The Post-Truth Crisis

The Post-Truth Crisis

by Gila Sher

Humanities, Social Sciences & Thought Philosophy & Ethics QDTTopics in philosophyQDTKPhilosophy: epistemology and theory of knowledge
🎙 Gila Sher 👥 1K 📅 May 14, 2022 ⏱ 125 min 👁 100 📄 expert opinion 🧭 2026-08-17
Available in: English (current) Français

Keywords

post-truthtruthdeflationismsubstantivismhuman value

Summary

In this lecture, Professor Gila Sher addresses the post-truth crisis, a phenomenon characterized by widespread denial and disregard for truth. She argues that the crisis is not merely a collection of isolated denials but a unified societal issue with existential dangers. Sher critiques deflationist theories of truth, which reduce truth to a trivial technical device, and instead proposes that truth is a substantive human value essential for humanity. She emphasizes the need for philosophy to engage with this crisis and develop a substantive theory of truth that explains its importance. The lecture includes a discussion with Professor Yong Li, who raises questions about the global scope of the crisis and the role of social media. Sher’s argument sets the stage for her subsequent lectures on the value of truth and moral truth.

132 words

Critical Evaluation

Value of the Information & Strength of the Argument

The lecture provides a valuable philosophical analysis of the post-truth crisis, offering a clear critique of deflationism and advocating for a substantive view of truth as a human value. Sher’s argument is well-structured and persuasive, drawing on examples like climate change denial and the 2020 US election. She effectively challenges the notion that truth is merely a technical tool, highlighting its deeper significance for human civilization. The argumentation is rigorous, though it relies on the speaker’s authority and does not engage with opposing views in depth.

95 words

Title / Content Match

The title accurately reflects the content, which focuses on the post-truth crisis and its philosophical implications.

Quality & Reliability

8/10

Lecture by a renowned philosopher (Gila Sher) with clear argumentation, but no citations or sources provided in the video; the content is based on the speaker's expertise and philosophical analysis.

Key Moments

Markers derived by PSI from the transcript: the creator did not define chapters.

Contribution & Novelties

The lecture offers a fresh perspective on the post-truth crisis by framing truth as a substantive human value, challenging the dominant deflationist view. It calls for a new adequacy condition in the philosophy of truth, emphasizing the need to explain what is lost when truth is devalued. This approach bridges epistemology and ethics, suggesting that truth is constitutive of our humanity.

Pour aller plus loin :

99 words

Radar Profile

The radar profile shows high scores in quality of information and global reliability, reflecting the speaker's expertise and clear argumentation. The quantity of information is moderate, and the technical level is high, indicating a specialized audience. The overall profile suggests a well-argued philosophical lecture with strong credibility.

Reliability 8/10

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