Evidence, Argument, and Reason in an Era of „Post-Truth“ Politics and Law
Sigmund Freud University Freudplatz 1, ViennaProfessor Scott Brewer will present a lecture on the topic of the relation between evidence and reason in a world of “post truth” politics and law. The Enlightenment project sought to place reason at the center of understanding both the world and the human being. On this view, evidence was an essential tool of reasoned understanding – evidence from the world, from the study of humans’ political and social existence, and from introspection of the human mind itself. But this faith in reason and reasoned evidence became, and remains, deeply shaken. In part, this shaken faith was enabled by the work of three great Doubters: Nietzsche (who taught that we should be suspicious of our religious, moral, and political beliefs and actions),...