Misinformation 

Information may be power, but misinformation appears to be usurping the throne. From COVID-19 to QAnon, misinformation is more ubiquitous and more dangerous than ever. But why is it so much more attractive to so many? Are there factors that make misinformation more (or less) likely to be believed? What draws people into the world of conspiracy theories? And if our media environment shoulders much of the blame, can democratic societies do anything to stem the flow of fake news? We consider the world’s misinformation problem, its causes, and some potential solutions.

Speakers
Lisa Bortolotti
Professor of Philosophy, University of Birmingham
Quassim Cassam
Professor of Philosophy, University of Warwick
Cailin O’Connor
Associate Professor of Logic and Philosophy of Science, University of California, Irvine

Chair
Jonathan Birch
Fellow, Forum for Philosophy & Associate Professor of Philosophy at LSE

Recorded on 26 January 2021

Co-sponsored by the British Society for the Philosophy of Science and the Royal Institute of Philosophy