“There is, he said, only one good, that is, knowledge, and only one evil, that is, ignorance” (in Diogenes Laertius, II.31).
This topic comes up often in discussions of Stoicism, since the Stoics adopted Socrates’ view that “evil” is the result of “ignorance.”
I mean, seriously, can anyone maintain that the Nazi were just ignorant of what they were doing to the Jews?.
Yes, if instead of “ignorant” one uses the proper Greek term, amathia.
I’ll get back to the Nazi in a bit, but first let me give you a better idea of what amathia means and how it is properly used.
Stupidity,” has been penned by Sherwood Belangia, a philosophy teacher at Georgia Regents University in Augusta, GA. I’m going to quote extensively from it.
I shrink indeed from giving it a name, but still, as we are alone, let me speak out. »
