From Power to Bliss

(a mathematical derivation of ‘ignorance is bliss”)

            We’ve all heard that “ignorance is bliss” and accept that this statement is usually quite accurate.  It is my speculation that this truism is indicative of a deeper phenomenon:

Power and Bliss are opposite ends of a spectrum and Knowledge is its medium.

Power and responsibility are two ways of looking at the same social concept – ‘power’ chooses to focus on the positives, ‘responsibility’ on the negatives.  Likewise bliss and irresponsibility are two ways of looking at the inverse social concept – ‘bliss’ chooses to focus on the positives, ‘irresponsibility’ on the negatives.  More power equals more responsibility and more bliss equals more irresponsibility.  Now consider that irresponsibility and responsibility are obvious opposites and it should be clear that power and bliss are opposites (it’s just that they are both cast in favorable lights).

I’m going to make a brief interruption to clarify the use of ‘bliss’ – bliss is not the same thing as ‘contentment’.  Bliss simply implies a lack, or at least a reduced burden, of worries.  Bliss is a mental state; contentment is an attitude.  Therefore a blissful youth may still be a malcontent as they often are.

If we think of ‘responsibility’ as a general, objective measure (encompassing both the ideals of both power and bliss) we have a scale, where at one end is ‘power’ and the other end is ‘bliss’.

Therefore responsibility is the medium of the scale.  But, you’ll remember that I said it was knowledge. 

What is the relationship between responsibility and knowledge?  Knowledge is a prerequisite of responsibility – one can not be responsible for a situation one does not even understand.  But, one can have the knowledge necessary to be responsible and choose not to be.  Therefore, responsibility depends on knowledge, but knowledge does not imply responsibility. 

Since responsibility implies an underlying foundation of knowledge, we can say that if Power and Bliss are measured in responsibility they (or at least the capacities for their existence) are also measured in knowledge.

Now we can see that Bliss is a direct product of knowledge and that a lack of knowledge guarantees bliss (hence ignorance is bliss). 

Why would we want to go through all of this?  Well, the discussion kind of proves its own worth if it is viewed as an exercise in escaping ignorance.  If that doesn’t make sense, well, don’t worry about it.