Staying Real: The War on Truth—and How to Win It with Jonathan Rauch
Event Description
Trolls. Disinformation. Canceling. Conspiracy theories. If America's grasp on reality seems to be under attack, that's because it is. Epistemic warfare—the use of powerful psychological manipulations to divide, distract, and disorient our society—has come into its own in the 21st century as never before. In this dramatically illustrated talk, the author of The Constitution of Knowledge: A Defense of Truth explains the goals and tactics of the war on truth. He shows who's behind it and how it works. Most important, he reveals the inner workings and hidden strengths of our precious Constitution of Knowledge—and how to capitalize on them to fight back.
Speaker Bio
Jonathan Rauch is one of the country’s most versatile and original writers on government, public policy and gay marriage, among other subjects. A senior fellow of the Brookings Institution in Washington and contributing writer of The Atlantic, he is the author of eight books, including The Constitution of Knowledge: A Defense of Truth and Kindly Inquisitors, and many articles and has received the magazine industry’s two leading prizes—the National Magazine Award (the industry’s equivalent of the Pulitzer Prize) and the National Headliner Award.
Rauch is also the author of a memoir, Denial: My 25 Years Without a Soul, and books on Japan and financial-system reform. He has written many articles, on everything from government and public policy to introversion to animal rights, for many publications including The Atlantic, National Journal, The New Republic, The Economist, Reason, and others. He has appeared as a guest on many radio and television shows, including NBC’s Meet the Press and NPR’s NewsHour.
Rauch takes pride in being a thoughtful, dynamic and well prepared speaker, focused on giving sponsors outstanding value for money and communicating important and often counterintuitive ideas to his audiences in a direct, personal way. His keynote speech for the American Academy of Home Care Physicians was rated as “phenomenal” by the sponsor.
Event Location
Tinkham Veale University Center
2nd Floor, Grand Ballroom
![Jonathan Rauch semi-professional headshot, standing with a background of greenery and his arms crossed](/law/sites/default/files/styles/media_crop/public/2024-09/rauch.jpg?itok=h431nWUX)