In ‘The Constitution of Knowledge,’ Scholar Jonathan Rauch’s Defense Of Truth
Disinformation. Social media trolling. Shutting down speech. What do these realities of modern life have in common? Jonathan Rauch says they’re all signs of a society in the midst of an epistemic crisis. He’s got a rallying cry to defend objective truth.
Guests
Jonathan Rauch, senior fellow at the Brookings Institution. Contributing writer at The Atlantic. Author of “The Constitution of Knowledge: A Defense of Truth.” (@jon_rauch)
Book Excerpt
Reprinted with permission from The Constitution of Knowledge: A Defense of Truth by Jonathan Rauch published by Brookings Institution Press, © 2021 by Jonathan Rauch.
From The Reading List
National Affairs: “The Constitution of Knowledge (2018)” — “Long before Donald Trump began his political career, he explained his attitude toward truth with characteristic brazenness. In a 2004 television interview with Chris Matthews on MSNBC, he marveled at the Republicans’ successful attacks on the wartime heroism of Senator John Kerry, the Democrats’ presidential candidate.”
New York Times: “Speaking Truth to Both the Right and the Left” — “Like many public intellectuals who are worth reading, George Packer and Jonathan Rauch don’t toe a predictable line in American political and intellectual debate. They despise Donald Trump and the disinformation-heavy discord he has spawned.”
Symposium: “Epistemological Madisonianism” — “The signature of our current debate about free speech is that it is not primarily about protecting speech from the government. Rather, it is about the “culture of free speech.” It’s about intellectual openness and diversity as a cultural norm to be embraced by private individuals and private institutions.”
Critical Inquiry: “Jeff Frenkiewich reviews The Constitution of Knowledge” — “It seems that the United States––the world––is undergoing an epistemological crisis. Established facts are put into question as would-be autocrats weaponize social media to spread lies and conspiracy theories, leaving ordinary citizens to question what is true.”
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