Fecha: 10-14 de agosto de 2021<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Lugar: <\/strong>Universidad de Radboud<\/p>\n\n\n\n Responsable:<\/strong> Dr. Simon Truwant (KU Leuven)<\/p>\n\n\n\n Fecha l\u00edmite de registro: <\/strong>1 de marzo de <\/p>\n\n\n\n In the aftermath of the\nBrexit and the election of Donald Trump, both Oxford English\nDictionaries and the Gesellschaft f\u00fcr Deutsche Sprache declared\n‘post-truth’ or ‘postfaktisch’ Word of the Year 2016. Ever since, political,\nsociological, and psychological analysts have tried to explain what\nit means for our society as well as our personal lives that\n\u00abobjective facts have become less influential in shaping public opinion\nthan appeals to emotion and personal belief\u201d (OED). The recent surge\nin conspiracy theories about the Covid-19 pandemic and the aftermath of the\n2020 American elections show that this debate is still highly relevant.<\/p>\n\n\n\n In the first, introductory,\npart of the course, we will critically engage with 1) the politics of\ndeveloping post-truth claims, 2) the journalistic\ntools and strategies for covering such\nclaims, and 3) the psychological mechanisms of the public to process\nthem. This means that we will view the ‘post-truth era’ as a\nmatrix for the following cultural phenomena: the fabrication of\nscientific dissensus for the sake of economic and political\nends, the popularity of both \u2018news avoidance\u2019 and conspiracy theories\nwhile serious journalism is labeled \u2018fake news\u2019, new forms of populism\nthat threaten the pillars of democracy, the contemporary cult of \u2018authenticity\u2019, and the\nevolution of the internet from a tool for the\ndemocratization of knowledge to a generator of ‘filter\nbubbles’ and a forum for shouting matches.<\/p>\n\n\n\n In the second, main, part of\nthe course, we will explore the philosophical dimension of the\n‘post-truth phenomenon’ – the meaning and conditions of ‘truth’ are,\nafter all, traditional philosophical topics. To this goal, we will\nconsider three recent philosophical accounts of truth and\ntruthfulness: 1) Harry Frankfurt’s notion of ‘bullshit’ as \u00aba greater\nenemy of the truth than lies\u00bb; 2) Ernst Cassirer’s philosophy of\n‘Enlightenment pluralism’; and 3) Martin Heidegger’s theory about the\nconnection between truth, care, and authenticity. On this basis, we\nwill map the differences and conflicts between the most influential\nmodern and postmodern notions of truth. Finally, it will enable us\nto formulate (a) response(s) to the problematic features of the\n‘post-truth attitude’.<\/p>\n\n\n\n This course is\ndesigned for students who are interested in philosophy as well as\npolitical science, sociology, history, or cultural studies; are concerned about\nrecent developments in politics,\njournalism, and education; and wish to gain a better\nunderstanding of what truth can still mean in the 21st century. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Applicants must have a general background in philosophy and explain their background\u00a0and\u00a0their interest in the course topic(s) in their motivation letter.<\/p>\n\n\n\n