Liars, Bullshit and Trump

The great philosopher of mind Harry Frankfurt wrote his bullshit paper 20+ years ago, when I was a student, and it seemed a bit light-hearted. It became popular and even published for a lay audience.

What he basically says is that lying and bullshit are different. We already knew this but he explains this more clearly and carefully.

This is timely now though, in a way that philosophy often finds puzzling things and explains them long before we need these idyll explanations.

It is timely because of Trump, a bullshitter.

Many keep calling him a liar and he often is lying. But sometimes not. And perhaps for this reason the populace is OK supporting him.

Bullshitting is kind of OK compared to lying.

All you have to be is stupid.