According to experts from the World Economic Forum, misinformation and disinformation are currently the greatest risks in the world. However, research has also shown that the vast majority of disinformation is shared only among small groups of people and generally has little effect on what people think and do.
In his inaugural lecture, Professor of Political Epistemology Jeroen de Ridder will address some popular myths about disinformation and show how philosophy can help with a sober analysis of what is going on. He will discuss what disinformation is and how we can recognize it, how people (do not) change their opinions because of it, and the indirect effects of disinformation on the quality of our information environment.
This culminates in a plea for philosophy that is socially engaged and contributes to interdisciplinary collaborations to better understand and solve the major challenges in society.