THE ERA OF POST-TRUTH IN THE WORKS OF PHILOSOPHERS OF THE XX–XXI CENTURIES: A THEORETICAL AND PHILOSOPHICAL ANALYSIS

The article is devoted to a comprehensive philosophical analysis of the phenomenon of post-truth through the prism of the works of leading philosophers of the XX–XXI centuries. The relevance of the study is due to the growing influence of post-truth on public consciousness, democratic institutions and communication processes, especially in the context of modern information wars, such as the Russian-Ukrainian one. The purpose of the article is to conduct a comprehensive philosophical analysis of the phenomenon of post-truth based on the works of leading philosophers of the 20th–21st centuries, to identify its essence, genesis and consequences for modern society. The paper provides an overview and critical analysis of the concepts of Lee MacIntyre, Jean Baudrillard, Sigmund Bauman, Michel Foucault, Jürgen Habermas, Jean-François Lyotard, Richard Rorty and others whose ideas form the theoretical basis for understanding the genesis and essence of post-truth. The relationship between the philosophy of postmodernism and the emergence of a postfactual worldview, as well as the role of modern media and technologies in the spread of disinformation, is explored. Particular attention is paid to the specifics of post-truth in the Ukrainian context, which is seen as an instrument of hybrid aggression. It is emphasised that post-truth is not just the spread of false information, but a qualitatively new stage where emotions and subjective beliefs dominate over objective facts, threatening rational discourse and public trust. The article identifies unresolved aspects of the problem and outlines philosophical foundations for developing strategies to counteract this phenomenon, emphasising the importance of critical thinking and media literacy. The study of the phenomenon of post-truth has not only theoretical, but also significant practical value. From a philosophical point of view, it allows us to deepen our understanding of such fundamental categories as truth, knowledge, trust, reality and their dynamics in the conditions of postmodern society. The analysis showed that post-truth is not a fundamentally new phenomenon in the sense of the existence of lies or manipulation, but it qualitatively differs from previous forms of untruth in its systemic nature and the priority of emotions and subjective beliefs over objective facts. This distinction is fundamental: if traditional lies try to hide the truth, and propaganda tries to distort it, then post-truth nullifies the very value of truth as such, making it secondary to "emotional truth" or "truth of the community."