Degree Name

Department

Philosophy

College

Humanities

Defense Date

2024-03-07

Publication Date

2024-03-15

First Faculty Advisor

Dr. Gordy Mower

First Faculty Reader

Dr. Patrick Madden III

Honors Coordinator

Dr. Ryan Christensen

Keywords

Agency, Essay, Ignorance, Epistemology, Friendship, Solipsism, Narcissism, Problem of Change, Compatibilism

Abstract

My thesis examines different ways that I am ignorant through a philosophical lens. Through examining my ignorance, I gain insight into myself and the world. However, the kinds of ignorance that interest and irk me the most are fundamental to life. I explore two major sources of ignorance and reference many more. The first source of ignorance is myself. Myself includes my body, my emotions, and my actions. I can partially control each of these, but they also are not fully understood by me. I explore who I am as a self and what my moral responsibility is in the context of self-ignorance. The second source of ignorance is other people. I have moderate access to my own mind, but the minds of others are separated from me by a gulf. Yet, I desperately need other people. I explore how I can understand other people and overcome coordination problems despite the distance between myself and others. I conclude my thesis with explaining why I believe in God and why I believe he has made me fundamentally ignorant. Because ignorance provides a space for faith and wrestling with questions. Those activities help me feel alive. And I doubt I will find the complete answers in this life.