Every area where facts still matter is governed by a set of rules that Jonathan Rauch, in his new book, calls the “constitution of knowledge”
contains errors, they will probably be spotted by the first editor who reads it. If a mistake sneaks past him then other editors, who pride themselves on being able to find bloopers, will probably intervene. If they are all asleep at the keyboard,’s fact-checking team will embarrass them by flagging the mistake. And if all these safety features fail, then a reader will write to point out the error, which will then be corrected with a slightly sheepish apology.
Unlike America’s constitution, this one has no identifiable authors. Instead, the rules were discovered by trial and error over the course of centuries. In Mr Rauch’s telling, the constitution of knowledge draws on the same inspiration as the Founding Fathers: a mash-up of 17th-century ideas about liberty with the French and Scottish enlightenments. But it took more than a hundred years to perfect. In the mid-19th century American journalists still invented stories to boost their readership.
Like science, what Mr Rauch describes is a social activity. He sets out the house rules. Nobody has the final say on anything. Authority on a subject is not personal: “if an experiment works for Yale’s Sterling Professor of Social and Natural Science, it should also work for the lowly undergraduate who replicates it.” Knowledge advances through disconfirmation, which means that when one person advances an idea, everybody else can try to knock it down.
Australia Latest News, Australia Headlines
Similar News:You can also read news stories similar to this one that we have collected from other news sources.
Jonathan Scott and Zooey Deschanel take 'special' trip to Hawaii — see picsScott shared photos from the trip on Instagram.
Read more »
Houston Texans Cut Simone Biles' Boyfriend Jonathan OwensThe Texans announced they cut Simone Biles' boyfriend, Jonathan Owens, in paring down their roster to 53.
Read more »
Defiant Biden defends Afghanistan departure and says hundreds of Americans still trying to leaveBiden’s address came one day after the last remaining U.S. military aircraft departed Kabul, ending nearly 20 years of war in Afghanistan and capping 17 days of chaotic evacuations in what amounted to the largest non-combatant airlift operation in U.S. military history.
Read more »
Rachael Kirkconnell addresses Old South party photos: 'Please stop defending me'Controversial 'Bachelor' winner Rachael Kirkconnell just discussed those Old South photos, anti-racism and her relationship with Matt James.
Read more »
Biden vows to 'protect and defend' abortion rights as Texas law takes effect'This extreme Texas law blatantly violates the constitutional right established under Roe v. Wade,' President Biden said in a statement.
Read more »
Biden tries to shift blame on AfghanistanDespite an unprecedented wave of criticism from Democratic allies and the media, Biden has appeared convinced that voters and history will ultimately reward him for ending the war despite the chaotic withdrawal
Read more »