Erozja pojęcia prawdy w amerykańskim życiu społeczno-politycznym: jej filozoficzne korzenie oraz współczesne epistemiczne i moralne konsekwencje
The Erosion of the Concept of Truth in American Socio-Political Life: Its Philosophical Roots and Contemporary Epistemic and Moral Consequences

Summary/Abstract: RESEARCH OBJECTIVE: The aim of the text is a critical analysis of the changing meaning of the concept of truth in American pragmatism (from Peirce to Dewey) and of phenomena in American society that express a weakening attachment to the values of truth, truthfulness, and veracity. RESEARCH PROBLEM AND METHODS: The reasoning is based on two assumptions: (1) the connection of philosophical concepts (in this case the concept of truth) with social life and other fields of culture and science; (2) the influence of the philosophical reflection of American authors on the life of American citizens throughout the long twentieth century and the beginning of the twenty-first (Romano, 2013). The reasoning was carried out using two methods: (1) the pragmatic method (examining the practical consequences of theoretical concepts), (2) critical analysis of language. The starting point is the case of American society, but the results of the critical reflection retain their validity in relation to all societies aspiring to be called democratic. THE PROCESS OF ARGUMENTATION: It is shown how successive analyses and arguments formulated by Peirce, James, and Dewey resulted in an increasingly relativized conception of truth in American culture. At the same time, already in the 1920s the phenomenon of the relativization and instrumentalization of truth in public discourse was diagnosed by Dewey. This process continued and was eventually captured in the concept of post-truth. The epistemic, moral, and political consequences of the weakening of the values of truth, truthfulness, and veracity are analyzed, particularly from the perspective of their consequences for the functioning of a democratic community. RESEARCH RESULTS: The mechanism of the destructive influence of the phenomenon under study on the constitution and functioning of democratic institutions is shown, leading to the conclusion that truth, truthfulness, and veracity are fundamental values, and their disappearance in a democratic society cannot be offset in any way. CONCLUSIONS, INNOVATIONS AND RECOMMENDATIONS: The conclusions lead to recommendations of a theoretical nature (using the tools offered by Peircean pragmatism) and a practical nature (strengthening the culture of discourse, which is the foundation of democratic institutions at all levels).

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