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Post-Truth, Fake News and Democracy: Mapping the Politics of Falsehood
Western societies are under siege, as fake news, post-truth and alternative facts are undermining the very core of democracy. This dystopian narrative is currently circulated by intellectuals, journalists and policy makers worldwide. In this book, Johan Farkas and Jannick Schou deliver a comprehensive study of post-truth discourses. They critically map the normative ideas contained in these and present a forceful call for deepening democracy.
The dominant narrative of our time is that democracy is in a state of emergency caused by social media, changes to journalism and misinformed masses. This crisis needs to be resolved by reinstating truth at the heart of democracy, even if this means curtailing civic participation and popular sovereignty. Engaging with critical political philosophy, Farkas and Schou argue that these solutions neglect the fact that democracy has never been about truth it is equally about the voice of the democratic people.
Post-Truth, Fake News and Democracy delivers a sobering diagnosis of our times. It maps contemporary discourses on truth and democracy, foregrounds their normative foundations and connects these to historical changes within liberal democracies. The book will be of interest to students and scholars studying the current state and future of democracy, as well as to a politically informed readership.
The dominant narrative of our time is that democracy is in a state of emergency caused by social media, changes to journalism and misinformed masses. This crisis needs to be resolved by reinstating truth at the heart of democracy, even if this means curtailing civic participation and popular sovereignty. Engaging with critical political philosophy, Farkas and Schou argue that these solutions neglect the fact that democracy has never been about truth it is equally about the voice of the democratic people.
Post-Truth, Fake News and Democracy delivers a sobering diagnosis of our times. It maps contemporary discourses on truth and democracy, foregrounds their normative foundations and connects these to historical changes within liberal democracies. The book will be of interest to students and scholars studying the current state and future of democracy, as well as to a politically informed readership.
- GenresNonfiction
166 pages, ebook
Published August 23, 2019
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Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews
June 29, 2020
A pretty interesting overview of the nature of 'truth' in our seemingly 'post-truth' worlds, which leads the authors to question the place that truth had had historically in the makeup of our western democracies. The authors really go over a lot of material in their 166 pages, and they argue against most of the proposed solutions to our 'post-truth' moment. The authors doubt that there is such a thing as 'post-truth', as it's not clear that there has ever been anything like capital T Truth in the first place. if truth is relative, then can we argue for a state of 'post-truth'? Reading this book alongside other books that dive into the historical process of democracy and truth makes us ask hard questions, such as how was the idea of truth was constructed and maintained over time, and is an affirmation and a construction of truth necessary for democracy? Or does it undermine it? Also, if we need to 'construct' the truth and fixate it in the minds of a population through, for example, our educational system, then can we truly say that we are in a democratic society? When would that be construed as authoritarian practices versus democratic ones?
The book isn't perfect. It sounds very pessimistic; there's a feeling throughout that nothing should be done because there is no such thing as the truth. Also, the book seemingly argues for a relativistic position towards truth, yet argues that we should invest in our truth-making institutions, which would seemingly enforce a non-relativistic vision of the truth. Something doesn't sit right with me there, somehow. Or maybe the authors are instead saying that we need to invest in these institutions as they lead to better critical capabilities amongst its population, and thus leads to increased skill in navigating the murky waters of 'truth'. I'm not sure; I would have to re-read it :P
Anyhow, overall an enjoyable read. And this is an easy one too; it uses easy to understand language for the most part.
The book isn't perfect. It sounds very pessimistic; there's a feeling throughout that nothing should be done because there is no such thing as the truth. Also, the book seemingly argues for a relativistic position towards truth, yet argues that we should invest in our truth-making institutions, which would seemingly enforce a non-relativistic vision of the truth. Something doesn't sit right with me there, somehow. Or maybe the authors are instead saying that we need to invest in these institutions as they lead to better critical capabilities amongst its population, and thus leads to increased skill in navigating the murky waters of 'truth'. I'm not sure; I would have to re-read it :P
Anyhow, overall an enjoyable read. And this is an easy one too; it uses easy to understand language for the most part.
January 28, 2021
Farkas and Schou provide a thought-provoking and much needed account of the current discourse surrounding the current so-called 'post-truth' world we find ourselves in. They lay out the debates (including their contradictions and paradoxes) regarding the problems we seem to be facing - how did we get here? But they also offer a much needed critique of the ideas regarding the origins of this post-truth climate; this is not a sudden rupture, but a crisis of Western democracy that has been slowly eroding for decades. There are some excellent provocations here regarding the actual relation between capital 'T' Truth and Democracy that offer much to reflect on.
October 3, 2025
Tää kirja oli yks iso hot take
Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews