Good point. I guess the extra effort and subtlety required to guide the obliviously ignorant makes it tempting to just walk away.
Also, the last line presupposes that the knowingly knowledgeable will be wise, which may not be the case if wisdom is taken to have a moral dimension. They could be rational but evil. (Gah—analysing proverbs …)
‘The Master said, “I do not open the way for students who are not driven with eagerness; I do not supply a vocabulary for students who are not trying desperately to find the language for their ideas. If on showing students one corner they do not come back to me with the other three, I will not repeat myself.”’
--Analects 7.8
If you were in China and were confronted with the top 1 billion, would it be worthwhile to try to teach the ignorant who are ignorant even of being ignorant?
Good point. I guess the extra effort and subtlety required to guide the obliviously ignorant makes it tempting to just walk away.
Also, the last line presupposes that the knowingly knowledgeable will be wise, which may not be the case if wisdom is taken to have a moral dimension. They could be rational but evil. (Gah—analysing proverbs …)
--Analects 7.8
If you were in China and were confronted with the top 1 billion, would it be worthwhile to try to teach the ignorant who are ignorant even of being ignorant?