Conspicuous Cognition

This week, I am speaking on a panel at an event on “The Politics of Post-Truth?”. As part of the event, each speaker gives a ten-minute presentation. This is mine:

We are living through an “epistemological crisis,” a crisis of disinformation, misinformation, and conspiracy theories. Whereas politicians, pundits, and the public used to respect facts, there is now mass deception and delusion. In this post-truth era, populist demagogues spread blatant lies, voters prioritise emotion over reason, fake news runs rampant, and nefarious algorithms suck citizens down rabbit holes, trapping them in echo chambers where comforting delusions are repeated, reflected, and reinforced.

Judging by its continued influence since 2016, this narrative appeals to many people, especially liberals and progressives bewildered by recent political events and trends. However, it is deeply confused. It obscures our political and epistemological challenges and directs our attention away from possible solutions.

First, if this is the post-truth era, when was the truth era? If we are living through an epistemological crisis, when was the golden age of knowledge, understanding, and objectivity?

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