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Current trends in Human Sciences

Preliminary schedule

(Each guest speaker: 5x45min)

May 24,2023 9:00-10:30 May 31,2023 9:00-11:30

What Facts Are and Why They Matter

Misinformation, falsehoods, and “fake news” tend to spread very quickly on the internet and in the news. People tweet, like, and share stories, reports, and explanations without verifying whether the source contains accurate or correct information. Because of the high speed at which information propagates on the internet, misleading narratives multiply far and wide across the globe with a single click. We have little time to consider what facts are or why facts matter. In this lecture series, Ulatowski will address the nature and value of facts. On one hand, he will argue for a pluralistic account of facts: while facts are realised differently by different domains of enquiry because of the role that they play in that particular domain, they all must answer to one concept of fact. On the other hand, he will show why facts matter not so much because they are vehicles of accurate information but because they align with our view that beliefs should be normatively constrained to serve as salient sources of information.