Know-It-All Society

Reviews

"The book is accessible, admirably concise, clearly written, and richly insightful, both as a cultural diagnosis and as an exemplar of applying philosophical inquiry—ancient or otherwise—to everyday problems." — Chad Comello, Booklist

"Lynch offers an insightful, timely message." — Kirkus Reviews

"This book is both a treasure and a treat—that rare volume that is philosophically rich, politically relevant, and lyrically written." — Eboo Patel, author of Out of Many Faiths

"A sharp and engaging critique of the tribal arrogance that’s so common in contemporary life, by one of our leading public philosophers. Lynch has a lot of provocative ideas—about social media, the rise of Donald Trump, whether we have to listen to neo-Nazis, and much else—and his rich book is a delight to engage with." — Paul Bloom, Professor of Psychology, Yale University, and author of Against Empathy: The Case for Rational Compassion

"Michael Lynch has done it. Finally, someone has answered the question that has exasperated so many in this ‘post-truth’ era: Why are some people unconvinced by facts? The answer lies not in irrationality but identity. In these polarized times, to question someone’s beliefs is to question their sense of self. In this book, Lynch brilliantly demonstrates that a solution to the problem of belief lies not just in valuing truth and evidence but reforming some of the toxic mental attitudes that exist not just in others but ourselves." — Lee McIntyre, author of The Scientific Attitude

"A timely book on an important topic in our political culture today. Lynch is just the person to bring philosophical insight to these challenges—of trust, expertise, disagreement, and the prospects for conversation across the deep political chasms of our day." — Sanford Goldberg, author of To the Best of Our Knowledge

"If we have learned anything over these past few years, it is that democracy is difficult. In this essential book for our times, Michael Lynch unflinchingly lays out its central conundrums in painfully recognizable ways, and bravely offers hope, and perhaps, some ways out. A remarkable achievement." — Jason Stanley, author of How Fascism Works

"Michael Patrick Lynch’s book uses the classics of philosophy to examine why our society, in a modern age of technology and education, is increasingly centered around a dysfunctional, narcissistic rejection of objectivity and reason. Know-It-All Society challenges us to consider why we arrogantly refuse to listen to each other, no matter what our politics or our beliefs." — Tom Nichols, author of The Death of Expertise

"Professor Lynch not only diagnoses the reasons for our current predicament but also suggests ways in which we can begin to challenge our tribal arrogance. Know-It-All Society is an important (and wonderfully readable) book." — David Edmonds, host of BBC’s The Big Idea