Part 3/7:
The Nature of Stupidity: A Moral Crisis
Bonhoeffer defined evil as something that can be confronted; it is recognizable and often resides within the conscience of individuals. On the contrary, stupidity, as he articulated, is an impenetrable state of mind—resistant to logic, blind to truth, and immune to reason. This stubbornness appears in individuals who cling to their beliefs with certainty, often devoid of any reflective questioning.
As Martin Luther King Jr. noted, “nothing in the world is more dangerous than sincere ignorance and conscientious stupidity.” This captures the essence of Bonhoeffer’s thesis: stupidity frequently operates unconsciously, leading individuals to remain unaware of their misguided convictions and irrational behaviors.