Anniina Leiviskä is presenting her forthcoming article "Truth, rightness and educational research: discussing the relevance of Habermas’ concepts of truth and rightness in the context of the post-truth condition” on Wednesday 17 March 05.30-07.00 PM (GMT) at the Philosophy of Education Society of Great Britain (PESGB) London branch seminar. The seminar is held via zoom. For the Zoom link or further inquiries: alison.brady.14[at]ucl.ac.uk.
ABSTRACT:
This paper addresses the relevance of Habermas’ notions of truth and rightness in the context of the contemporary “post-truth condition.” The paper challenges the rejection of the concept of truth that is characteristic of some epistemological positions employed in educational research and related fields. The paper argues that this rejection might fuel rather than help to resolve the problems that are associated with the post-truth condition and the many phenomena related to it. The paper employs Habermas’ distinction between objective and normative validity, and the attendant notions of truth and moral rightness, to demonstrate that the rejection of truth in some epistemological positions is based on philosophically problematic assumptions. Finally, the paper provides a defense of the concepts of truth and moral rightness by illustrating their epistemic and normative functions in scientific research and in the prevailing public and political culture.