Fools, idiots and stupid idiots

Are we entering a golden age of stupidity, or is there no more of it around than there was for the generations before us? Why do we often behave like idiots, even when we're convinced we're right? Stupidity and idiocy spare no one, but they can be fought.

With his characteristic irony and a keen eye for observation, philosopher Lars Fr. H. Svendsen delves into the history of thought and contemporary debates about informational chaos. He examines what it actually means to be a fool or an idiot, why we are prone to both, and how stupidity or idiocy can manifest even in an era when machines are starting to “think” for us.

This book is not only a witty and provocative guide to the world of stupidity and idiocy, but also a practical handbook for critical thinking. It encourages self-reflection and teaches us to recognise uninformed judgements, blindness, and intellectual laziness. It reminds us that stupidity and idiocy are not just other people's problems, but our own as well.

And it warns: If we stop distinguishing between rational argument, emotion, and plain stupidity, we lose the ability to navigate the world and ourselves.