The Topic of Moral Ignorance in the Poetics of Abai Kunanbayev

Abstract

The article analyzes the topic of ignorance in the poetry of Abai Kunanbayev – the classical
author of Kazakh literature, philosopher and educator, based on the example of the poems “I was cold to the
knowledge in my youth” (“Жасымда ғылым бар деп ескермедім”), “Be silent until you know” (“Ғылым таппай мақтанба”), “Be critical on your way” (“Әсемпаз болма әрнеге”), as well as the poet’s words of exhortation
(“The Book of Words”). The authors of this article suggest distinguishing between two sides of ignorance:
objective, the basis of which is the lack of education, and subjective – the lack of culture in an educated person.
Thus, the researchers have found a particular category of ignorance in the work of Abai Kunanbayev – moral
ignorance, which cannot be correlated with a lack of education. Moral ignorance lies in the use of knowledge to
achieve one’s own selfish goals, which, in Abai Kunanbayev’s opinion, is unacceptable