Democracy and Truth: A Short History

In this engaging and insightful book, historian Sophia Rosenfeld examines the long-standing tensions within democracy between the collective wisdom of the populace and the need for trusted expert evaluation of information. Tracing the political and epistemological roots from the Enlightenment to contemporary times, she explores how trends like social distrust and the rise of populist and technocratic ideas have shaped our current post-truth era. Rosenfeld concludes with thoughtful suggestions on how to uphold the importance of truth in a increasingly contested public sphere.