POLITICAL SCIENCE

On Truth in Politics: Why Democracy Demands It

by Michael Patrick Lynch
Princeton Univ. Apr. 2025. 264p. ISBN 9780691231938. $29.95. POL SCI
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Award-winning Lynch’s (philosophy, Univ. Connecticut; The Internet of Us) academic work focuses on developing a theory of truth as a functional concept. He writes that he is interested in democracy in practice, or what he terms as “democratic politics.” This emphasis comes through clearly in his accessible writing. In this work, he asks whether truth should be an essential quality of politics and political activities. Should people even care about the elements of truth, as they define politics, political institutions, and political discussions and controversies? Lynch emphatically says yes and adds that truth will remain essential if democracy continues as a matter of reason and not just an act of power and force.
VERDICT Highly recommended for readers interested in current public affairs and the contemporary state of politics.
Reviewed by Jerry Stephens , Mar 01, 2025
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