Institutionalized lying and deception are nothing new: witness ongoing revelations of the extent of corruption at the nexus of political and corporate power. All of these instances of institutionalized deception, lying, and covert (and overt) propaganda and manipulation by government, media, and business, undermine freedom and democracy by interfering with your ability to function as a well-informed guardian of your interests.
In our second week of class, we will study Plato's Allegory of the Cave. What relevance do you think Plato's Allegory of the Cave has for understanding how your beliefs can be manipulated and shaped by others? To what extent do you think that your life is immune to being controlled by the invisible hand of covert propaganda?
What are some examples of how beliefs, attitudes, or behavior in our society are manipulated and shaped by propaganda, deception, the "manufacture of consent," and the dissemination of misinformation?
Is there anything (perhaps suggested by Plato's allegory of the cave) that you can do to prevent yourself and others from being misled and manipulated by those who seek to treat you as an ill-informed slave to their interests?
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