Post-Trust, Not Post-Truth

The neologism post-truth is commonly used to characterize a polity in which false and biased beliefs have corrupted public opinion and policymaking. Simplifying and broadening our use of the adjective beyond its current narrow meaning could make post-truth a useful addition to the lexicons of history, politics, and philosophy. Its current use, however, is unhelpful and distracting (at best), and experienced as demeaning and humiliating (at worst). Contemporary polities are better characterized as post-trust. A polity becames post-trust when testimony from either a community of knowledge workers or a social group of complainants-such as women who give testimony of sexual assault-loses influence upon public opinion and policymaking.

Automated summary

The term "post-truth" is often used to describe a society where false and biased beliefs have corrupted public opinion and policymaking. However, its current usage is unhelpful and distracting, at best, and demeaning and humiliating, at worst. A more accurate characterization of contemporary societies would be "post-trust," where testimony from knowledge workers or marginalized groups is no longer influential in shaping public opinion and policymaking.