Factors and Tendencies of Strenghthening the Post-Truth Manifestions in Contemporary Political Practice. (Research Article)

The author analyses factors and tendencies that determine and testify the post-truth manifestations in the contemporary political process, and emphasizes that there were only some manifestations of post-truth in politics in the past. The main subjects of the spread of post-truth, as well as the problems caused by this phenomenon, have been identified. There are factors of strengthening the post-truth at the present stage: social and technological, political, economic and scientific. The author identifies an interrelated trends that jointly undermine the ability to acquire true information and exacerbate the phenomena of post-truth, among them: spreading and increasing the influence of disinformation and propaganda; rejection of well-established scientific claims; placing personal belief and experience above facts and evidence; declining trust in institutional and official providers of information; increasing fragmentation and polarization of information consumption etc. In general, these factors and tendencies form an atmosphere where an intellectual values (truth, accuracy, justice and openness) are difficult to achieve. Although the phenomena of post-truth are not historically new, their scale – present and future – may be greater than before. The author argues the necessity for comprehensive research on the post-truth manifestations in contemporary political discourse, search for models to minimize their negative impact, clarify the role of contemporary political information and facts that can form dialogue between political elites and people for the better understanding.