The Myth of “Speaking Truth to Power”

Abstract

This chapter outlines the historical and conceptual basis for the true and at times false dichotomy between truth seekers (and speakers) and those in power (primarily politicians). It covers the shift from Socrates the martyr to Plato’s vision of a philosopher-king. In conflating the two roles (philosopher and king), it is possible for the position of public intellectual (whose various conception will be covered in the next chapter) to surface. There is, though, an assumption about Truth that is contested in the postmodern age. With this in mind, certain instances of revelations of truths (by whistleblowers and hacktivists) are critically analyzed so as to differentiate them from the standard views of public intellectuals.