Abstract

This chapter will engage denial as a term and a mechanism that harbours both negative and positive aspects. The negative being; denying uncomfortable facts and suffering the consequences of failing to acknowledge them. The positive aspect: the ability to limit the impact of uncomfortable facts, as not to be paralyzed in horror and/or existential angst—e.g. even though we are faced with plausible “doomsday prophecies”, we are still able to cook dinner for our family and “kick back” once and a while. This chapter examines Denial in relation to education, and how denial of specific scientific, historical, medicinal facts has been applied as societal strategies, through education, in order to implement certain attitudes and values. Finally, we argue that denial offers a great potential when linked with the emerging thoughts related to Speculative Realism and Object Oriented Ontology and how we could, perhaps, enter a more critical and productive relationship with Denial on a societal, individual and educational level.