Falsehoods Fly - Why Misinformation Spreads and How to Stop It

A leading cognitive scientist and philosopher offers a new framework for recognizing and countering misleading claims by exploring the ways that information works-and breaks down.

List of contents

Preface
Acknowledgments
1. Lies Kill: The Perils of Misinformation
2. Information and Misinformation: How They Work
3. Believing What You Want: Motivated Reasoning, Emotion, and Identity
4. Plagues: COVID-19 and Medical Misinformation
5. Storms: Climate Change and Scientific Misinformation
6. Plots: Conspiracy Theories and Political Misinformation
7. Evils: Inequality and Social Misinformation
8. Misinformation Self-Defense: A Manual Illustrated by the Russia-Ukraine War
9. Reality Rescued: Beyond Post-Truth
Glossary
Notes
Bibliography
Index

About the author

Paul Thagard is distinguished professor emeritus of philosophy at the University of Waterloo and fellow of the Royal Society of Canada, the Cognitive Science Society, and the Association for Psychological Science. His books include Bots and Beasts: What Makes Machines, Animals, and People Smart? (2021) and Balance: How It Works and What It Means (Columbia, 2022).

Summary

A leading cognitive scientist and philosopher offers a new framework for recognizing and countering misleading claims by exploring the ways that information works—and breaks down.

Product details

• Authors: Paul Thagard, Thagard Paul
• Publisher: Columbia University Press
• Languages: English
• Product format: Paperback / Softback
• Released: 20.02.2024
• EAN: 9780231213950
• ISBN: 978-0-231-21395-0
• No. of pages: 376
• Subjects: Natural sciences, medicine, IT, technology; Non-fiction book > Politics, society, business > Society; Media Studies, SOCIAL SCIENCE / Media Studies, Disinformation and misinformation, science; computers; philosophy