Lying Liars, Fakes, Frauds

3 Credits · Level: Undergraduate

Lying Liars, Fakes, and Frauds: Cultures of Mendacity in Politics from Ancient Athens to the Age of AI “It is the lie, much more than the laugh, that characterizes man.” – Alexander Koyré This course will examine the history and philosophy of lies, fakes, and frauds from the ancient world to the present, investigating their abiding, often infuriating, and perhaps critical role in private and public life. Pairing readings in classical and contemporary critical theory--Plato, Augustine, Nietzsche, Derrida, Arendt, and others--with case-studies of present-day liars, fakes, and frauds, we will interrogate the evolution of the very idea of the "lie" and the attendant efforts to define, classify, and quarantine its reach. We will concentrate especially on how lies are distinguished—or not—from truth, error, falsehood, misinformation, "bullshit," and deception. While many considerations of lies and lying have tended to narrow their concern to the moral dimensions of lying—“Is it good or bad to lie?” “Under what conditions is a lie morally permissible?”—we will attempt to understand what is at stake for individuals if and when they choose mendacity. Weekly readings will be supplemented by a series of guest lectures from practitioners on how mendacity is dealt with and discussed in politics, technology, journalism, and law.