Democracy is sentimental

Will truth set us free? PhD candidate in philosophy, Elizabeth Cantalamessa, believes we are living in a 'post-truth' landscape. Reflecting on the work of various philosophers, Cantalamessa looks at why, in a time of prioritising ‘feelings over facts’, a new approach is needed to further political discussions. "It’s time to give up the idea that ‘truth’ is the almighty stop-gap for justification and the hope that reasons will win out if we just find the right ones. Politically transformative work should aim to cause feelings and experiences in one’s adversaries that invite further investigation and reflection. Science, the environment, racial justice – all of these things matter because we care about them. As Nietzsche once mused, the head is merely the intestine of the heart."