Reaction Paper 5

Stuart Firestein: The Pursuit Of Ignorance

How much do you know what you know ? That’s one question Stuart Firestein, the chair of the
Department of Biological Sciences at Columbia University, asked his audience as he untangle his
theory ‘’The Pursuit of Ignorance’’. We always think we know things, that we considered facts but
it’s easier to ask what we don’t know. Ignorance is infinite and the curiosity is what fuel many
scientist as they prepare their research thesis. As ignorance can be seen in a negative light in today’s
society, Stuart state that ignorance creates our desire to know more and knowledge will be faulty as
humans tend to influence the results with their strong will to resolve the research. He clarifies that
‘’high-quality ignorance’’ that ignite us to ask more suitable questions instead of ones that concludes
your thoughts and makes you stop thinking.

I remember my first day at school, starting this degree. My first few classes of this course were a
blur. I was adapting myself with all the new stuff I was learning. As I was going through all of this
knowledge and my understanding would solidified, as my curiosity also grew. After each ideas
presented in class, I was questioning everything, what descends to what, that everything must’ve
started with something. As we were talking about Jack Jackendoff’s Three fundamentals arguments,
I always found the innate knowledge very fascinating. What do you mean we are born with a
knowledge? How can we explain that the knowledge existed before I was born? Who’s knowledge
did I henrit? Can we explain it with our past lives? It was an overflowing amount of questions about
literally everything since this topic has infinte answers.