Pants on Fire: On Lying in Politics

This book is based on an in-depth filmed conversation between Howard Burton and renowned intellectual historian Martin Jay, UC Berkeley. A thought-provoking book in dialogue format examining Martin Jay’s extensive research on lying in politics from Plato and St. Augustine to Hannah Arendt and Leo Strauss which culminated in his book The Virtues of Mendacity.


This carefully-edited book includes an introduction,The Varnished Truth, and questions for discussion at the end of each chapter: 


A Fruitful Approach - Investigating “the political”

The Liar’s Stage - From Machiavelli to political play-acting

Lies, American Style - A central concern?

Transcending Kant - The Value of nuance

Coming Clean - Appreciating what we know

Monological Dangers - Truth as the enemy of the political

Democracy - Its porous nature and implications

Getting Worse? - In search of a Golden Age of truth-telling

Puritanical Dangers - Fanatical truth-telling

Politics vs. Science - Similarities and differences

Summing Up - Admissions and conclusions




About Ideas Roadshow Conversations Series: 


This book is part of an expanding series of 100+ Ideas Roadshow conversations, each one presenting a wealth of candid insights from a leading expert in a focused yet informal setting to give non-specialists a uniquely accessible window into frontline research and scholarship that wouldn't otherwise be encountered through standard lectures and textbooks. For other books in this series visit our website: https://ideas-on-film.com/ideasroadshow/.