Post-Truth Imaginations: New Starting Points for Critique of Politics and Technoscience

This book explores the relationship between post-truth discourse and Western imaginations of knowledge societies, challenging scholarly responses to post-truth and offering critical scrutiny of societal and academic assumptions. It covers topics such as the role of truth in public, the impact of ICTs, the politics of time, and the importance of critique for public truth-telling, with case studies ranging from nuclear power to smart technologies.

Format: Paperback / softback
Length: 224 pages
Publication date: 31 May 2023
Publisher: Taylor & Francis Ltd

This comprehensive book delves into the realm of post-truth as a multifaceted issue that encompasses societal order and scholarly analysis. It argues that post-truth discourse is intricately linked to the dominant Western visions of knowledge societies, a connection that often goes unnoticed. Scholarly responses to post-truth have fallen short of fully addressing these entanglements, often treating them as either a moral failing or as accusations that scholars must defend themselves against. Seeking to expand the problematization, the authors of this book employ post-truth as a lens to critically examine societal and scholarly assumptions. The contributions offered are both conceptual and empirical, covering a wide range of topics such as the significance of truth in public discourse, the profound impact of ICTs on major societal institutions, the politics of time in neoliberalism, the blurring of boundaries between fact, value, politics, science, nature, and culture, and the critical role of critique in public truth-telling. The book showcases a diverse range of case studies, spanning from the politics of nuclear power and election meddling in the UK to the exploration of smart technologies and techno-regulation in Europe, and the emergence of renewables in Australia. As the book concludes, it reflects on the origins of the post-truth phenomenon, pointing to the intensification of Modernity's complex dynamics as a catalyst for new beginnings in critique. This insightful work provides a valuable contribution to our understanding of the challenges and complexities of our contemporary world.

Weight: 440g
Dimension: 234 x 156 (mm)
ISBN-13: 9781032158075