Freshman Seminars – Fake News

M 1:00 – 2:00 PM, Dwinelle 7415 /// 

"Fake News" which can often be shown to be not fake at all, is itself news today. Since lying and "spin" have been part of politics (and selling of all kinds) since the dawn of Primates (the famous gorilla, Koko, lied to her keepers), why is it now news? What kind of world would it be if we lost all trust in the intent of others to tell us the truth in important matters? This course will examine the rhetoric of public lying and its philosophical context. Any student interested in the subject of public truth and its evaluation would be welcome. There will be some reading (Sissela Bok, "Lying," and Darrell Huff, "How to Lie with Statistics").