Truth-telling in history education: confronting disinformation through critical historical consciousness

In an era increasingly characterised by disinformation and post-truth politics, history education faces renewed epistemic, ethical and societal praxis challenges. Historical narratives are frequently mobilised to legitimise exclusion, distort collective memory and undermine trust in scholarly knowledge, particularly within digital media ecosystems. This article examines truth-telling in history education as a critical educational and societal imperative, arguing that factual accuracy alone is insufficient to confront contemporary forms of historical disinformation. Drawing on interdisciplinary scholarship on disinformation, historical consciousness and philosophy of history, the article advances three interconnected arguments. First, it conceptualises historical disinformation as a narrative and epistemic problem that exploits the interpretative nature of historical knowledge rather than merely disseminating false facts. Second, it mobilises Jörn Rüsen’s theory of historical consciousness, with particular emphasis on the genetic type, as a powerful framework for fostering critical engagement with contested pasts while avoiding both dogmatism and relativism. Third, it challenges the enduring myths of neutrality and historicism in history education, arguing that claims of value-free history often conceal power relations and contribute to the sanitisation of injustice. The article further illustrates these dynamics through analytically selected contemporary contexts, including the conflict in Ukraine and memory politics in Portugal, demonstrating how historical narratives are weaponised in public discourse. It concludes by proposing a vision of history education oriented towards ethical responsibility, narrative plurality and epistemic vigilance, positioning the history classroom as a key site for resisting manipulation and strengthening an ethical and pluralist culture in the post-truth era.