Library:The Death of Truth
| The Death of Truth | |
|---|---|
| Author | Michiko Kakutani |
| First published | 2018 |
| ISBN | 978-0-525-57482-8 unverified |
| Role | Analysis |
| Domains | Politics & Elections Technology & Media Culture, Religion & Society |
| Tactics | Propaganda Technique |
The Death of Truth is a 2018 book by Michiko Kakutani.
Summary
Michiko Kakutani, the longtime chief book critic of The New York Times, wrote this short book on what she saw as a decline in respect for facts and reason in public life. Its subtitle is Notes on Falsehood in the Age of Trump.
Argument
Kakutani argues that the political rise of Donald Trump reflected deeper cultural trends, including the spread of relativism, the decline of trust in expertise and institutions, and the fragmentation of media into partisan silos. She traces some of these ideas to postmodern theories that questioned objective truth, which she argues were later adopted by the political right.
Influences
The book draws heavily on writers such as George Orwell, Hannah Arendt and Philip Roth, quoting their warnings about propaganda and the manipulation of reality. Kakutani also discusses social media, Russian disinformation and the "firehose of falsehood" model of propaganda.
Reception
Reviewers praised the book's synthesis and urgency, while some critics argued that it focused heavily on one political figure and overstated the influence of academic theory.
Relevance to Bullshitopedia
The book is a concise survey of ideas about truth, propaganda and political lying. Readers should note that it is an argument from a particular perspective, and may wish to read it alongside works from other viewpoints.
Related entries
- Trump's inauguration drew the largest crowd ever
- Library:Post-Truth
- Library:Nothing Is True and Everything Is Possible