Post-truth - Wikipedia

Post-truth is a periodizing concept referring to a transnational, historically specific, empirically observable public anxiety about public truth claims and ... Post-truth FromWikipedia,thefreeencyclopedia Jumptonavigation Jumptosearch Post-truthisaperiodizingconceptreferringtoatransnational,historicallyspecific,empiricallyobservablepublicanxietyaboutpublictruthclaimsandauthoritytobealegitimatepublictruth-teller.[1]Italsoreferstothetheoriesaboutthehistoricallyspecificconvergingcausesthathaveproduceditscommunicationformsandeffects.[2]ThetermwasnamedWordoftheYearin2016bytheOxfordDictionarywhereitisdefinedas"Relatingtoordenotingcircumstancesinwhichobjectivefactsarelessinfluentialinshapingpublicopinionthanappealstoemotionandpersonalbelief".[3][4]AsOxforddictionaries'webpageonpost-truthexplains,theterm'susespikedwithreferencetothecommunicationcontextintheperiodaroundthe2016UnitedStatespresidentialelectionandtheBrexitreferendum.Oxforddictionariesfurthernotesthatpost-truthwasoftenusedasanadjectivetosignaladistinctivekindofpolitics--post-truthpolitics.[5]Itcontinuestobeusedfrequentlyinthisregard. Somescholarsarguethatpost-truthhassimilaritieswithpastmoral,epistemic,andpoliticaldebatesaboutrelativism,postmodernity,andmendacityinpolitics,includinguntruthfulness,lies,deception,anddeliberatefalsehood,[6]whileothersinsistthatpost-truthreferstodistincthistorical,social,andpoliticalrelationsandformsespeciallyassociatedwith21stcenturycommunicationtechnologiesandculturalpractices.[7] Contents 1HistoricalPrecedentsinPhilosophy 1.1FriedrichNietzsche 1.2MaxWeber 1.2.1Criticism 2Criticaltheory 2.1HannahArendt 3Contemporaryevaluation 4Seealso 5References 6Furtherreading HistoricalPrecedentsinPhilosophy[edit] FriedrichNietzsche[edit] FriedrichNietzscheisfrequentlyinvokedasoneofthechiefpredecessorsoftheconceptofpost-truth.[8][9][10]Hearguesthathumanscreatetheconceptsthroughwhichtheydefinethegoodandthejust,therebyreplacingtheconceptoftruthwiththeconceptofvalue,andgroundingrealityinthehumanwillandwilltopower. Inhis1873essayTruthandLyinginanExtra-MoralSense,Nietzscheholdsthathumanscreatetruthabouttheworldthroughtheiruseofmetaphor,myth,andpoetry.Hewrites,"Ifsomeonehidesanobjectbehindabush,thenseeksandfindsitthere,thatseekingandfindingisnotverylaudable:butthatisthewayitiswiththeseekingandfindingof"truth"withintherationalsphere.IfIdefinethemammalandthenafterexaminingacameldeclare,"See,amammal,"atruthisbroughttolight,butitisoflimitedvalue.Imean,itisanthropomorphicthroughandthroughandcontainsnotasinglepointthatwouldbe"trueanduniversallyvalid,apartfromman.Theinvestigatorintosuchtruthsisbasicallyseekingjustthemetamorphosisoftheworldintoman;heisstrugglingtounderstandtheworldasahuman-likethingandacquiresatbestafeelingofassimilation.” MaxWeber[edit] InhisessayScienceasaVocation(1917)MaxWeberdrawsadistinctionbetweenfactsandvalues.Hearguesthatfactscanbedeterminedthroughthemethodsofavalue-free,objectivesocialscience,whilevaluesarederivedthroughcultureandreligion,thetruthofwhichcannotbeknownthroughscience.Hewrites,"itisonethingtostatefacts,todeterminemathematicalorlogicalrelationsortheinternalstructureofculturalvalues,whileitisanotherthingtoanswerquestionsofthevalueofcultureanditsindividualcontentsandthequestionofhowoneshouldactintheculturalcommunityandinpoliticalassociations.Thesearequiteheterogeneousproblems.”[11]Inhis1919essayPoliticsasaVocation,hearguesthatfacts,likeactions,donotinthemselvescontainanyintrinsicmeaningorpower:"anyethicintheworldcouldestablishsubstantiallyidenticalcommandmentsapplicabletoallrelationships."[12] Criticism[edit] PhilosopherLeoStrausscriticizesWeberforattemptingtoisolatereasoncompletelyfromopinion.Straussacknowledgesthephilosophicaltroubleofderiving'ought'from'is',butarguesthatwhatWeberhasdoneinhisframingofthispuzzleisinfactdenyaltogetherthatthe‘ought’iswithinreachofhumanreason.[13]StraussworriesthatifWeberisright,weareleftwithaworldinwhichtheknowabletruthisatruththatcannotbeevaluatedaccordingtoethicalstandards.Thisconflictbetweenethicsandpoliticswouldmeanthattherecanbenogroundingforanyvaluationofthegood,andwithoutreferencetovalues,factslosetheirmeaning.[14] Criticaltheory[edit] Someinfluentialphilosophersareskepticalofthedivisionbetweenfactsandvalues.Theyarguethatscientificfactsaresociallyproducedthroughrelationsofpower.TheFrenchphilosopherBrunoLatourhasbeencriticizedforcontributingtotheintellectualfoundationsforpost-truth.In2018,theNewYorkTimesranaprofileonBrunoLatourandpost-truthpolitics.Accordingtothearticle,"Inaseriesofcontroversialbooksinthe1970sand1980s,[Latour]arguedthatscientificfactsshouldinsteadbeseenasaproductofscientificinquiry.Facts,Latoursaid,were“networked”;theystoodorfellnotonthestrengthoftheirinherentveracitybutonthestrengthoftheinstitutionsandpracticesthatproducedthemandmadethemintelligible."[15]However,thearticleclaimsthatitisamisinterpretationtoclaimthatLatourdoesn'tbelieveinrealityorthattruthisrelative:"Hadtheybeenamongourcircusthatday,Latour’scriticsmighthavefeltthattherewassomethingoddaboutthescene—theoldadversaryofscienceworshiperskneelingbeforethealtarofscience.Butwhattheywouldhavemissed—whattheyhavealwaysmissed—wasthatLatourneversoughttodenytheexistenceofgravity.Hehasbeendoingsomethingmuchmoreunusual:tryingtoredescribetheconditionsbywhichthisknowledgecomestobeknown."Inthissense,Latour(orMichelFoucault[16]aswell)drawsattentiontotheinstitutionalandpracticalcontingenciesforproducingknowledge(whichinscienceisalwayschangingatslowerandfasterrates). HannahArendt[edit] InheressayLyinginPolitics(1972),HannahArendtdescribeswhatshetermsdefactualization,ortheinabilitytodiscernfactfromfiction[17]—aconceptveryclosetowhatwenowunderstandbypost-truth.Theessay’scentralthemeisthethoroughgoingpoliticaldeceptionthatwasunveiledwiththeleakingofthePentagonPapersin1971.Hermaintargetofcritiqueistheprofessional“problem-solvers”taskedwithsolvingAmericanforeignpolicy"problems"duringtheVietnamWar,andwhocomprisedthegroupthatauthoredtheMcNamarareport.[18] Arendtdistinguishesdefactualizationfromdeliberatefalsehood[19]andfromlying.[20]Shewrites,“Thedeliberatefalsehooddealswithcontingentfacts;thatis,withmattersthatcarrynoinherenttruthwithinthemselves,nonecessitytobeastheyare.Factualtruthsarenevercompellinglytrue.Thehistorianknowshowvulnerableisthewholetextureoffactsinwhichwespendourdailylife;itisalwaysindangerofbeingperforatedbysingleliesortorntoshredsbytheorganizedlyingofgroups,nations,orclasses,ordeniedanddistorted,oftencarefullycoveredupbyreamsoffalsehoodsorsimplyallowedtofallintooblivion.”Shegoeson,"Therealwayscomesthepointbeyondwhichlyingbecomescounterproductive.Thispointisreachedwhentheaudiencetowhichtheliesareaddressedisforcedtodisregardaltogetherthedistinguishinglinebetweentruthandfalsehoodinordertobeabletosurvive.Truthorfalsehood—itdoesnotmatterwhichanymore,ifyourlifedependsonyouractingasthoughyoutrusted;truththatcanbereliedondisappearsentirelyfrompubliclife,andwithitthechiefstabilizingfactorintheever-changingaffairsofmen.”ArendtfaultstheVietnameraproblem-solverswithbeingoverlyrational,"trainedintranslatingallfactualcontentsintothelanguageofnumbersandpercentages,”[21]andoutoftouchwiththefactsof“givenreality.”[22]Contrarytocontemporarydefinitionsofpost-truththatemphasizearelianceonemotionoverfactsandevidence,Arendt’snotionofdefactualizationidentifieshyper-rationalityasthemechanismthatblursthelinebetween“factandfantasy”:theproblem-solvers"wereindeedtoaratherfrighteningdegreeabove‘sentimentality'andinlovewith‘theory,'theworldofsheermentaleffort.Theywereeagertofindformulas,preferablyexpressedinapseudo-mathematicallanguage...”[23] Arendtwrites:“Whattheseproblem-solvershaveincommonwithdown-to-earthliarsistheattempttogetridoffactsandtheconfidencethatthisshouldbepossiblebecauseoftheinherentcontingencyoffacts.”[24]Sheexplainsthatdeceptionandevenself-deceptionarerenderedmeaninglessinadefactualizedworld,forbothrelyonpreservingthedistinctionbetweentruthandfalsehood.Ontheotherhand,inadefactualizedenvironment,theindividual“losesallcontactwithnotonlyhisaudience,butalsotherealworld,whichwillstillcatchupwithhimbecausehecanremovehismindfromitbutnothisbody.”[25] Contemporaryevaluation[edit] CarlSagan,afamousastronomerandsciencecommunicator,arguedinhisworkTheDemon-HauntedWorld:ScienceasaCandleintheDark: Scienceismorethanabodyofknowledge;itisawayofthinking.IhaveaforebodingofanAmericainmychildren'sorgrandchildren'stime—whentheUnitedStatesisaserviceandinformationeconomy;whennearlyallthekeymanufacturingindustrieshaveslippedawaytoothercountries;whenawesometechnologicalpowersareinthehandsofaveryfew,andnoonerepresentingthepublicinterestcanevengrasptheissues;whenthepeoplehavelosttheabilitytosettheirownagendasorknowledgeablyquestionthoseinauthority;when,clutchingourcrystalsandnervouslyconsultingourhoroscopes,ourcriticalfacultiesindecline,unabletodistinguishbetweenwhatfeelsgoodandwhat'strue,weslide,almostwithoutnoticing,backintosuperstitionanddarkness.[26] CarlSagan'swordsarethoughttobeapredictionofa"post-truth"or"alternativefacts"worldaftertheinaugurationofDonaldTrumpon20January2017.[27] HistorianTimothySnyderwroteofthe2021stormingoftheUnitedStatesCapitol: Post-truthispre-fascism...Whenwegiveupontruth,weconcedepowertothosewiththewealthandcharismatocreatespectacleinitsplace.Withoutagreementaboutsomebasicfacts,citizenscannotformthecivilsocietythatwouldallowthemtodefendthemselves.Ifwelosetheinstitutionsthatproducefactsthatarepertinenttous,thenwetendtowallowinattractiveabstractionsandfictions...Post-truthwearsawaytheruleoflawandinvitesaregimeofmyth.[28] Seealso[edit] Post-truthPolitics Consensusreality Philosophicalskepticism Socialconstructionism Truthiness Truthbyconsensus References[edit] ^Harsin,Jayson(2018-12-20)."Post-TruthandCriticalCommunicationStudies".OxfordResearchEncyclopediaof.doi:10.1093/acrefore/9780190228613.013.757.Retrieved2021-10-07. ^Harsin,Jayson(2018-12-20)."Post-TruthandCriticalCommunicationStudies".OxfordResearchEncyclopediaofCommunication.doi:10.1093/acrefore/9780190228613.013.757.Retrieved2021-10-07. ^"WordoftheYear2016is..."OxfordDictionaries.Retrieved2019-05-20. ^MetaliterateLearningforthePost-TruthWorld,ThomasP.Mackey,Neal-SchumanPublishers,2019,ISBN 978-0838917763 ^"OxfordWordoftheYear2016|OxfordLanguages".languages.oup.com.Retrieved2021-11-15. ^Arendt,Hannah(1972).CrisesoftheRepublic;lyinginpolitics,civildisobedienceonviolence,thoughtsonpolitics,andrevolution.HarcourtBraceJovanovich.pp. 4.ISBN 0151230951.OCLC 1081530613. ^Harsin,Jayson(2018-12-20)."Post-TruthandCriticalCommunicationStudies".OxfordResearchEncyclopediaofCommunication.doi:10.1093/acrefore/9780190228613.013.757.Retrieved2021-10-07. ^Papazoglou,Alexis."Thepost-trutheraofTrumpisjustwhatNietzschepredicted".TheConversation.Retrieved2019-04-22. ^ago,EmmanuelAlloa•2years(2017-08-28)."Post-Truthor:WhyNietzscheisnotResponsibleforDonaldTrump".ThePhilosophicalSalon.Retrieved2019-04-22. ^Heit,Helmut(2018)."ThereAreNoFacts...'NietzscheasPredecessorofPost-Truth?".StudiaPhilosophicaEstonica.11(1):44–63–viaacademia.edu. ^Weber,Max(1958).FromMaxWeber :essaysinsociology.Gerth,Hans,1908-1979,,Mills,C.Wright(CharlesWright),1916-1962.NewYork:OxfordUniversityPress.pp. 146.ISBN 0195004620.OCLC 5654107. ^Weber1958,p.357. ^Strauss,Leo(2008).Naturalrightandhistory.UniversityofChicagoPress.p. 66.ISBN 978-0226776941.OCLC 551845170. ^Strauss2008,p.72. ^Kofman,Ava(2018-10-25)."BrunoLatour,thePost-TruthPhilosopher,MountsaDefenseofScience".TheNewYorkTimes.ISSN 0362-4331.Archivedfromtheoriginalon2020-12-20.Retrieved2019-04-22.CS1maint:bot:originalURLstatusunknown(link). ^Foucault,Michel(2001)[1976]."TruthandPower".InFaubion,James(ed.).Power:EssentialWorksofFoucault.NewPress.pp. 111–133. ^Arendt1972,p.20. ^Arendt1972,p.9. ^Arendt1972,p.6. ^Arendt1972,p.7. ^Arendt1972,p.18. ^Arendt1972,p.11. ^Arendt1972,p.11. ^Arendt1972,p.12. ^Arendt1972,p.36. ^Sagan,Carl(1996).TheDemon-Hauntedworld:ScienceasaCandleintheDark.NewYork:Ballantine.ISBN 9780345409461. ^"IsThisCarlSagan's'ForebodingofanAmerica'?".Snopes.Retrieved26June2021. ^Snyder,Timothy(2021-01-09)."TheAmericanAbyss".TheNewYorkTimes.ISSN 0362-4331.Retrieved2021-02-08. Furtherreading[edit] Adler,Emanuel;Drieschova,Alena(2021)."TheEpistemologicalChallengeofTruthSubversiontotheLiberalInternationalOrder".InternationalOrganization.75(2):359–386.doi:10.1017/S0020818320000533.ISSN 0020-8183. Kakutani,Michiko."TheDeathofTruth"PenguinRandomHouse(August2019) McIntyre,Lee."PostTruth"MITPress(February2018) Muckle,Bob(2017)."EquippingArchaeologyforthePost-Truth,FakeNewsEra".AnthropologyNews.58(1):e164–e167.doi:10.1111/AN.297.ISSN 1556-3502.Retrieved26June2021. 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