusion to serve their interests—think climate change denial or tobacco industry tactics!
Etymological Timeline
Modern English
English
agnotology
“Coined in the late 20th century to describe the study of ignorance.”
1960s
English
agnostic
“Derived from Greek, meaning 'without knowledge', often applied to religious uncertainty.”
Ancient Greek
Greek
agnostos
“Meaning 'unknown' or 'not knowing', emphasizing the absence of knowledge.”
Ancient Greek
Greek
gnosis
“Meaning 'knowledge', particularly in a mystical or spiritual sense.”
Proto-Indo-European
PIE
*gno-
“Root meaning 'to know', linking to various words around knowledge and understanding.”