On Bullshit — The State Of The Current Political Discourse
“Bullshit is a greater enemy of the truth than lies are.” — Harry G. Frankfurt
“One of the most salient features of our culture is that there is so much bullshit.” — Harry G. Frankfurt
In 1986, philosopher Harry G. Frankfurt wrote a short essay with an incredibly telling title, “On Bullshit”. It was his reflection on the current state of society, and its predominant form of communication.
The definition of bullshit that he gives distinguishes it from outright lying. Instead, bullshit is a form of persuasion that is not concerned with the truth. Its only aim is to convince.
A bullshitter is someone who doesn’t care whether whatever they are saying is true or false. The only thing that matters to them is whether their audience is persuaded.
In that way, a bullshitter differs from a liar. A liar knows the truth, but wants to conceal it. A bullshitter just does not care.
What they are saying could be true, or it could be false. It does not matter. As long as it has the intended effect, it’s all good. The ends justify the means.
