Deception and the marketplace of ideas

Abstract

American democracy is built, in part, on the ideal of a “free marketplace of ideas.” Consumers are assumed to have access to the same arguments, and through deliberation, come to a consensus about which arguments are true, and therefore, best. In this article, we explain how deceptive communication undermines this ideal. We focus on two key dimensions—the motive of deception and the perception of dishonesty—that influence people's propensity to deceive and the social rewards of doing so. Deception is seen as the most justified when it is morally motivated and when it involves indirect tactics that are not perceived as particularly dishonest. We argue, therefore, that morally motivated half‐truths, rather than blatantly selfish lies, may do the greatest damage to the marketplace of ideas. Ultimately, this article advances our understanding of the causes and consequences of deception and helps to explain the dynamics that lead to widespread misinformation in our social world.

Cognitive Campaign Biases, Political Decisions and Consequences

“…As it has been noted by Levine and Duncan (2022), cognitive biases occur in a political environment when individuals engage in behaviour that demonstrates either incapacity to grasp a politically opposing point of view or an unwillingness to do so. It is uncertain whether individuals at particular locations along the political spectrum are more biased than any other individuals, as it is possible that such bias in individuals has its roots in their features and methods of thinking.…”

“…Based The 2016 United States presidential elections that was conducted six months after the famous Brexit referendum that allowed the United Kingdom to exit the European Union is thought to have brought a comprehensive awareness to academicians and other commentators about the challenges posed by the issue misinformation as a result of cognitive political biases. While the problem of misinformation brought about by cognitive campaign biases is not very new, the words "misinformation" currently features in everyday speeches of politicians, journalists as well as normal citizens and even occupying the competitive word-of-the-year position for many dictionaries and journals (Levine & Duncan, 2022).…”

“…According to John Stuart Mill, the functioning of democracy is dependent on the premise that any concept must be permitted in the "marketplace of ideas" Therefore, the functioning of democracy is dependent on this premise of marketplace of ideas. According to Levine and Duncan (2022), ideal people of democracies are in a position to properly rule their country since they have access to all of the relevant, sufficient, and accurate information concerning the political status quo.…”