E-LOGOS 2026, 33(1):41-56 | DOI: 10.18267/j.e-logos.518

Disinformation and epistemic crises

Filip Tvrdý
Department of Logic and the Methodology of Sciences, Faculty of Arts, Comenius University, Bratislava, Slovak Republic

Dnešní společnost se nachází ve stavu epistemické krize, která se projevuje především přítomností dezinformací ve veřejném prostoru. Aby bylo možné tuto krizi řešit, je klíčové nejprve vyjasnit, jak dezinformace odlišit od jiných typů nepravdivých či nezdůvodněných tvrzení, a teprve potom lze uvažovat o jejich prevenci a způsobech potírání. Zjednodušující nebo aktivistické definice dezinformací přehlížejí skutečné příčiny jejich nebezpečnosti a znemožňují účinné vypořádání se s jejich šířením. Tento článek si vytknul tři cíle: (1) poukázat na slabiny tradiční definice dezinformací, (2) zasadit současnou krizi do širšího historického kontextu, (3) představit vhodná opatření boje proti dezinformacím v online prostředí. Autor se pokouší ukázat, že epistemická krize přelomu 20. a 21. století není unikátní, ale má předobraz v dřívějších revolučních změnách spojených se vznikem knihtisku a rozvojem tištěných médií. Inspiraci pro její překonání lze hledat v již existujících kontrolních mechanismech, které jsou založeny na dělbě epistemické práce a intersubjektivním ověřování spolehlivosti informací.

Keywords: aplikovaná epistemologie, dezinformace, epistemická krize, dělba epistemické práce, ověřování fakticity

Contemporary society is experiencing an epistemic crisis, most notably evidenced by the pervasive presence of disinformation in the public sphere. To address this issue effectively, it is crucial to distinguish disinformation from other forms of false or unsubstantiated claims. Only after achieving this clarity can we begin to consider strategies for prevention and mitigation. Simplistic or ideologically driven definitions of disinformation fail to capture its true dangers, thereby hindering efforts to combat its spread. This article has three primary objectives: (1) to expose the shortcomings of the traditional definition of disinformation, (2) to situate the current epistemic crisis within a broader historical context, and (3) to propose actionable measures for combating disinformation in the online environment. The author argues that the epistemic crisis at the turn of the 20th and 21st centuries is not unprecedented but has historical parallels in earlier transformative periods, such as the advent of the printing press and the rise of print media. Lessons for overcoming this crisis can be drawn from established mechanisms that rely on the division of epistemic labor and the intersubjective verification of information reliability.

Keywords: applied epistemology, disinformation, epistemic crisis, division of epistemic labour, fact-checking

Received: March 11, 2026; Revised: March 11, 2026; Accepted: August 31, 2026; Published: August 31, 2026  Show citation

ACS AIP APA ASA Harvard Chicago Chicago Notes IEEE ISO690 MLA NLM Turabian Vancouver
Tvrdý, F. (2026). Disinformation and epistemic crises. E-LOGOS, 33(1), 41-56. doi: 10.18267/j.e-logos.518
Download citation
  • BibTeX (.bib)
  • Bookends (.ris)
  • EasyBib (.ris)
  • EndNote (.enw)
  • EndNote 8 (.xml)
  • ISI WoS (.isi)
  • Medlars (.medlars)
  • Mendeley (.ris)
  • MODS (.xml)
  • Papers (.ris)
  • RefWorks (.txt)
  • RefManager (.ris)
  • RIS (.ris)
  • MS Word (.xml)
  • Zotero (.ris)
    • Open full article

    References

    1. Allen, Jennifer, Baird Howland, Markus Mobius, David Rothschild a Duncan J. Watts. "Evaluating the Fake News Problem at the Scale of the Information Ecosystem". Science Advances 6, č. 14 (2020): eaay3539. https://doi.org/10.1126/sciadv.aay3539 Go to original source...
    2. Altay, Sacha, Manon Berriche a Alberto Acerbi. "Misinformation on Misinformation: Conceptual and Methodological Challenges". Social Media + Society 9, č. 1 (2023): 1-13. https://doi.org/10.1177/20563051221150412 Go to original source...
    3. Altay, Sacha, Manon Berriche, Hendrik Heuer, Johan Farkas a Steven Rathje. "A Survey of Expert Views on Misinformation: Definitions, Determinants, Solutions, and Future of the Field". Harvard Kennedy School Misinformation Review 4, č. 4 (2023): 1-34. https://doi.org/10.37016/mr-2020-119 Go to original source...
    4. Applebaum, Anne. "Democracy Is Losing the Propaganda War". The Atlantic 333, č. 5 (2024): 30-40. https://www.theatlantic.com/magazine/archive/2024/06/china-russia-republican-party-relations/678271/
    5. Benkler, Yochai, Robert Faris a Harold Roberts. Network Propaganda: Manipulation, Disinformation, and Radicalization in American Politics. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2018. Go to original source...
    6. Biddlestone, Mikey, Jon Roozenbeek a Sander van der Linden. "Once (But Not Twice) Upon a Time: Narrative Inoculation Against Conjunction Errors Indirectly Reduces Conspiracy Beliefs and Improves Truth Discernment". Applied Cognitive Psychology 37, č. 2 (2023): 304-18. https://doi.org/10.1002/acp.4025 Go to original source...
    7. Blair, Ann. "Reading Strategies for Coping with Information Overload ca. 1550-1700". Journal of the History of Ideas 64, č. 1 (2003): 11-28. https://doi.org/10.2307/3654293 Go to original source...
    8. Brashier, Nadia M., Gordon Pennycook, Adam J. Berinsky a David G. Rand. "Timing Matters When Correcting Fake News". Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences 118, č. 5 (2021): e2020043118. https://doi.org/10.1073/pnas.2020043118 Go to original source...
    9. Budak, Ceren, Brendan Nyhan, David M. Rothschild, Emily Thorson a Duncan J. Watts. "Misunderstanding the Harms of Online Misinformation". Nature 630, č. 8015 (2024): 45-53. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41586-024-07417-w Go to original source...
    10. Cohen, Stanley. Folk Devils and Moral Panics: The Creation of the Mods and Rockers. 3. vyd. New York: Routledge, 2011. Go to original source...
    11. Croce, Michel a Tommaso Piazza. "Consuming Fake News: Can We Do Any Better?" Social Epistemology 37, č. 2 (2023): 232-41. https://doi.org/10.1080/02691728.2021.1949643 Go to original source...
    12. El Soufi, Nada a Beng Huat See. "Does Explicit Teaching of Critical Thinking Improve Critical Thinking Skills of English Language Learners in Higher Education? A Critical Review of Causal Evidence". Studies in Educational Evaluation 60 (2019): 140-62. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.stueduc.2018.12.006 Go to original source...
    13. Fallis, Don. "What Is Disinformation?" Library Trends 63, č. 3 (2015): 401-26. https://doi.org/10.1353/lib.2015.0014 Go to original source...
    14. Frost-Arnold, Karen. "Wikipedia". In The Routledge Handbook of Applied Epistemology, editovali David Coady a James Chase, 28-40. Oxon: Routledge, 2019. https://doi.org/10.4324/9781315679099-3 Go to original source...
    15. Gelfert, Axel. "Fake News: A Definition". Informal Logic 38, č. 1 (2018): 84-117. https://doi.org/10.22329/il.v38i1.5068 Go to original source...
    16. Goldberg, Jeffrey. "Why Obama Fears for Our Democracy". The Atlantic, 16. listopad 2020. https://www.theatlantic.com/ideas/archive/2020/11/why-obama-fears-for-our-democracy/617087/
    17. Goldman, Alvin I. Epistemology and Cognition. Cambridge: Harvard University Press, 1986.
    18. Goodman, Matthew. The Sun and the Moon: The Remarkable True Account of Hoaxers, Showmen, Dueling Journalists, and Lunar Man-Bats in Nineteenth-Century New York. New York: Basic Books, 2008.
    19. Habgood-Coote, Joshua. "Deepfakes and the Epistemic Apocalypse". Synthese 201, č. 103 (2023): 103. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11229-023-04097-3 Go to original source...
    20. ---. "Stop Talking About Fake News!" Inquiry 62, č. 9-10 (2019): 1033-65. https://doi.org/10.1080/0020174X.2018.1508363 Go to original source...
    21. Huemer, Michael. "Is Critical Thinking Epistemically Responsible?" Metaphilosophy 36, č. 4 (2005): 522-31. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1467-9973.2005.00388.x Go to original source...
    22. Chan, Man-pui Sally a Dolores Albarracín. "A Meta-Analysis of Correction Effects in Science-Relevant Misinformation". Nature Human Behaviour 7, č. 9 (2023): 1514-25. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41562-023-01623-8 Go to original source...
    23. Chan, Man-pui Sally, Christopher R. Jones, Kathleen Hall Jamieson a Dolores Albarracín. "Debunking: A Meta-Analysis of the Psychological Efficacy of Messages Countering Misinformation". Psychological Science 28, č. 11 (2017): 1531-46. https://doi.org/10.1177/0956797617714579 Go to original source...
    24. Chudárková, Petra. Intuice v etice: víc škody než užitku? Praha: Togga, 2023.
    25. IPIE. "Platform Responses to Misinformation: A Meta-Analysis of Data". Zürich: International Panel on the Information Environment, 2023. https://www.ipie.info/research/sr2023-2
    26. Kim, M., M. Ellithorpe a S. A. Burt. "Anonymity and Its Role in Digital Aggression: A Systematic Review". Aggression and Violent Behavior 72 (2023): 101856. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.avb.2023.101856 Go to original source...
    27. Koblížek, Tomáš. "Nacionalismus vnáší do vlastenectví pachuť". iROZHLAS, 28. říjen 2024. https://www.irozhlas.cz/zpravy-domov/nacionalismus-vnasi-do-vlastenectvi-pachut-meli-bychom-se-o-nej-vic-starat_2410280600_nel
    28. Kozyreva, Anastasia, Philipp Lorenz-Spreen, Stefan M. Herzog, Ullrich K. H. Ecker, Stephan Lewandowsky, Ralph Hertwig, Ayesha Ali, et al. "Toolbox of Individual-Level Interventions Against Online Misinformation". Nature Human Behaviour 8, č. 6 (2024): 1044-52. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41562-024-01881-0 Go to original source...
    29. Kulveit, Jan. "Co je teď potřeba dělat, část 1: Epistemická krize". Boundedly Rational Notes on Complex Systems, 15. říjen 2020. https://boundedlyrational.substack.com/p/co-je-te-poteba-dlat-st-1-epistemick
    30. Laudan, Larry. "Epistemic Crises and Justification Rules". Philosophical Topics 29, č. 1/2 (2001): 271-317. https://doi.org/10.5840/philtopics2001291/22 Go to original source...
    31. Levy, Neil. "The Bad News About Fake News". Social Epistemology Review and Reply Collective 6, č. 8 (2017): 20-36.
    32. Linden, Sander van der. "Countering Misinformation Through Psychological Inoculation". Advances in Experimental Social Psychology 69 (2024): 1-58. https://doi.org/10.1016/bs.aesp.2023.11.001 Go to original source...
    33. Lyons, Benjamin A., Jacob M. Montgomery, Andrew M. Guess, Brendan Nyhan a Jason Reifler. "Overconfidence in News Judgments Is Associated with False News Susceptibility". Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences 118, č. 23 (2021): e2019527118. https://doi.org/10.1073/pnas.2019527118 Go to original source...
    34. MacIntyre, Alisdair. "Epistemological Crises, Dramatic Narrative and the Philosophy of Science". The Monist 60, č. 4 (1977): 453-72. Go to original source...
    35. Martel, Cameron, Jennifer Allen, Gordon Pennycook a David G. Rand. "Crowds Can Effectively Identify Misinformation at Scale". Perspectives on Psychological Science 19, č. 2 (2024): 477-88. https://doi.org/10.1177/17456916231190388 Go to original source...
    36. McCabe, Stefan D., Diogo Ferrari, Jon Green, David M. J. Lazer a Kevin M. Esterling. "Post-January 6th Deplatforming Reduced the Reach of Misinformation on Twitter". Nature 630, č. 8015 (2024): 132-40. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41586-024-07524-8 Go to original source...
    37. Moxham, Noah, a Aileen Fyfe. "The Royal Society and the Prehistory of Peer Review, 1665-1965". The Historical Journal 61, č. 4 (2018): 863-89. https://doi.org/10.1017/S0018246X17000334 Go to original source...
    38. Nguyen, C. Thi. "Echo Chambers and Epistemic Bubbles". Episteme 17, č. 2 (2020): 141-61. https://doi.org/10.1017/epi.2018.32 Go to original source...
    39. O'Mahony, Cian, Maryanne Brassil, Gillian Murphy a Conor Linehan. "The Efficacy of Interventions in Reducing Belief in Conspiracy Theories: A Systematic Review". Editoval Pierluigi Vellucci. PLOS ONE 18, č. 4 (2023): e0280902. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0280902 Go to original source...
    40. Pennycook, Gordon, a David G. Rand. "Lazy, Not Biased: Susceptibility to Partisan Fake News Is Better Explained by Lack of Reasoning Than by Motivated Reasoning". Cognition 188 (2019): 39-50. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cognition.2018.06.011 Go to original source...
    41. ---. "The Psychology of Fake News". Trends in Cognitive Sciences 25, č. 5 (2021): 388-402. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tics.2021.02.007 Go to original source...
    42. Quine, W. V. O. "Dvě dogmata empirismu". In Vybrané články k ontologii a epistemologii, editovali Tomáš Marvan a Ludmila Dostálová, přeložil Prokop Sousedík, 82-106. Plzeň: Západočeská univerzita, 2006.
    43. Rapp, David N. a Mandy M. Withall. "Confidence as a Metacognitive Contributor to and Consequence of Misinformation Experiences". Current Opinion in Psychology 55 (2024): 101735. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.copsyc.2023.101735 Go to original source...
    44. Rauch, Jonathan. The Constitution of Knowledge: A Defense of Truth. Washington: Brookings Institution Press, 2021. https://doi.org/10.5771/9780815738879 Go to original source...
    45. Robertson, David G. Religion and Conspiracy Theories: An Introduction. London: Routledge, 2024. Go to original source...
    46. Roozenbeek, Jon a Sander van der Linden. "Fake News Game Confers Psychological Resistance Against Online Misinformation". Palgrave Communications 5, č. 1 (2019): 65. https://doi.org/10.1057/s41599-019-0279-9 Go to original source...
    47. Roozenbeek, Jon, Sander Van Der Linden, Beth Goldberg, Steve Rathje a Stephan Lewandowsky. "Psychological Inoculation Improves Resilience Against Misinformation on Social Media". Science Advances 8, č. 34 (2022): eabo6254. https://doi.org/10.1126/sciadv.abo6254 Go to original source...
    48. Szegőfi, Ákos a Christophe Heintz. "Institutions of Epistemic Vigilance: The Case of the Newspaper Press". Social Epistemology 36, č. 5 (2022): 613-28. https://doi.org/10.1080/02691728.2022.2109532 Go to original source...
    49. Špecián, Petr. Behavioral Political Economy and Democratic Theory: Fortifying Democracy for the Digital Age. London: Routledge, 2022. https://doi.org/10.4324/9781003274988 Go to original source...
    50. Tvrdý, Filip. "Vice Epistemology of Believers in Pseudoscience". Filozofia 76, č. 10 (2021): 735-51. https://doi.org/10.31577/filozofia.2021.76.10.1 Go to original source...
    51. Uscinski, Joseph E. "What Are We Doing When We Research Misinformation?" Political Epistemology, č. 2 (2023): 2-14.
    52. Uscinski, Joseph E. a Ryden W. Butler. "The Epistemology of Fact Checking". Critical Review 25, č. 2 (2013): 162-80. https://doi.org/10.1080/08913811.2013.843872 Go to original source...
    53. Vojenské zpravodajství. "Výroční zpráva za rok 2022". Praha: Ministerstvo obrany České republiky, 2023. https://vzcr.gov.cz/uploads/41-Vyrocni-zprava-2022.pdf
    54. Wang, Shuting (Ada), Min-Seok Pang a Paul A. Pavlou. "Cure or Poison? Identity Verification and the Posting of Fake News on Social Media". Journal of Management Information Systems 38, č. 4 (2021): 1011-38. https://doi.org/10.1080/07421222.2021.1990615 Go to original source...
    55. Ward, Stephen J. A. The Invention of Journalism Ethics: The Paths to Objectivity and Beyond. Montreal: McGill-Queen's University Press, 2004. Go to original source...
    56. Wardle, Claire a Hossein Derakhshan. "Information Disorder: Toward an Interdisciplinary Framework for Research and Policy Making". Strasbourg: Council of Europe, 2017. https://edoc.coe.int/en/media/7495-information-disorder-toward-an-interdisciplinary-framework-for-research-and-policy-making.html

    This is an open access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License (CC BY-NC 4.0), which permits non-comercial use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original publication is properly cited. No use, distribution or reproduction is permitted which does not comply with these terms.


    Return to the content