The constitution of knowledge : a defense of truth
(Book)

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Published
Washington, D.C. : Brookings Institution Press, [2021].
Status
Franklin Ave. Library - Nonfiction - Adult
174.907 R
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Published
Washington, D.C. : Brookings Institution Press, [2021].
Format
Book
Physical Desc
viii, 305 pages ; 24 cm
Language
English

Notes

Bibliography
Includes bibliographical references (pages 267-287) and index.
Description
"Disinformation. Trolling. Conspiracies. Cancel culture. Social media pile-ons. Campus intolerance. On the surface, these recent additions to our daily vocabulary appear to have little in common. But together, they are driving an epistemic crisis: a multi-front challenge to America's ability to distinguish fact from fiction and elevate truth above falsehood. In 2016 Russian trolls and bots nearly drowned the truth in a flood of fake news and conspiracy theories, and Donald Trump and his troll armies continued to do the same. Social media companies struggled to keep up with a flood of falsehoods, and too often didn't even seem to try. Experts and some public officials began wondering if society was losing its grip on truth itself. Meanwhile, another new phenomenon appeared: "cancel culture." At the push of a button, those armed with a cellphone could gang up by the thousands on anyone who ran afoul of their sanctimony. In this pathbreaking book, Jonathan Rauch reaches back to the parallel eighteenth-century developments of liberal democracy and science to explain what he calls the "Constitution of Knowledge"--our social system for turning disagreement into truth. By explicating the Constitution of Knowledge and probing the war on reality, Rauch arms defenders of truth with a clearer understanding of what they must protect, why they must do--and how they can do it. His book is a sweeping and readable description of how every American can help defend objective truth and free inquiry from threats as far away as Russia and as close as the cellphone."--,Amazon.
Description
Analyzing trends in American disinformation and conspiracy, Rauch reaches back to the parallel eighteenth-century developments of liberal democracy and science to explain what he calls the "Constitution of Knowledge"--our social system for turning disagreement into truth. By explicating the Constitution of Knowledge and probing the war on reality, Rauch posits a defined understanding of truth and free inquiry, with discussion of how and why they should be defended.

Citations

APA Citation, 7th Edition (style guide)

Rauch, J. (2021). The constitution of knowledge: a defense of truth . Brookings Institution Press.

Chicago / Turabian - Author Date Citation, 17th Edition (style guide)

Rauch, Jonathan, 1960-. 2021. The Constitution of Knowledge: A Defense of Truth. Brookings Institution Press.

Chicago / Turabian - Humanities (Notes and Bibliography) Citation, 17th Edition (style guide)

Rauch, Jonathan, 1960-. The Constitution of Knowledge: A Defense of Truth Brookings Institution Press, 2021.

MLA Citation, 9th Edition (style guide)

Rauch, Jonathan. The Constitution of Knowledge: A Defense of Truth Brookings Institution Press, 2021.

Note! Citations contain only title, author, edition, publisher, and year published. Citations should be used as a guideline and should be double checked for accuracy. Citation formats are based on standards as of August 2021.

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