Truth

🌈 Abstract

The article discusses the importance of truth and the challenges posed by the spread of misinformation and lies, particularly in the context of politics and media. It examines how regimes based on lies and propaganda ultimately fail, and how truth is essential for innovation, economic growth, and the functioning of democracies.

🙋 Q&A

[01] The search for truth

1. What is the relationship between the scientific method and the pursuit of truth?

• The scientific method, with its emphasis on empirical proof, has become the primary means for seeking answers and truth in the modern world.
• The article cites examples of how we now rely on meteorology rather than astronomy, and use levothyroxine instead of leeches, as evidence of the scientific method's increasing dominance.

2. How does statecraft view the concept of truth?

• Statecraft has a mixed relationship with truth, as it offers an alternative form of comfort in the form of acquiescence to authority.
• In an uncertain world, a strong leader who promises solutions and blames others can be seductive, even if their claims are not based on truth.

3. What is the role of mass media in the relationship between truth and statecraft?

• Mass media, from the printing press to broadcast and social media, has become a powerful tool for both democracies and autocracies to shape and disseminate narratives, whether based on truth or lies.
• As the article states, "democracies are based on shared truths, autocracies on shared lies, but both are shared via media."

[02] The rise of anti-truth regimes

1. How do regimes based on lies and propaganda ultimately fail?

• The article cites the examples of the Nazis and Putin's regime in Russia, where the reliance on lies and propaganda ultimately leads to apathy, suppression of innovation, and the inability to effectively govern.
• Lies may be effective in the short term, but they carry severe side effects that manifest over the medium and long term.

2. What are the consequences of anti-truth governance?

• Anti-truth governance suppresses innovation and economic growth, as success becomes a function of proximity to power rather than actual value.
• It also leads to contested transfers of power, as there is no referee or framework to allow the losing side to retire gracefully, resulting in political disputes becoming wars.

3. How do autocrats' own beliefs in their lies contribute to their downfall?

• When truth is not valued, flattery and conformity prevail, leading autocrats to believe their own lies and make gross miscalculations, as seen in Putin's invasion of Ukraine.
• Exiling dissent also contributes to this, as truth can admit doubt, but authority cannot survive it.

[03] The enduring power of truth

1. Why is truth so enduring, despite attempts to manipulate or conceal it?

• The article cites Ricky Gervais' point that if all science books were destroyed, they would eventually be recreated, whereas religious texts would not necessarily return in the same form.
• This demonstrates the inherent resilience of truth, which cannot be easily killed or permanently suppressed.

2. How have lies and misinformation fared in recent elections?

• The article notes that in the 2022 US elections, the majority of candidates who denied the legitimacy of the 2020 election did not prevail, suggesting that the truth ultimately wins out at the ballot box.
• Even in autocracies, the article cites examples of blatantly fraudulent election results that are ultimately unsustainable.

3. What is the role of dissenting voices in the pursuit of truth?

• The article acknowledges the importance of dissenting voices, using the example of the control group in vaccine trials as an important part of the scientific process.
• However, it also notes that the dissenting voice must be grounded in facts and evidence, rather than simply repeating lies with confidence.