Analyzing trends in American disinformation and conspiracy, Rauch reaches back to the parallel eighteenth-century developments of liberal democracy and science to explain what he calls the "Constitution of Knowledge"--our social system for turning disagreement into truth. By explicating the Constitution of Knowledge and probing the war on reality, Rauch posits a defined understanding of truth and free inquiry, with discussion of how and why they should be defended.

Disinformation. Trolling. Conspiracy theories. Cancel culture. These recent additions to our daily vocabulary appear to have little in common. But together they are driving an epistemic crisis: a multifront challenge to America's ability to distinguish fact from fiction and elevate truth above falsehood. In this pathbreaking book, Jonathan Rauch reaches back to the parallel developments of liberal democracy and science to explain what he calls the Constitution of Knowledge--our social system for turning disagreement into truth. By organizing scientists and academics, journliasts and government statisticians, and even lawyers and intelligence analysts into a global network of truth-seekers, our epistemic constitution defines the reality-based community which we all depend upon to turn information into knowledge and arguments into facts. In recent years, that system has come under frightening and baffling new attacks from social media's outrage ecology, mass disinformation campaigns, and so-called "cancel culture" on campus and off. As different as they may seem, all are potent forms of information warfare aimed at splintering reality and dividing us from each other. By explicating the Constitution of Knowledge and probing the war on reality, Rauch arms defenders of truth with a clearer understanding of what they must protect, why they must do so, and how they can do it. He provides not only powerful arguments but actionable steps. In doing so, he offers a sweeping and readable account of how every American can help defend objective truth and free inquity from threats as far away as Russia and as close as our cell phones. -- From dust jacket.