Bullshit: Its Insidious Effects on Society

Is there more bullshit now compared to previous times?

Yes, said philosopher Harry Frankfurt, because we live in a more relativistic world in which the belief that we can identify and isolate truth is itself seen as suspect.

The ideal of revealing what is correct is being replaced with the ideal of sincerity.

Frankfurt says of the modern person:

"Convinced that reality has no inherent nature, which he might hope to identify as the truth about things, he devotes himself to being true to his own nature.”

The confessional culture has replaced the truth culture.

But sincerity is itself a kind of bullshit, and not something that can be exchanged for actual fact.

Why is bullshitting in a public or political domain such an affront? A lie can shock or startle, then we accept it as being, after all, part of human nature.

Bullshitting, when it extends beyond individuals to organizations and governments, is insidious and perverse, a corruption of humanity.

Rejection of the ‘authority of truth’ in favor of selling or telling a story can lead to the rise of Hitlers and Pol Pots, whose spin on history is so captivating that it attracts millions of followers.

Who is the greatest bullshitter of today, in your opinion? Conversely, who do you admire as a truth-teller? Add your thoughts below.

Harry Frankfurt's bestseller "On Bullshit" unpacked:

https://new.memod.com/TomButlerBowdon/Harry%20Frankfurt's%20Theory%20of%20%22Bullshit%22-6772