A Post-Truth World

3 Credits · Level: Graduate, Undergraduate

Manufactured skepticism towards academic knowledge and professional expertise allows spin, propaganda, and disinformation to disseminate widely, promoting a cacophony of ideological agendas. There is nothing new about this situation; since the mid-twentieth century, there have been warnings about “The Death of the Academy”; “The Disappearance of the Public Intellectual”; “The Decline of Professionalism”; and so forth. A tide of cynicism and surrender has enveloped public attitudes towards social media, civic institutions, and science, and many are dubious about sustaining a focus on truth. Blame has been placed on the relativism of the radical Left, the anti-objectivism of postmodernism, the dogmatism of conservatism, the degeneration of social media, the politicization of fake news, and the hyper-skepticism towards science. Where is truth still to be found? The further question comes to mind: did “the truth” ever really matter that much? Perhaps we need to adjust to life in our “post truth” world. Several disciplinary areas from the humanities are consulted in this course: history, culture criticism, literature, science studies, communication studies, media ethics, professional ethics, and political philosophy. This course will be writing intensive, requiring types of composition appropriate for a journalistic exposé, an opinionated blog, a policy brief, an analytical essay, and a research paper.