PHI 261 - Topics: Truth, Lies, and Bullshit (1)

It is claimed that we live in a post-truth, post-fact world, a world awash in lies and bullshit. Experts are dismissed. Information and misinformation are manipulated to influence beliefs and behaviors. Conspiracy theories proliferate. Newspapers and TV are accused of spreading fake news. Disagreements seem intractable, as if participants live in different worlds. Our question is how we can think and act rationally in such a world. Can we differentiate truth from the bullshit? How can we combat ubiquitous attempts at irrational persuasion? How should we decide what to believe now? We will consider philosophical accounts of rationality and knowledge, as well as research from the social sciences. Our goal is to consider our obligations as rational, morally responsible agents and citizens in a world in which such agency is being actively subverted.
(Humanities)