1st Edition
Bias, Belief, and Conviction in an Age of Fake Facts
In this book, authors engage in an interdisciplinary discourse of theory and practice on the concept of personal conviction, addressing the variety of grey zones that mark the concept.
Bias, Belief, and Conviction in an Age of Fake Facts discusses where our convictions come from and whether we are aware of them, why they compel us to certain actions, and whether we can change our convictions when presented with opposing evidence, which prove our personal convictions "wrong". Scholars from philosophy, psychology, comparative literature, media studies, applied linguistics, intercultural communication, and education shed light on the topic of personal conviction, crossing disciplinary boundaries and asking questions not only of importance to scholars but also related to the role and possible impact of conviction in the public sphere, education, and in political and cultural discourse.
By taking a critical look at personal conviction as an element of inquiry within the humanities and social sciences, this book will contribute substantially to the study of conviction as an aspect of the self we all carry within us and are called upon to examine. It will be of particular interest to scholars in communication and journalism studies, media studies, philosophy, and psychology.
The Open Access version of this book has been made available under a Creative Commons Attribution-Non Commercial-No Derivatives 4.0 license: https://www.taylorfrancis.com/books/oa-edit/10.4324/9781003187936/bias-belief-conviction-age-fake-facts-anke-finger-manuela-wagner
Foreword
Linda Skitka
1. Introduction: New Parameters for Bias, Belief, and Conviction: An Interdisciplinary Exploration of Personal Positions and their Justification
Anke Finger and Manuela Wagner
2. Political Conviction
Michael Lynch
3. Manifesto Moments: Conviction, Reasonable Dissent, and 'Vanguards of the Future'
Anke Finger
4. Convincing Atmospheres? The Influence of Diffuse Factors on Conviction Building
Christiane Heibach
5. 'I Believe Because it is Absurd'; or, Pseudoscience
Justin E. H. Smith
6. Conviction, Contemplation, and 'Making a Difference'
Matthew Pianalto
7. Bad and Good Belief? On the Role of Conviction in Religion
Adrian Hermann
8. The Psycho-Social Function of Moral Conviction
Jen Cole Wright
9. Moderating Conviction Through Civility in Education
Deborah Mower
10. Intellectual Humility, Conviction, and Intercultural Citizenship Education
Manuela Wagner and Michael Byram
11. In Pursuit of the Dialogic Classroom: Designing Spaces for Conviction
John Sarrouf
12. Conclusion: Making a Difference for (Self)Reflection and Dialogue
Manuela Wagner and Anke Finger
Biography
Anke Finger is a Professor of German Studies, Comparative Literature, and Media Studies at the University of Connecticut, USA. Her many publications focus on the total artwork, expressionism, and the media philosopher Vilém Flusser, among other topics, within the areas of modernism, media studies, and intercultural communication.
Manuela Wagner is a Professor of Language Education at the University of Connecticut, USA. She has published widely on the interplay of theory and practice of intercultural dialogue as it relates to social justice and education.
