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Eric Beerbohm
Professor of Government,
Harvard University
"How to
Gaslight Citizens"
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12:15-1:30
pm
Virtual
via Zoom
Monday, Sept 13, 2021
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| Abstract: Gaslighting,
as an interpersonal wrong,
brings its victims to doubt the
sources of their evidence. This
paper holds that political
gaslighting, by leading citizens
to hold beliefs disconnected
from the available evidence,
poses a distinctive threat to
democratic politics. But holding
“audacious beliefs”— beliefs
that are ahead of the evidence —
can serve as a core ingredient
for democratic movements. This
creates a dilemma for citizens,
who must choose between two
kinds of evidential policies.
How can they protect themselves
from the gaslighting without
rendering themselves
insusceptible to the mobilizing
efforts central to democratic
politics? Citizens, then, face a
standing challenge: to remain
open to the bully pulpit while
vigilant against the
gaslighter’s epistemic bullying.
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| Bio: Eric
Beerbohm is Professor of
Government and Faculty Affiliate
in the Department of Philosophy
at Harvard University. He serves
as Chair of the Committee
on Degrees in Social Studies
and Faculty Dean at Quincy
House. His philosophical and
teaching interests include
democratic theory, political
ethics, theories of social
equality, and the philosophy of
social science. His latest book
project, Gaslighting Citizens,
examines how politicians can
target our evidence about our
evidence, and concludes that
this form of manipulation raises
distinctively democratic
worries. |
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The Harvard
STS Circle is run by the
Program on Science, Technology
and Society and co-sponsored
by the Graduate School of Arts
and Sciences, the Weatherhead
Center for International
Affairs, and the School of
Engineering and Applied
Sciences.
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