Agnotology Vs Hitler

Ignorance is all over the world as addressed in Robert Procter’s, “Agnotology.” Ignorance provides a basis for Trevor Noah’s, “Go Hitler!”. These readings are comparable in ways of the rhetorical elements of palilogy, logos and the use of narratives that speak to each validity of the readings. Noah uses effectual validity in “Go Hitler!” to support his claim of every culture teaching differently regarding historical events, yet Proctor uses factual validity in “Agnotology” to support his claim of people knowing an insufficient about ignorance. In both “Agnotology” and “Go Hitler!” people choose to ignore the truth and choose ignorance instead, and the implication this claim makes is that life is a never-ending series of ignoring the truth.

One example from the Proctors “Agnotology” is when Proctor references Socrates. In this reference, Socrates says when people realize how little they know it conditions them for upcoming knowledge and that they are wiser than others. This example demonstrates the logic Proctor uses to show how people choose to ignore the truth and that those that are wiser acknowledge their ignorance. One example of logos from Noah’s “Go Hitler!” is when he states that black South Africans do not get offended by Hitler because to black South Africans, Hitler, is not the worst thing that has ever happened to them. This example demonstrates the logic that Noah uses to show how people have ignorance about historical events and how they choose to not know the truth about historical events. Both these examples from the readings contribute to the implication that life is a never-ending series of ignoring the truth and that people choose

In “Agnotology,” Proctor repeats the phrase common knowledge, to emphasize the ignorance people have of not knowing an all-knowing piece of knowledge. This relates back to the claim of people choosing to not know the truth in which they are choosing ignorance. Another example from “Agnotology,” is the repeated word uncertainty. This example demonstrates the uncertainty people have towards certain knowledge but the ignorance they have for not checking for the truth of that knowledge. This relates to the claim of people choosing ignorance over the truth. The last example is the use of the rhetorical element of palilogy is in the reading of “Go Hitler!”. In “Go Hitler!” Noah repeats the word horrific to emphasize the ignorance that cultures have towards their own tragedy. This example relates back to the claim that both works make of people choosing ignorance over the truth. Both these comparable readings implicate that life is aa never-ending cycle of choosing ignorance over the truth which portrays the claim of people choosing ignorance over the truth.

The validity of each text pertains to the overall claim of the comparable works. In “Agnotology,” Proctor uses factual validity to portray the truth to inform his audience of ignorance. While in “Go Hitler!” Noah uses effectual validity for a desired effect to persuade his audience. In these readings,