Obscurantism

Obscurantism is the practice of intentionally preventing facts from being known by presenting unclear information. This is often done to prevent or delay deeper questions and understanding. Enlightenment philosophers specifically defined “obscurantist” as an opponent of intellectual enlightenment.

For instance, a politician in a press conference vaguely stated that “the issue is under control and we are doing everything in our power to resolve it." Similar statements are also being made regarding “top secret” cases. This is an example of obscurantism since he did not specify or validate what exactly was the issue. He also did not identify the steps that they are taking to address the problem. He deliberately gave imprecise information because he thought that it was best for the public to be unaware of the issue’s details.