Patanjali's five root afflictions (ignorance, ego, attachment, aversion, fear) mapped onto cognitive and systemic barriers blocking genuine knowledge advancement.
Patanjali identifies five kleshas (afflictions or obstacles) that obstruct clear seeing: avidya (ignorance), asmita (ego-identification), raga (attachment), dvesha (aversion), and abhinivesha (fear of change). These psychological patterns block liberation and perpetuate suffering. In knowledge systems, kleshas manifest as resistance to updating beliefs, tribal loyalty to outdated frameworks, fear of obsolescence, and ego-driven defense of established hierarchies. AI compounds these obstacles: algorithms can amplify our attachments and aversions through filter bubbles, reinforce ego through personalized flattery, and institutionalize ignorance at scale. Recognizing the five kleshas in educational and knowledge platforms enables targeted intervention. Addressing asmita means democratizing expertise; tackling raga requires designing for intellectual flexibility; counteracting dvesha demands exposing students to perspectives that challenge existing beliefs; overcoming abhinivesha involves creating safe spaces for paradigm shifts. Periagoge, structured around klesa awareness, becomes a framework for psychological and epistemological liberation rather than mere information transfer.
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