On Bullshit
Books | Philosophy / Ethics & Moral Philosophy
3.5
Harry G. Frankfurt
#1 New York Times bestsellerFeatured on The Daily Show and 60 MinutesThe acclaimed book that illuminates our world and its politics by revealing why bullshit is more dangerous than lyingOne of the most prominent features of our world is that there is so much bullshit. Yet we have no clear understanding of what bullshit is, how it’s distinct from lying, what functions it serves, and what it means. In his acclaimed bestseller On Bullshit, Harry Frankfurt, who was one of the world’s most influential moral philosophers, explores this important subject, which has become a central problem of politics and our world.With his characteristic combination of philosophical acuity, psychological insight, and wry humor, Frankfurt argues that bullshitters misrepresent themselves to their audience not as liars do, that is, by deliberately making false claims about what is true. Rather, bullshitters seek to convey a certain impression of themselves without being concerned about whether anything at all is true. They quietly change the rules governing their end of the conversation so that claims about truth and falsity are irrelevant. Although bullshit can take many innocent forms, excessive indulgence in it can eventually undermine the bullshitter’s capacity to tell the truth in a way that lying does not. Liars at least acknowledge that the truth matters. Because of this, bullshit is a greater enemy of the truth than lies are.Remarkably prescient and insightful, On Bullshit is a small book that explains a great deal about our time.
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Author
Harry G. Frankfurt
Pages
80
Publisher
Princeton University Press
Published Date
2009-01-10
ISBN
9781400826537 1400826535
Ratings
Google: 4.5
Community ReviewsSee all
"A delightful little 80 page book of common sense. And published by an Ivy League philosophy professor - maybe there's hope after all! In our modern "post-truth" world, Frankfurt's book is a breath of fresh air.<br/><br/>Originally published as a philosophy paper in the Fall 1986 Raritan Quarterly Review, "On ********" was then republished in book format in 2005, and then thrust into the popular consciousness by Jon Stewart's "The Daily Show." <br/><br/>Written in a clear, no-nonsense style, the book dissects the difference between a "bullshitter" and a "liar." Frankfurt argues that the bullshitter is more dangerous because, unlike the liar, he is not even incidentally concerned with the truth or falsity of his statements - he's just trying to conceal his intentions and "get away" with something.<br/><br/>Along with some crankiness about the bullshittiness of the modern world in general, Frankfurt calls out postmodernism for "[denying] that we can have any reliable access to an objective reality." This is actually an issue of no small importance for my 2017 reading on <a href="http://books.max-nova.com/2017-focus/">"The Integrity of Western Science"</a> as I try to determine how to determine whether any given finding is truly "science" or actually ********.<br/><br/>Some readers may also be entertained by Frankfurt's <a href="http://time.com/4321036/donald-trump-bs/">2016 Time article</a> on Trump.<br/><br/>Full review and highlights at <a href="http://books.max-nova.com/on-********/">http://books.max-nova.com/on-********/</a>"
Max Nova