English
Język Polski
The erosion of the concept of truth in american social and political life: its philosophical roots and contemporary epistemic and moral consequences
Abstract
RESEARCH OBJECTIVE: The paper’s goal is to critically analyze changes in the meaning of the concept of truth in American pragmatism (from Peirce to Dewey) and phenomena in American society that are evidence of a weakening attachment to the values of truth, veracity, and truthfulness.
THE RESEARCH PROBLEMS AND METHODS: The reasoning is based on an assumption that the philosophical reflection of American authors has significantly influenced the lives of American citizens throughout the long 20th century and the beginning of the 21st (Romano, 2013). The reasoning was conducted with the use of two methods: (1) the method of pragmatism (examination of practical consequences of theoretical concepts), (2) critical analysis of language. The starting point is the case of American society, but the results of critical reflection retain valid in relation to all societies aspiring to be called democratic.
THE PROCESS OF ARGUMENTATION: It has been shown how subsequent analyses and arguments formulated by Peirce, James and Dewey resulted in an increasingly relativized idea of truth in American culture. At the same time, already in the 1920s, the phenomenon of relativization and instrumentalization of truth in public discourse was diagnosed by Dewey. This process progressed. The epistemic, moral and political effects of weakening the values of truth, veracity and truthfulness were discussed.
RESEARCH RESULTS: The mechanism of the destructive impact of the studied phenomenon on the formation and functioning of democratic institutions is shown. It leads to the conclusion that truth, veracity and truthfulness are fundamental values, and their disappearance in a society cannot be compensated for in any way.
CONCLUSIONS, INNOVATIONS, AND RECOMMENDATIONS: The conclusions lead to recommendations of a theoretical nature (use of a toolkit provided by Peirce’s approach) and a practical nature (strengthening the culture of discourse, which is the foundation of democratic institutions of all levels).
Keywords
truth, post-truth, pragmatism, democracy, community ; truth ; post-truth ; pragmatism ; democracy ; community
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