Deeper into Populist and Authoritarian Bald-Faced Bullshit

Abstract The classical notion of bullshit requires that speakers make an assertion, are indifferent to its truth and seek to conceal their indifference. In this paper we examine bald-faced bullshit, a form of bullshit characterized by the speaker’s unconcealed indifference to truth, and we argue that it fulfills five functions in populist and authoritarian politics. The notion of bald-faced bullshit helps to better understand current populist and authoritarian speech which uses bullshit for (1) evasion, (2) attention-seeking, (3) power projection, and (4) the systematic paralysis of the epistemic institutions in democratic societies. Crucially, it also has a (5) norm-erosive effect on public discourse by undermining the norms of assertion. By openly violating these norms, populist and authoritarian politicians create social spaces where truthfulness is irrelevant, hindering informed decision-making and eroding the foundations of democratic deliberation.