The opening sequence from the book of Exodus sounds like a story from today’s news.
“A new king, who knew nothing of Joseph, came to power in Egypt. He said to his subjects, ‘Look how numerous and powerful the people of the children of Israel are growing, more so than we ourselves! Come, let us deal shrewdly with them to stop their increase; otherwise, in time of war they too may join our enemies to fight against us, and so leave our country’” (Exodus 1:8–14, 22).
Pharaoh’s bombast was rooted in ignorance. “A new king, who knew nothing of Joseph, came to power in Egypt.” He had no understanding of how Joseph saved Egypt from famine, preserved the live of countless Egyptians, and bolstered the nation’s social stability. (Genesis 40–47).
More than ignorance of the facts, Pharaoh had a moral ignorance. He acknowledged no appreciation of the contributions of a key figure in his nation’s history, would own no debt of gratitude, and would show no kindness to the descendants of the family who prevented mass starvation.
The Pharaoh during Joseph’s time received a blessing from Joseph’s father Jacob, thereby acknowledging Jacob’s (and all Israel’s) superiority. Pharaoh, though, insisted on intentional and intransigent ignorance. After all, how could he exercise absolute power if anyone else contributed to his success?
Pharaoh needed the populace to become equally ignorant so he could rule by gaslight. “Don’t believe your eyes and ears. Only trust whatever I tell you to believe at the moment, even if I change my alternate facts in midsentence.” He says it so forcefully, it must be true!
Pharaoh generated suspicion so the nation questioned what they knew to be true. But this new guy seems so sure of himself.
Pharaoh peddled disinformation by co-opting media outlets. Influencers discussed every pharaonic word and deed until his presence became ubiquitous. Did you hear what outrageous thing he said? I wonder what he’ll do next!
Pharaoh gained control of educational institutions directly by dictating policies and indirectly by unleashing his fervent devotees to disrupt the local commissions. We demand what and how our kids will be taught!
Pharaoh believed his own propaganda and solidified his faith in himself by saturating his ego with the adulation of his ardent supporters until he seemed almost superhuman. “I alone can save you.” The voice of a god, not a man!
Pharaoh destabilized people’s trust in truth and made them culpable in his wicked schemes by constructing an evil genealogy of genocide.
Ignorance begat fear. Fear begat suspicion. Suspicion begat lies. Lies begat conspiracy. Conspiracy begat economic injustice. Economic injustice begat slavery. Slavery begat genocide.
Because factual and moral ignorance are primordial ancestors of bigotry and its consequent violence, two key factors can aid in preventing catastrophic outcomes. Knowledge of the mind and knowledge of the heart.
- Knowledge of the Mind. Having access to trustworthy sources of information is no small thing. Without shared access to various sources of knowledge, people cannot make informed decisions necessary for a functioning democracy. Professionals like journalists, historians, teachers, and librarians exercise a sacred duty to discover, communicate, and preserve knowledge for all of us. The proprietary digitalization of knowledge poses a risk beyond anything imagined in 1984. Literacy, erudition, and scholarship are essential, but alone they are inadequate in preventing bigotry and hatred. There are a lot of highly educated racists. An informed populace needs a second kind of knowledge.
- Knowledge of the Heart. Training in wisdom and ethical decision making enables people to exercise discernment when facing crucial challenges. Religious institutions and leaders have a key function, yet many have abdicated their role as greenhouses of wisdom and have become hothouses of corruption, hypocrisy, and hatred. In trading their prophetic function for a seat in Pharaoh’s court, Egypt’s religious leadership exacerbated society’s moral ignorance and facilitated Pharaoh’s evil ends.
Technical knowledge doesn’t make the list. As a subset of Knowledge of the Mind, the knowledge of technology gets a lot of good PR. Science and technology “improve our lives.” But some questions are rarely asked: What does improve mean? Who is us? People in wealthy nations have advanced smart phones, but people living near the mines of essential elements are forced to live with the violent and toxic mess. Of course, technology has created vaccines, cures for illnesses, and modern communication devices. But an unqualified knowledge of technology has the destructive potential of allying with Pharaoh by reducing everything to increasingly small bits that can be rotated, revolved, and reflected until they perform the tasks Pharaoh wants.
In the past century, Pharaohs have employed technology to manipulate everything from metals to mathematics, and the results are poisoning the earth and atmosphere on a global scale. This is why, as Iain McGilchrist has argued, integrated access to the knowledge of both mind and heart is essential.
Knowledge of the Mind alone leads to a dictatorship of obtuse foolishness, while Knowledge of the Heart alone devolves into superstition. In these forms, each one becomes a tool of Pharaoh to manipulate through technical mastery.
The Hesychast tradition practices a principle: Let the mind descend into the heart. Head knowledge informs the heart, while heart knowledge shapes the head.
The opening sequence of Exodus portrays a wicked genealogy of genocide. It is imperative that societies nurture the partnership of Mind and Heart. Our lives depend on it.
