Unknown Unknowns

An unknown unknown is a piece of knowledge that we don’t know and we also don’t know that we don’t know it. It is written about by Keeley in “God as the Ultimate Conspiracy Theory.” He uses the example of national security: of course, there are things being planned that the nation is completely ignorant of. This has to do with conspiracy theories because Keeley argues that conspiracy theories “point to a realm where “unknown unknowns” are to be expected.”

Brian L. Keeley (2007). God as the Ultimate Conspiracy Theory. Episteme, 4, pp 135-149