Misinformation and Existential Meaning in Kierkegaard and Arendt

Unlike mathematical truths, facts cannot be verified by careful reasoning or introspection. Verifying facts takes human effort and trust. I describe what Arendt might call our “human epistemic condition,” and I propose a Kierkegaardian response: rather than being overwhelmed with doubt in the face of objective uncertainty, we can pursue facts with “sobriety,” or what I will call sober hope. I offer insights from existential philosophy on how the pursuit of objective truth, including factual information, relates to the pursuit of existential meaning. I draw from Jesselyn Cook’s The Quiet Damage (2024), which tells the stories of individuals affected by the QAnon movement. By drawing on Arendt’s account of the political importance of facts, I argue that the human desire for information must be understood as a practical effort that is an inevitable part of pursuing existential meaning. In turning to Kierkegaard and Arendt, this paper has two main goals: (1) to clarify the attraction of misinformation and unfounded conspiracy theories; and (2) to propose sober hope (inspired by Kierkegaard’s notion of “sobriety” [ædruelighed]) as a solution.