The Truth About Lies

Not wanting to be deceived by lies and seeking the truth is the condition in which every human being finds themselves. There is a constant pressure — 24 hours a day, seven days a week — to escape falsehood and grasp the truth. Typically, we believe we are on the side of truth and that we speak truthfully. Yet do we not succumb to lies? The contemporary context brings the question of falsehood into focus with almost pandemic intensity. The spread of disinformation — through deepfakes, algorithms and bots — has become a need that companies such as Cambridge Analytica, as well as certain states, have stepped in to fulfil. Disinformation can sway elections and undermine trust in democracy.  This journey of ours explores the intricate relationship between truth, falsehood and our perception of reality. It examines classical and contemporary philosophical concepts in the complex contexts of both personal and collective life. The effort to understand the effectiveness of lies and the deactivation of truth is not new. It is as ancient as the very emergence of humanity. To overcome the state of denial in which we often find ourselves — especially concerning illusions and self-deceptions — is a necessary condition for the discovery of truth. At times, we are deceived by lies, and at other times, even by truth itself. Yet are we not also responsible for spreading them? And is it not often another who tells us the truths we fail to see in ourselves