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The Bernoulli Network for the Behavioral Sciences of the Faculty of Business and Economics and the Faculty of Psychology cordially invite you to the 14th Bernoulli Lecture for the Behavioral Sciences, presented by Professor Dr. Ralph Hertwig.

Aristotle claimed that humans “by nature desire to know.” Hobbes called curiosity “the lust of the mind,” and Maslow described our urge to know as an instinct-like “burning curiosity.” Yet we often choose not to know. We often decline potentially painful medical information. Günter Grass did not want to read his Stasi file. Paul Feyerabend cautioned against trying to know everything about those close to us. Deliberate ignorance is far from rare — especially in consequential decisions.

This talk will ask: When is not knowing reasonable, and when is it reckless? Can individuals or societies ever have a moral obligation to remain ignorant? Who is homo ignorans — what distinguishes seekers from non-seekers of information? Which psychological mechanisms lead us to avert our gaze, and how can these processes be modeled? How prevalent is deliberate ignorance in times of societal transformation, and how does it evolve from childhood through old age?

Decisions under uncertainty

Professor Dr. Ralph Hertwig is Director of the Center for Adaptive Rationality at the Max Planck Institute for Human Development in Berlin, where his work focuses on how people make decisions under uncertainty and how simple cognitive strategies can lead to effective outcomes. Hertwig’s research bridges psychology, behavioral economics, and public policy, with the aim of improving decision environments in areas such as health, risk communication, and societal policy.

Registration

Registration is not required.