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Sophia Rosenfeld

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Democracy and Truth: A Short History Hardcover – December 31, 2018

by Sophia Rosenfeld (Author)

4.3 44 ratings

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"Fake news," wild conspiracy theories, misleading claims, doctored photos, lies peddled as facts, facts dismissed as lies—citizens of democracies increasingly inhabit a public sphere teeming with competing claims and counterclaims, with no institution or person possessing the authority to settle basic disputes in a definitive way.

The problem may be novel in some of its details—including the role of today's political leaders, along with broadcast and digital media, in intensifying the epistemic anarchy—but the challenge of determining truth in a democratic world has a backstory. In this lively and illuminating book, historian Sophia Rosenfeld explores a longstanding and largely unspoken tension at the heart of democracy between the supposed wisdom of the crowd and the need for information to be vetted and evaluated by a learned elite made up of trusted experts. What we are witnessing now is the unraveling of the détente between these competing aspects of democratic culture.

In four bracing chapters, Rosenfeld substantiates her claim by tracing the history of the vexed relationship between democracy and truth. She begins with an examination of the period prior to the eighteenth-century Age of Revolutions, where she uncovers the political and epistemological foundations of our democratic world. Subsequent chapters move from the Enlightenment to the rise of both populist and technocratic notions of democracy between the nineteenth and twentieth centuries to the troubling trends—including the collapse of social trust—that have led to the rise of our "post-truth" public life. Rosenfeld concludes by offering suggestions for how to defend the idea of truth against the forces that would undermine it.

Print length

224 pages
Language

English
Publisher

University of Pennsylvania Press
Publication date

December 31, 2018
Dimensions

5.75 x 0.75 x 8.75 inches
ISBN-10

0812250842
ISBN-13

978-0812250848
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Editorial Reviews

Review

"Surveying the post-Enlightenment era, this incisive account shows that our concerns with "fake news" have a long history, and that democracy and truth have often pulled in opposite directions. Drawing mostly on the American experiment, Rosenfeld analyzes political spin, the idealization of journalistic objectivity, and the echo chambers within which news is either believed or derided. She dives into such eclectic topics as Kant's 'Dare to know!' dictum, lie detectors, and oath-swearing. Rosenfeld's conclusion is sobering: even if the relationship between democracy and truth has long been vexed, the crisis facing Western democracies today is distinctly new." ― The New Yorker

"In her short, sharp book, the historian Sophia Rosenfeld . . . [argues] that ever since its origins in the late 18th century, modern democracy has had a peculiar relationship to truth: the current crisis merely epitomises that. . . . All the biggest challenges of our time are transnational: mass migration, growing inequality, the onset of ecological Armageddon. It's arguable that the politics of the nation state have become at best irrelevant, and at worst a hindrance, to tackling such global challenges. The outlook is grim. Yet it's a tribute to the quality of this pithy, illuminating book that one nonetheless ends it provoked and inspired, rather than dispirited." ― The Guardian

"Brilliantly lucid. . . . [Rosenfeld] provides the historical background necessary to understand our current truth crisis . . . [and] few historians are better positioned to tell this story than Rosenfeld. A professor of intellectual history at the University of Pennsylvania, she has devoted her career to exploring the ways that philosophical conversations during the Enlightenment and the age of revolutions shaped basic modern political concepts and presuppositions." ― The Nation

"[E]xcellent and . . . elegantly written . . . Rosenfeld's central insight [is] that there never was a golden age; the relationship between democracy and truth has always been complicated, and has never been firmly settled. Rosenfeld shows that . . . the conflict over epistemic authority has been a structural feature of modern democracy since the beginning." ― Project Syndicate

"In Democracy and Truth, Rosenfeld reveals how contestations over truth are part and parcel of the history of democratic theory and practice . . . In illuminating chapters on 'the problem of democratic truth,' intellectual expertise, populism in historical perspective. and 'democracy in an age of lies,' Rosenfeld explains how the democratic idea of truth never quite lived up to its promise of influence by persuasion rather than force. This problem at the core of modern democracies seems to be hidden in plain sight from today's political commentators." ― Dissent

"A valuable historical guide to current debates about elitism and populism, Democracy and Truth poses the hardest of questions: can we maintain a constitutional government worthy of a free people in an age of widespread misinformation and fanaticism?" ― David Bromwich, Yale University

"An essential guide to finding the roots of our current predicament, this short book provokes thought rather than simply assigning blame and consequently succeeds in the most important task of all: helping us navigate toward a revival of democracy at the very moment when it seems most under threat." ― Lynn Hunt, author of History: Why It Matters

"One of our most audaciously gifted historians offers a deep, subtle, and suitably prickly examination of a newly vexing set of issues. Indispensable. Irresistible." ― Don Herzog, University of Michigan Law School

"If you are a citizen concerned and not a little confused about the frantic assault on objective truth in today's United States, Sophia Rosenfeld's learned but extremely accessible book is a must-read. Democracy and Truth explains and reveals the historical and intellectual roots of the tension between the two values named in the title, and it shows that truth can prevail-but never without a fight." ― Michael Tomasky, author of Left for Dead: The Life, Death, and Possible Resurrection of Progressive Politics in America

Book Description

In this lively and illuminating book, historian Sophia Rosenfeld explores a longstanding and largely unspoken tension at the heart of democracy between the supposed wisdom of the crowd and the need for information to be vetted and evaluated by a learned elite made up of trusted experts.

Product details

Publisher ‏ : ‎ University of Pennsylvania Press (December 31, 2018)
Language ‏ : ‎ English
Hardcover ‏ : ‎ 224 pages
ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 0812250842
ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-0812250848
Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 14.7 ounces
Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 5.75 x 0.75 x 8.75 inches

Best Sellers Rank: #824,660 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
- #1,151 in Democracy (Books)
- #3,441 in History & Theory of Politics
- #27,174 in United States History (Books)

Customer Reviews:
4.3 44 ratings

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4.3 out of 5

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Donn Carstens

The importance of truth.

Reviewed in the United States on December 23, 2020

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As the author points out, democracy without truth fails as a democracy. During the Trump years, truth has been shelved, threatening our democracy. Our fate depends on our ability to recover the truth.

One person found this helpful

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Abdimalik

Profound - Worth Rereading

Reviewed in the United States on March 23, 2023

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Highly insightful book on a topic that bedevils nearly every country nowadays. Nowhere is the consequences of the loss of shared facts, truth, and reality more evident than in my country, Somalia.

Decades of civil strife has left our people deeply divided, and the lack of consensus on almost anything stands in the way of true healing and national reconciliation.

The author uses hard to read, obscure language that unfortunately makes it difficult to follow her important insights.

Reviewed in the United States on June 17, 2019

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I gave this 5 stars based on the historic information it contains. It is well written, but a bit heavy going in spots. The current state of affairs in the U.S. is examined with a historian's viewpoint that made good sense to me. I recommend and have read it twice now.

7 people found this helpful

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P. Anderson

A great beginning

Reviewed in the United States on March 14, 2019

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The book presented some very good observations, but refrained from completing the study. Perhaps collaboration with people from other fields of study could resolve this.

One person found this helpful

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irwin h.

insightful

Reviewed in the United States on January 27, 2019

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profound popular critique with historical perspective.

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Gerhard S. Schoenthal

Populism vs. Expert Opinion as Opposed to Left vs. Right

Reviewed in the United States on January 15, 2019

I am not a historian, but I really enjoyed this book.

So often the political discourse in the United States is framed as Republican vs. Democrat or left vs. right. Though maybe not the point the author is trying to get across, this book gives a refreshing look about what is possibly really going on behind the scenes, that being a conflict between populists and experts.

She supports neither camp, but proposes the way forward is to return to a common way to understand facts and truth, so there can be realistic political debate.

10 people found this helpful

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No name

Inconsistent premises underlying claims made

Reviewed in the United States on January 22, 2022

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TLDR; Seems like inconsistent beliefs were held while this book was written. Feels like I'm reading a book about a far left individual complaining about things without thoroughly laying out prescriptive claims to solve the issues she seeks to address.

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This book felt like constant nagging rather than making normative claims that have to do with today's issues in democracy. Rosenfield does a good job of giving historical accounts to show that issues we face today are not novel in nature but fails to remain consistent. For example, she claims that the first amendment is of little aid in combatting incorrect facts but several pages later speaks about Politifact, Snopes, and Factcheck(.)org serving a role in checking false information. Another example is finding "The Truth" but then says truth is something we collectively forge (very Nietzschean, which I don't mind either).

I definitely agree with Rosenfield's observation of the far right on "infotainment" and the issues it causes, especially with the far-right. I am politically moderate but probably lean a little right on the scale, that said, even I see the issues she is speaking about as real threats to our safety (but maybe not our democracy entirely).

I wish Rosenfield would've done a little more in terms of developing her own arguments. I think relying on historical parallels does not get you very far in terms of persuasion. She kind of waits too long to make any arguments and when they are made, they are rather weak.

2 people found this helpful

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MC

The book is a good read, a bad listen

Reviewed in the United States on December 2, 2021

The substance of the book meets the importance of the topic and that is why I gave it four stars.

While the book cries out for an editor, it is readable enough. It is, however, wholly unsuitable for listening. The ponderous sentence structure combined with the colorless narration is torturous. I had to buy the book to finish it.

Recommendation: get the book, avoid the audio version

One person found this helpful

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Daniela

Excelente producto

Reviewed in Mexico on July 28, 2021

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La mejor opción calidad/precio, llego rápido y en excelentes condiciones.

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