The Post-Truth Condition: Why We've Always Been There and Why It's Unlikely to Go Away Soon

Although 'post-truth' became Oxford Dictionary's word of the year only in 2016, the concept is endemic to the history of Western thought,albeit typically existing in an underground and somewhat disreputable state. From the ancient Sophists to the 'constructivist' turn across many disciplines in the twentieth century, post-truth has always been with us, however much we wish to deny its presence. This talk, drawn from Fuller's new book on 'post-truth', explains and -- to a large extent -- justifies the value of the post-truth condition, notwithstanding the political aberrations nowadays associated with it, not least Brexit and Trump.

Part of the InSIS Seminar Series Hilary Term 2018

Presented by Steve Fuller

Steve Fuller is Auguste Comte Professor of Social Epistemology in the Department of Sociology at the University of Warwick, UK. Originally trained in history and philosophy of science, Fuller is best known for his foundational work in the field of ‘social epistemology’, which is the name of a quarterly journal that he founded in 1987 as well as the first of his more than twenty books. From 2011 to 2014 he published a trilogy relating to the idea of a ‘post-’ or ‘trans-‘ human future, all published with Palgrave Macmillan under the rubric of ‘Humanity 2.0’. His most recent books are Knowledge: The Philosophical Quest in History (Routledge 2015) and The Academic Caesar (Sage 2016). His most recent book, Post-Truth: Knowledge as a Power Game, is published by Anthem Press in 2018.