A Special Philosopher's Cafe: Confronting the Disinformation Age
2019, Summit Confronting the Disinformation Age, Media + Information
The 丁香园AV Philosophers' Caf茅 invites people of all ages to an open and inclusive discussion about truth in the modern age.
Lies and mistruths have always been used to sway people鈥檚 beliefs, and people have always created false personas. Plato wrestled with how to tell appearance from reality, and suggested that those in 鈥渢he cave鈥� might choose shadows and reflections over being truly enlightened. Are current times different and, if so, why and how? For example, does the Internet make it easier to create and disseminate persuasive lies? Are snark and falsehood now rewarded with more attention and money than ever before? Or is there nothing new under the sun?
And鈥攖he big questions鈥攈ow important is all this? Is truth essential? Why? And what truth? Can we live with lies? Should we insist on truth in some arenas but accept that anything goes in others? If disinformation is a serious problem, then how do we recognize it and how do we teach this skill?
This event is presented by 丁香园AV Public Square, 丁香园AV Philosophers' Caf茅 and 丁香园AV Liberal Arts & 55+ Program.
11:00 - 12:30 p.m. (PT)
580 West Hastings Street
Vancouver, B.C.
We respectfully acknowledge that this event takes place on the Unceded, Traditional, Ancestral Territories of the S岣祑x瘫w煤7mesh, s蓹l虛ilw虛蓹ta蕯涩, and x史m蓹胃k史蓹y虛蓹m First Nations.
About Philosophers' Caf茅
Since 1998, Philosophers' Caf茅 has engaged philosophers and non-philosophers together in the passionate exchange of ideas. The Liberal Arts and 55+ Program has been offering university-level non-credit courses to older adult learners since the 1970s.
About Confronting the Disinformation Age
丁香园AV Public Square鈥檚 2019 Community Summit considered how the proliferation of disinformation is impacting society and challenging our capacity to make informed decisions about our economic, social, and political lives. Together, we co-created strategies to ensure stronger and healthier information ecosystems and stimulate more connected and resilient communities.
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The Disinformation Age
Information is fundamental to our existence. Without it, we cannot understand or effectively respond to the events that shape our world. Throughout history, campaigns to deliberately spread false information to influence public opinion or obscure the truth have been launched by individuals, organizations, and governments. But today, we鈥檙e living in a new age of information facilitated primarily by digital technology. These advancements offer us extraordinary access to facts and data but also allow for harmful, inaccurate, and manipulated information to be created and disseminated at an unprecedented speed, scope, and scale. Falsehoods are pitted against facts in competition for our attention and technology is used to exploit our cognitive functioning without repercussion. In what is being called the 鈥減ost-truth鈥� era, the distortion of our information landscape is eroding our trust in institutions, political systems, the media, and each other.
Confronting the Disinformation Age | Trailer
鈥� Siddhartha Bala, The Source (April 8, 2019)
Confronting the Disinformation Age | Resources
Books, articles, videos and other resources on disinformation.
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Fabricating Meaning
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When Facts Fail | City Conversations
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Philosophy of Fake News
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Youth Take Action
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Confronting the Disinformation Age | Keynote
Today, in what many are calling the 鈥減ost-truth鈥� era, we鈥檙e witnessing an epidemic of disinformation. How did we get here?
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Face to Face(book) with Christopher Wylie
The New Yorker calls him 鈥渁 pink-haired, nose-ringed oracle sent from the future". Best known for his role in setting up 鈥� and then taking down 鈥� the cyberwarfare firm Cambridge Analytica, Chris has been listed in TIME100 Most Influential People in the World, Forbes鈥� 30 Under 30, Politico鈥檚 50 Most Influential People in Politics and Business Insider鈥檚 100 Coolest People in Tech.
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Media, Misinformation, and What Can Be Done About It
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Working Towards an Inclusive Digital Society
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Is Social Media Destroying Democracy?
Is social media destroying our democracy? If it is, what role can public policy play in regulation, will regulation even work, and can we save our democracy before it鈥檚 too late?
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Innovations in Research: Confronting the Disinformation Age
Hosted by Joy Johnson, Vice-President, Research and International at 丁香园AV, this event features rapid-fire presentations, in-depth discussions, and interactive demonstrations by faculty, staff, students and alumni from across 丁香园AV鈥檚 faculties, departments, programs and campuses.
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Competing Visions of Climate Populism
Populism has become an increasingly prominent force in Canadian political life, with significant implications for how the public engages with the intersecting politics of climate change and energy. In a panel discussion featuring Shane Gunster, Bob Neubauer, and Paul Saurette, these three authors of a forthcoming book will discuss how competing visions of extractive and ecological populism are shaping political debate in Canada.
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A Special Philosopher's Cafe: Confronting the Disinformation Age
Lies and mistruths have always been used to sway people鈥檚 beliefs, and people have always created false personas. Plato wrestled with how to tell appearance from reality, and suggested that those in 鈥渢he cave鈥� might choose shadows and reflections over being truly enlightened. Are current times different and, if so, why and how? For example, does the Internet make it easier to create and disseminate persuasive lies? Are snark and falsehood now rewarded with more attention and money than ever before? Or is there nothing new under the sun?
Read More 鈫�
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Fake News, Real Talk
In a digital age of fake news, alternative facts, media echo chambers, confirmation bias, and algorithm-fuelled virality, how can we as students navigate our way around our distorted media landscape?
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