The Misinformation Age

How False Beliefs Spread

Nonfiction, Health & Well Being, Psychology, Social Psychology, Science & Nature, Science, Other Sciences, History, Social & Cultural Studies, Social Science
Cover of the book The Misinformation Age by Cailin O'Connor, James Owen Weatherall, Yale University Press
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Author: Cailin O'Connor, James Owen Weatherall ISBN: 9780300241006
Publisher: Yale University Press Publication: January 8, 2019
Imprint: Yale University Press Language: English
Author: Cailin O'Connor, James Owen Weatherall
ISBN: 9780300241006
Publisher: Yale University Press
Publication: January 8, 2019
Imprint: Yale University Press
Language: English

The social dynamics of “alternative facts”: why what you believe depends on who you know

Why should we care about having true beliefs? And why do demonstrably false beliefs persist and spread despite consequences for the people who hold them? Philosophers of science Cailin O'Connor and James Weatherall argue that social factors, rather than individual psychology, are what’s essential to understanding the spread and persistence of false belief. It might seem that there's an obvious reason that true beliefs matter: false beliefs will hurt you. But if that's right, then why is it (apparently) irrelevant to many people whether they believe true things or not?

In an age riven by "fake news," "alternative facts," and disputes over the validity of everything from climate change to the size of inauguration crowds, the authors argue that social factors, not individual psychology, are what’s essential to understanding the persistence of false belief and that we must know how those social forces work in order to fight misinformation effectively.

View on Amazon View on AbeBooks View on Kobo View on B.Depository View on eBay View on Walmart

The social dynamics of “alternative facts”: why what you believe depends on who you know

Why should we care about having true beliefs? And why do demonstrably false beliefs persist and spread despite consequences for the people who hold them? Philosophers of science Cailin O'Connor and James Weatherall argue that social factors, rather than individual psychology, are what’s essential to understanding the spread and persistence of false belief. It might seem that there's an obvious reason that true beliefs matter: false beliefs will hurt you. But if that's right, then why is it (apparently) irrelevant to many people whether they believe true things or not?

In an age riven by "fake news," "alternative facts," and disputes over the validity of everything from climate change to the size of inauguration crowds, the authors argue that social factors, not individual psychology, are what’s essential to understanding the persistence of false belief and that we must know how those social forces work in order to fight misinformation effectively.

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