The Death of Expertise

An exploration of truth

By Kylie Heider

For every truth we encounter, there exists an opposite un-truth. A realm of impossibility which occupies the negative space left in the wake of the fact, a space which is naturally questioned and scrutinized and which taunts its observer with the promise of a superior reality known only to a select few believers. If the earth is round, the earth cannot be flat, right?

In the digital age, it is no secret that information—and misinformation—spreads at greater speeds and further distances than ever before. The rise of conspiracy theories such as Flat-Earth is often attributed to the online communities that have formed around a conviction to such alternative beliefs. At first glance, the flat-Earth conspiracy theory seems delusional but ultimately harmless. However, the further you go into the conspiracy, the darker it becomes. Many flat-earthers hold the anti-Semitic belief that the narrative of the “round earth” is perpetuated by a Jewish “ruling class” in order to maintain power over the global economy. The internet has also given rise to a phenomenon of right-wing hate groups such as QAnon, a pro-Trump right wing group that believes that Trump is battling a war on pedophilic sex-trafficking ring consisting of Democrats. Among the right-wing, even the pandemic has also come under suspicion as a hoax, just another way the government is trying to control us. 

Despite facts, evidence, and science, it is likely that most of the people who hold these beliefs will not be swayed. With the onset of information in the internet age, the word of studied experts can often be disregarded. This “death of expertise” is a two-sided coin. On one hand, divergence from academia to explain social issues (not so much scientific issues, however) is probably a step in the right direction. The idea of what constitutes an “expert” is in many ways confined to a wealthy, white patriarchy which agrees on a history that suits the same wealthy, white, patriarchal hierarchy. However, there is also a real harm in people willingly blinding themselves to an obvious truth. In order to combat the onslaught of information we are given every day, it is imperative that we be able to question everything accordingly, to listen for the voices that are not being heard, and to live in a truth that is just that—truthful.