Trivialization and Public Opinion Slogans, Substance, and Styles of Thought in the Age of Complexity Oldrich Bubak · Henry Jacek Trivialization and Public Opinion “Taking a transdisciplinary view, this innovative title serves both as an impor- tant addition and a challenge to the existing research in communications and in social sciences more generally. Trivialization offers a useful perspective on public discourse and a sensible entry-point to the often hidden universe of mostly unquestioned assumptions, all requiring a thorough debate. I highly recommend this book to all readers seeking a more complete picture of change, so needed in our increasingly complex society.” —D. R. F. Taylor, Distinguished Research Professor, Carleton University, Canada, and 2014 Killam Prize recipient “This is an important book that should be read by anyone concerned about the current state of political discourse in the industrialized democracies. Further, it adds significantly to the scholarly debates in its field. Readers will no doubt tend to ask themselves what we can learn from history, whether we can modify academic approaches to critical thinking to handle complexity and contingency and avoid ‘incredible certitude.’ We should all learn to listen and to ask: ‘how do you know?’” —Fred Fletcher, Professor Emeritus of Communication Studies and Political Science, York University, Canada Oldrich Bubak · Henry Jacek Trivialization and Public Opinion Slogans, Substance, and Styles of Thought in the Age of Complexity Oldrich Bubak Henry Jacek Department of Political Science Department of Political Science McMaster University McMaster University Hamilton, ON, Canada Hamilton, ON, Canada ISBN 978-3-030-17924-3 ISBN 978-3-030-17925-0 (eBook) https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-17925-0 © The Editor(s) (if applicable) and The Author(s) 2019 This work is subject to copyright. All rights are solely and exclusively licensed by the Publisher, whether the whole or part of the material is concerned, specifically the rights of translation, reprinting, reuse of illustrations, recitation, broadcasting, reproduction on microfilms or in any other physical way, and transmission or information storage and retrieval, electronic adaptation, computer software, or by similar or dissimilar methodology now known or hereafter developed. The use of general descriptive names, registered names, trademarks, service marks, etc. in this publication does not imply, even in the absence of a specific statement, that such names are exempt from the relevant protective laws and regulations and therefore free for general use. The publisher, the authors and the editors are safe to assume that the advice and information in this book are believed to be true and accurate at the date of publication. Neither the publisher nor the authors or the editors give a warranty, expressed or implied, with respect to the material contained herein or for any errors or omissions that may have been made. The publisher remains neutral with regard to jurisdictional claims in published maps and institutional affiliations. This Palgrave Macmillan imprint is published by the registered company Springer Nature Switzerland AG The registered company address is: Gewerbestrasse 11, 6330 Cham, Switzerland Sapere aude! P reface It has been nearly three decades since John Brockman published his essay giving a new meaning to Lord Snow’s concept of third culture. For Snow, a third culture was a reconciliation among literary humanists and scien- tists, two rival cultures seen as major sources of social and political influ- ence. For a time, literary humanists dominated the public intellectual space, with mass press neglecting the contemporaneous scientists and their publicly oriented writings. Third culture was to be a settlement between the two groups, opening a dialog and allowing scientific ideas to reach the public through the customary journalistic channels. Instead, as Brockman observed, scientists began to communicate their findings in an engaging and accessible manner directly to the general public, capturing their inter- est and giving rise to a different third culture. To Brockman, this was a triumph, an entrance into the public discussion of a new generation of thinkers, open-minded empirical scholars “defining the interesting and important questions of our times.” Much has happened since the publication of the essay and the book that soon followed. We have entered the information age giving most people the capacity to access an unprecedented volume and variety of digital content growing at an unimaginable rate; to find, create, moni- tor, and share information with others at an instant; or to become com- mentators, entertainers, or broadcasters gaining their own following, large or small. Finding an expression in Edge.org, the expanded third culture movement is now competing for attention not only with other well-developed websites on philosophy and science but also with a range vii viii PREFACE of other more or less reliable online outlets. In the end, the dream is ful- filled, it seems, as people have the freedom to choose what they want to read or whom to listen. In parallel, we have been witnessing a growing skepticism toward the elite, those who identify problems, recommend options, make the decisions, or tell us about it. Many are not surprised given the still vivid memory of the recent financial crises and the incongruous policy action in their aftermath. There too are the rising inequalities, challenges with outcomes in health and education, the increasingly evident prob- lems stemming from the runaway application of technology, and other issues—hard to accept in what appears an age of scientist intellectual. And people are responding to these realities in a variety of ways, includ- ing with their decisions at the ballot boxes. How can we understand this landscape? First, we observe that not only the two groups of intellectuals described above avoid conversation, but that many scientists do not talk with each other either, as hinted by the voices of third culture. Unfortunately, there is little need or possibility for a dialogue outside of these circles as well. Why is this? If we begin by taking note of public discourse and listen to ourselves more attentively, we observe a lapse, a common obstacle to a reasoned discussion we identify as trivialization. We argue that getting to an inclusive conversation requires us to under- stand trivialization and deal with its causes. We thus set out to explore what it is, what sustains it, what its implications are, and if possible, what it may take to liberate ourselves from its clutches. As we open this book, what at first may seem rare and uncommon quickly becomes familiar. We start to recognize not only how pervasive trivialization is, but that most of us, whether directly or indirectly, are helping to perpetuate it. Our quest takes us into our cultural history and realities more recent, into our imagination, and closer to an understand- ing of the limits and potentials of the human mind. We identify a set of fundamental issues rooted in culture, a single, evolving culture we are all a part. Perhaps in line with the ostensible (sub)cultural divisions outlined above, critics often place the blame for our condition at the feet of either the elite, or the incapable, disinterested public. Yet, while the intellec- tuals claim to talk to the public as they share their ideas, define agendas, and shape opinions, they are also responding to the audience’s signals, catering to their tastes and biases. Everyone is involved. Change must PREFACE ix thus evolve from within, through tools of inclusion, mutual learning, and humility. Developing understandings more broadly takes priority over the mere provision of information, particularly when faced with limited resources. This, we believe, is especially important in the age of misinfor- mation and rising irrationality. Some say our technologies—and the socio-technical systems of which they are a part—are advancing so rapidly we can neither understand their implications nor handle them. While there is surely a point, we, as a soci- ety, know and possess the capacity to do much more than what the main- stream thought holds. We have coherent analyses, answers to difficult questions, and solutions to problems generally presented as intractable thanks to the foresight and the will of the people going against the con- vention and daring to think differently. Their findings, many of which we drew upon in this volume, give us optimism about the road ahead. Hence, we would first like to acknowledge these scholars and practi- tioners and express our appreciation for their efforts. We are also grateful to those who have set aside time to discuss, offer valuable comments, or otherwise help our project: Katherine Boothe, Peter Graefe, Mark Holliday, Stephen McBride, Torsten Müller, Dani Rodrik, and Andrew Sayer. Also, we appreciate the expertise and support of our editor, Mary Al-Sayed, and the team at Palgrave Macmillan all of whom were integral in making this volume a reality. Finally, we would like to recognize our institution, McMaster University, an inspiring environment. Hamilton, ON, Canada Oldrich Bubak January 2019 Henry Jacek c ontents Part I On Trivialization 1 Introduction 3 2 Trivialization 27 3 The Uneasy World of “Isms” 49 Part II Opinions and Their Public 4 Democracy (Re)Imagined 71 5 Bringing in the Public 95 6 What We Can Learn 117 xi xii CONTENTS Part III Approaching Complexity 7 Assumptions and Precautions 141 8 Into a New Paradigm 165 9 Transformations 187 Part IV Shifting Cultures 10 Beyond Folklore 213 11 Thinking Change 231 Glossary 253 Index 259