Jonathan Rauch - The Constitution of Knowledge

Advance praise forThe Constitution of Knowledge

Long one of the countrys wisest and most honest voices, Jonathan Rauch has written a hugely valuable and necessary book, an illuminating exploration of the flight from fact. If, as the Gospel of John put it, the truth shall set us free, then count Rauch among the liberators.

JON MEACHAM,
historian; author of His Truth Is Marching On: John Lewis and the Power of Hope

Liberty, of course, requires constant vigilance, but who would have thought until recently that the idea of truth needed defending? Sadly, we now see that it does, but happily, Jonathan Rauch has come to the rescue of both truth and liberty in this thought-provoking, essential work.

MITCHELL E. DANIELS, JR.,
president, Purdue University; former governor of Indiana

Once waged primarily on the turf of government censorship, the battle for free speech and an open society has shifted toward the new terrains of social media, cancel culture, and rampant disinformation. Starting from first principles and applying them to headlines as recent as the storming of the U.S. Capitol in 2021, The Constitution of Knowledge provides the map weve been waiting for. In my forty years of work on behalf of the values our democracy depends on, Ive seen a handful of landmark books come along. This is one of them.

NADINE STROSSEN,
John Marshall Harlan II Professor of Law, Emerita, New York Law School; former president, American Civil Liberties Union, 19912008

Why cant we have shared facts anymore? The most profound and useful answer is contained in this book. Jonathan Rauch shows us how it is that societies ever come to know things. It is only after we appreciate the miracle of knowledge production (the constitution of knowledge) that we can understand the tragedy befalling us now, as key institutions and practices decay. This book is a magnificent integration of psychology, epistemology, and history. It is a joy to readdeep insight after deep insight, embedded in playful writing, about one of the most important problems of the 2020s.

JONATHAN HAIDT,
Thomas Cooley Professor of Ethical Leadership, NYU-Stern School of Business; author of The Righteous Mind; co-author of The Coddling of the American Mind

The digital age was supposed to bring about the blessings of unlimited knowledge fueled by radically egalitarian free speech allowing everyone to access, share, and learn from freely available information to the benefit and progress of all. Instead, an epistemic crisis supercharged by viral disinformation and indifference to truth has bred deep cynicism about the benefits of free speech and the liberal ideals that underpin this increasingly unpopular idea. In his unputdownable new book, Jonathan Rauch provides both a surgically precise diagnosis and a promising cure for the ailments that torment the twenty-first century with its crisis of authority, distrust, and rampant tribalism. We ignore Rauchs warning and prescription at our own peril.

JACOB MCHANGAMA,
founder and CEO, Justitia

The Constitution of Knowledge

A Defense of Truth

JONATHAN RAUCH

BROOKINGS INSTITUTION PRESS

Washington, D.C.

Copyright 2021 by Jonathan Rauch

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The Brookings Institution is a private nonprofit organization devoted to research, education, and publication on important issues of domestic and foreign policy. Its principal purpose is to bring the highest quality independent research and analysis to bear on current and emerging policy problems. Interpretations or conclusions in Brookings publications should be understood to be solely those of the authors.

Library of Congress Control Number: 2021936756

ISBN 9780815738862 (hc)

ISBN 9780815738879 (ebook)

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Composition by Elliott Beard

For my father

Oscar C. Rauch

In loving memory

Write if you get work.