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A Democratic Theory of Truth

A critique of the concept of truth presupposed by the post-truth debate—and a bold new vision for a more pluralistic citizenry.
 
We say that we live in a “post-truth” era because disinformation threatens our confidence in the existence of a shared public world. Affirming objective truth may, therefore, seem necessary to save democracy. According to political theorist Linda M. G. Zerilli, such affirmation can stifle political debate and silence dissent. In fact, Zerilli argues that the unqualified insistence on objective truth is as dangerous for democracy as denying it.

Drawing on Arendt, Foucault, and Wittgenstein, A Democratic Theory of Truth challenges the concept of truth presupposed by the post-truth debate. It argues that we, the people, have an essential role in discovering and evaluating any truth relevant to the political realm. The result is a striking defense of plurality, dissent, and opinion in contemporary democratic societies.

272 pages | 6 x 9 | © 2025

History: History of Ideas

Philosophy: General Philosophy, Philosophy of Society, Political Philosophy

Political Science: Political and Social Theory

Reviews

A Democratic Theory of Truth is a powerful work that reconceptualizes truth and realism in terms of ordinary language and citizenship. Zerilli’s radical and illuminating use of ordinary language philosophy mobilizes Ludwig Wittgenstein, Cora Diamond, and Stanley Cavell to defend a realistic orientation to the world that allows us to face reality—the most difficult but perhaps the only way now to defend truth and democracy.”

Sandra Laugier, Université Paris 1 Panthéon-Sorbonne

“In this groundbreaking book, Zerilli offers a much-needed reassessment of the ‘post-truth’ debate, criticizing both truth denialists and apologists of objective truths. Brilliantly drawing from Arendt, Foucault, and Wittgenstein, she shows that the value and force of truth depend on us, democratic citizens. With exceptional clarity, this masterful work reshapes our way of thinking about the relationships between truth and democracy. A must-read.”

Daniele Lorenzini, University of Pennsylvania

“Democracy demands commitment to truth. But what if the most obvious threats to truth today, from cynical demagogues to AI chatbots, were actually nourished by a dangerous overestimation of what truth can do for politics? In this lucid, sober, and timely book, Zerilli combines acute political intelligence and theoretical sophistication to present a powerfully restrained account of truth as a value within rather than above the irreducibly plural field of political opinion.”

Patchen Markell, Cornell University

Table of Contents

List of Abbreviations
Preface

Introduction: Democratic Politics and the Problem of Truth
1: To Bring Thinking Down to Earth
2: Critique as a Political Practice of Freedom
3: Fact-Checking and Truth-Telling in an Age of Alternative Facts
4: Ideology and the Ordinary
5: Feminism, Critique, and the Realistic Spirit
6: The Problem of Democratic Persuasion
Conclusion: A Realistic Picture of Democracy and Truth

Acknowledgments
Notes
Index

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