Science, Technology, and Society Studies (STSS) Director Leah Ceccarelli was featured in the first episode of Conversations with Society + Technology, an interview series about emerging technologies and their societal impact. The series features experts from the affiliate network of the new Society + Technology program at UW.
In the interview, conducted by Monika Sengul-Jones, Ceccarelli discusses the STSS program, her research on rhetoric and science, and what to make of “manufactured controversies” about science at a historical moment typified by concerns about the proliferation of “fake news,” propaganda, and misinformation using online digital technologies.
“You can’t just dismiss the fraudsters, or those who believe the fraudsters, as fools. That just feeds their anti-elitist populism that’s become such a central part of these disinformation campaigns.
Ignoring the false claims doesn’t work either, right? Because it just cedes the ground to the liars. But neither can you debate the deceivers on their own terms, because that just makes it seem like there really is a dispute over the facts. You’re really in this double bind.”
How does the moral tradition of rhetoric help us respond to deception?