"Trump’s Lies” with Jeremy Waldron
Summary
Hosts Geoff Howard and Emily McTernan interview NYU Law Professor Jeremy Waldron about his article "Damned Lies." Waldron analyzes political misinformation, using Donald Trump as a case study to distinguish between negligence, intentional lying, and the systemic harm of undermining truth-telling conventions. He argues that electoral falsehoods are particularly destructive to democracy and advocates for rigorous accountability in public discourse.
Topics discussed
Introduction to Philosophically Speaking and guest Jeremy Waldron
Defining lies: intentional falsehoods vs. negligent untruths
Critique of subjective intent in defining lying
Political lying: Trump, accountability, and agent-principal relations
The origin and meaning of 'damned lies' and perjury
Damned lies in drama: Iago, Othello, and malicious intent
Systemic effects of lying on social conventions and trust
Kant's axe murderer case and the duty of truth-telling
Free-riding on truth norms and the fragility of communication
Elections as fragile practices: vote counting and concession speeches
Regulating election misinformation and social media platforms
Combating bullshit and maintaining serious truth-telling standards
Hannah Arendt, contingent facts, and preserving the common world
Book recommendation: The Years of Lyndon Johnson and closing
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