Abstract:

The debates of post-truth brought attention to the claim that while truth, which speaks in reference to facts, lost its value, opinions, which speak to feelings and beliefs, even if they are wrong, became more valuable and credited. Considering also the claim that the experience of loneliness has been increasing in our age, how can we re-think the relation between truth and loneliness, which has been a significant relation to the tradition of philosophical thinking as well. At first glance, we can think this relation with the terms of “the loneliness of truth.” However, when we look at Ancient Greek sources in philosophy, especially to the Socratic philosophy and examine the connections between the practice of telling the truth-parrhesia and the practice of living well with eudaimonia, then we see that truth does not necessarily play a role in isolation and loneliness. Instead, it plays a role in the formation of one’s ethical character and self-hood, which might enable better relations both with friends and with the universe. Thus, we can say that it is not the truth but the manipulative ways of thinking, as attributed to post-truth that leads to loneliness. Hence, to re-connect with truth, philosophical responses to the age of post-truth can be developed better by relating both to the ethical ways of life and to feelings with a more comprehensive perspective.

Keywords: