Join us for international conference!
Conference Location
Rzeszów, Poland • 26th-27th June 2025
Organisers
Dr. Kamelia Talebian Sedehi, Sapienza University of Rome, Italy
Dr. Paula Wieczorek, University of Information Technology and Management in Rzeszów, Poland
The Concept of Truth: From Philosophy to Post-Truth
1
Ancient Philosophy
The concept of truth has deep philosophical roots, dating back to Socrates and Aristotle. Socrates warned against those who, convinced of knowing the truth, acted on falsehoods and misled others. Aristotle defines truth as follows: "To say of what is that it is not, or of what is not that it is, is false, while to say of what is that it is, and of what is not that it is not, is true."
2
Lying and Manipulation
Lying, as an act of falsification, involves attempting to deceive others and manipulate them into believing something untrue. Politicians who "spin" the truth to their advantage aim to influence people—not by rejecting the facts outright but by denying them to justify their ideology and shape public opinion (McIntyre 7).
3
Post-Truth Era
In contemporary times, the manipulation of truth—often referred to as "post-truth"—has become a defining feature of public discourse. Post-truth practitioners seek to convince audiences of untruths despite clear evidence to the contrary, fostering confusion and exerting domination. Politicians, for instance, may twist truths to align with their agendas, obfuscating facts for personal or collective gain.
4
Media and Fake News
The proliferation of fake news, amplified by memes, television, and social media, infiltrates public consciousness and serves the interests of select groups. These distortions illustrate how the manipulation of truth benefits those who wield it as a tool for influence.
Literary Explorations of Truth Manipulation
Literature and media have long grappled with these questions, offering incisive critiques of truth's manipulation in society. Works such as It Can't Happen Here by Sinclair Lewis (1953), The Man in the High Castle by Philip K. Dick (1962), The Winter of Our Discontent by John Steinbeck (1961), The Captive Mind by Czeslaw Milosz (1953), Nineteen Eighty-Four by George Orwell (1949), All The King's Men by Robert Penn Warren (1946), and The Emperor by Ryszard Kapuscinski (1978) are some of the novels in which truth is spined and modified due to the interests of a certain group in the society.
This conference invites scholars in literature, linguistics, and media studies with a focus on American and British contexts to contribute to an exploration of post-truth and its depiction in various media forms.
Post-truth and media
Post-truth and fiction
Post-truth and audiovisual translation (AVT)
Post-truth and testimonies
We invite scholars, university lecturers, and Ph.D. candidates interested in these themes to join us in this critical reconsideration.
Submission Guidelines and Presentation Details
Submission Guidelines
Proposals for each individual paper should be approx. 300 words long. Please also send a 200-word bio for each participant. Please send your proposal by 30th March 2025 to:
- Dr. Kamelia Talebian Sedehi (Sapienza University of Rome, Italy) [email protected]
- Dr. Paula Wieczorek (University of Information Technology and Management in Rzeszów, Poland) [email protected]
Presentation Details
Each presentation should not exceed 15 minutes followed by a 5-minute Q&A session.
Registration Fees
70€
Ph.D. candidates
130€
Established academics
40€
Social dinner
(optional)
The fee includes lunch, coffee breaks, and a certificate of participation. For those interested in attending the social dinner, an additional 40 EUR is required.
Keynote Speakers
Sapienza University of Rome, Italy
Constantine the Philosopher University Nitra, Slovakia
We are pleased to announce that Professor Paolo Simonetti (Sapienza University of Rome, Italy) and Professor Peter Mikuláš (Constantine the Philosopher University Nitra, Slovakia) will deliver a keynote address.
We look forward to your contributions to this critical and engaging exploration of truth and its manipulation in American and British contexts.
Conference Organisers
1
Dr. Kamelia Talebian Sedehi
Sapienza University of Rome, Italy
2
Dr. Paula Wieczorek
University of Information Technology and Management in Rzeszów, Poland
