We encounter “bullshit” everywhere and all the time. But what exactly is “bullshit”? In 1986, the American philosopher Harry Frankfurt, in a narrow essay of the same name, “Bullshit” distinguished between lies and error. He who lies knows the truth, but wants to deceive. He who errs seeks the truth, but is wrong. On the other hand, those who produce “bullshit” simply aren’t interested in the truth. “Bullshit” is therefore the worst enemy of the truth for Frankfurt. When the essay was republished in 2005 as a small booklet as a commentary on the Bush era, it promptly landed at number one on the bestseller list New York Times. And Frankfurt will soon be world famous. Even in the Trump years, “Busllshit” was often quoted again.
Obituary for the philosopher Harry G. Frankfurt – Culture
