The economy of ignorance

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The title might sound oxymoronic to the economic practices prevalent in most parts of the world. But it is, although unfamiliar, one of the most lucrative, sought-after and practiced pursuits in societies with a considerable knowledge divide. That is, in societies where obscurantism is systematically maintained, it acts both as a cause and a manifestation of the sustenance of the stakes and estates of the stakeholders.

The opacity, apart from keeping populations from rights enjoyed by their peers in many other social settings, makes them prey to oppressive, coercive and extractive practices. This way, a systematically cultivated ignorant population serves both as a means to greater ends and as an end in itself. This makes ignorance one of the most widely harnessed, though not professed, practices in a society.

The economy of ignorance, a practice as old as the first humans, has thrived and evolved over millennia, often justified through brute force, divine rights over socio-economic and political stakes, slavery, colonialism and their modern manifestations. The 'economy of ignorance' refers to systems or situations where ignorance — whether deliberately fostered or otherwise — creates economic and other related advantages for some at the expense of others. It involves withholding or selectively dictating knowledge, invoking divine perceptions and sentiments, spreading misinformation or structuring systems and social institutions to limit access to realities unfolding around. In this system, ignorance becomes a tool for economic exploitation, allowing those in power to systematically perpetuate and benefit from others' lack of understanding.

Paradoxically, many societies teeter on the cusp where ignorance, not enlightenment, sustains the powerful few to the detriment of the larger population, often operating within a pervasive and "untaxed" economy of ignorance.

Pakistan, an economically potent, cognitively vibrant and culturally rich society, exhibits all the characteristics of a dominant socioeconomic system thriving on and built around public ignorance, sustained for decades. This ignorance manifests in the widespread acceptance of ridicule, senselessness and misplaced, cult-like sentimental idealism among individuals and society, as well as its complacent compliance with the forces and actors that have exploited the nation since its inception. Reflect on the number of tombs, seminaries and reputable educational, vocational and research institutes — and the people engaged in each — and you'll stop wondering about the intentions behind the status quo.

This is evident in the exploitation of ethnic and religious sentiments by political leaders and clerics, the entrenched power of tribal and feudal warlords, the flourishing business of parasitic pirs, and a forcibly sustained political culture centred on dynastic, despotic and ill-informed cults. Social influencers populate nearly every street, while absurd content creators, pseudo-intellectuals and pirs earn more than even a PhD by selling hollow services. In this way, much of our economy thrives on ignorance — whether it's the ignorance of policy, of the people, or of the parties — while the people of Pakistan remain perpetually on the receiving end.

We have a wide range of individuals — media-persons, judges, bureaucrats, humanists, rights groups, feminists, musicians, NGO workers, literary figures, civil society activists, etc — who, while advancing their interests, consistently fail the very people they claim to represent. They capitalise on the public's innocence and contribute to the growing mass ignorance. In other words, all saviors — whether authorised or self-proclaimed — carefully, consistently and successfully fail the people and the causes they pretend to serve, yet manage to maintain their relevance.

Beyond the economic dimension, the economy of ignorance also lies at the heart of socio-political and intellectual stakes for its practitioners. The deep and multifaceted stakes of all the so-called saviors and empathisers — both in power and in public spheres — testify to this. Even the knowledge economy — a mere fraction of the country's economic activity — embeds itself in and thrives on ignorance. Doesn't it?