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The misinformation age : how false beliefs spread / Cailin O'Connor, James Owen Weatherall.

By: Contributor(s): Material type: TextLanguage: English Publisher: [New Haven] : Yale University Press, [2019]Description: ix, 266 pages : illustrations ; 22 cmContent type:
  • text
Media type:
  • unmediated
Carrier type:
  • volume
ISBN:
  • 0300251858 (paperback)
  • 9780300251852 (paperback)
Subject(s): DDC classification:
  • 153.74
LOC classification:
  • BF 323 O18m 2019
Contents:
Introduction: The vegetable lamb of Tartary What is truth? Polarization and conformity The evangelization of peoples The social network
Summary: "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."--Publisher's description.
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Holdings
Item type Current library Home library Collection Shelving location Call number Copy number Status Barcode
Libro Biblioteca Juan Bosch Biblioteca Juan Bosch Humanidades Humanidades (4to. Piso) BF 323 O18m 2019 (Browse shelf(Opens below)) 1 Available 00000199042

Includes bibliographical references (pages 215-250) and index.

Introduction: The vegetable lamb of Tartary
What is truth?
Polarization and conformity
The evangelization of peoples
The social network

"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."--Publisher's description.

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