Meta Ignorance: Bias, Prejudice, and Discrimination

Part 6 of the Theory of Emanism Series

I was planning on moving on from ignorance, but in the words of Columbo there’s “one more thing”. A few people have asked me about the practicality of the ideas I’m sharing. “There’s a lot of lofty and deep ideas but I’m a pragmatist” they say. I wouldn’t waste time walking a theoretical path unless it passed through practical terrain.

So here we’ll get a bit more practical. Give thanks to the critics. We’re going to trace the practical path of ignorance: How inner ignorance leads to the outer outcomes we see in the world around us. When I talk here about ignorance, bias, prejudice and discrimination we can think of them in their most generic terms. Terms that generally, and metaphysically, can apply to Zah (who we met in Every (Meta) Thing in Between).

We can also think of some specific types of these phenomena we have in the 21st century on planet Earth. Some examples? Sexual bias, class prejudice, differently abled (formerly known as disabled) body discrimination, and homophobia to name a few.

In our societies I’m identified, labelled, as a ‘black’ person*. Being a writer I’m known as a black writer (for example in this well written article on Black Metamodernism by Brent Cooper). At some point I’ll need to address race*. Here’s where this begins. Why I can’t ignore race will hopefully become apparent by the end of this text, if it isn’t already. So I’ll be referring to racial ignorance, racial bias, racial prejudice and racial discrimination (which is also know as racism) specifically.

What’s racial ignorance? Racial ignorance is a phrase I use that allows me to identify the root cause of racism: ignorance, not knowing. It’s also a phrase that links a common thread through each step of racism, from racial ignorance to institutional racism. On the way it covers bias, prejudice and discrimination. In essence racial ignorance is simply ignorance about race. Whether we’re talking about human race or the so called ‘races’* of the human race.

In short I propose that ignorance leads to bias, prejudice, discrimination and finally institutional failure. In this case racial ignorance leads to racial bias. Racial bias in turn leads to racial prejudice. Racial prejudice leads to racial discrimination. And racial discrimination can lead to institutional racism.

In short we’re all a little bit racially ignorant because none of us can know everything (not for long anyway, as shown in the first segment on Meta Ignorance: The goest and the invironment). So we’re all ignorant. This doesn’t mean it’s ok to stay in ignorance. Ignoring ignorance compounds ignorance, making it grow stronger (as shown in the second segment Meta Ignorance: Remembering and Forgetting). It means it’s our job to each understand we are racially ignorant and work towards a society in which more people are less ignorant.

Let’s go back a little and discuss each of the steps that lead from our fundamental racial ignorance up to institutional racism. It’s important to remember this is a non-linear causation. Each step along the way can lead back racial ignorance and so to any other step. This goes some way to explaining how and why racism is contagious. Ignorance spreads ignorance. We’ve covered racial ignorance a little so let’s skip it for now. I’ll come back to it later.

Although bias is a synonym of prejudice I’ve separated the 2 here. I’m defining bias here as short for implicit bias. That is a bias that is unknown to the person who hold the bias. These are biases that aren’t yet recognised consciously by me. It’s easy for me to think I’m free of bias because I can’t see my own bias. Being subconscious bias shows up emotionally, as a feeling. Being an emotion, even when ignored, even when not consciously felt, our bodies still keep the score

Prejudice is simply a prejudgment I make consciously. A depiction I make about a person, race, and/or situation based on a few preliminary, shallow, surface observations. Prejudice is speculation with little or no information behind. Prejudice is where ignorance shows up mentally, as thoughts, ideas and opinions.

The main difference between bias and prejudice is that bias requires no conscious speculation and bias can be (and in this case is) implicit, unknown, unconscious. So why do some people seem unaware of their prejudices. We are unaware that they are prejudices, but we’re aware we have those thoughts, ideas and opinions. We simply believe they are good judgements made after decent observations have been made.

(How do feelings of bias that we are unaware of, and maybe don’t feel, lead to thoughts? The brain, the apparent centre and source of our thoughts, is part of the body. Specifically it’s the part of the body that collects all the sense information from entire body and makes sense out of it all.)

Discrimination is when we take action based upon a bias or prejudice. When someone discriminates, takes an action based on a prejudice, a bias and/or an ignorance and they have some form of power in one of societies institutions, it amounts to institutional racsim. Racism is another word for the phrase racial discrimination. Discrimination shows up physically, as actions. As I said discrimination, prejudice and bias often lead to more racial ignorance.

So what’s the point of all this? Apart from calling everyone ignorant? Well, as I’ve shown the roots of racism are found squarely in ignorance. This means being ignorant of, or ignoring, racism doesn’t mean you avoid or prevent racism. Just the opposite. It simply means you compound, grow, and feed the root cause of racism.

Identifying racial ignorance explains why someone can be racist unintentionally. Identifying racial ignorance as the root cause of racial discrimination also leads us to a holistic way of reducing racism and racial ignorance in all their forms. The antidote to ignorance is knowledge. The way to treat someone who is ignorant isn’t hatred, anger or contempt, but compassion, patience and understanding.

Yes this is hard when someone is denying your place in a society you’ve contributing to, or shouting dehumanising racially inflammatory language at you. Even harder when people are attacking you for you race, gender, sexuality or class. Believe I know. Still, it is possible, believe me I know (and yes this framework applies to all other forms of bias, prejudice, and discrimination).

Please note in the past I’ve been heavily criticised for this line of thinking. I’ve been called a “house negro” and “racist against white people” for my reasoning about racial ignorance. It’s been seen as unfair to both black and white people. Unfair to black people because it seems I’m giving an excuse for racism. Unfair to white people because it seems I’m calling all white people racist, or at least ignorant.

Firstly what I’m providing are explanations of racism and reasons for compassion for racist people. There is no excuse given because there is no excuse. Secondly, I’m not simply calling all white people ignorant, I’m calling everyone ignorant in some way. I’m looking for a kinder way to deliver this uncomfortable truth. Ignorance isn’t a feel good word because being ignorant, and realising, finding out, or being told we’re ignorant doesn’t feel good. Suggestions are welcome.

*Metaphors are important and as far as metaphors go ‘black’, ‘white’ and ‘race’ aren’t good metaphors. Especially when used automatically, and unconsciously, as we do. As my decolonising friends of colour say it’s language that constructs and reinforces oppressive and supremacist power structures. I’ll dive back into this topic at a later date.