an argument presented by an interlocutor; itdoes not impose a framework on that person.
This allows for numerous“frameworks of thinking”tobeofferedinclassandinvestigated.
The Socratic professor is not looking to homogenize the world with a pronouncement of absolute
truth; rather, pluralism (rather than relativism) is a basic fact of human life. There are multiple ways
of flourishing in, and conceptualizing the world, but not all ways are equal or equally conducive to
flourishing. Socratic questioning explores all of this, serving as an alternative model for students
who may think of justice solely in terms of identity. Furthermore, those enraptured by identity
politics should be shown that it also leads to right-wing populism. This brings us to the Troll.
The Troll Mentality and the New Political Demagoguery
The Socratic professor must be conscious of the right-wing“troll”mentality, which is relatively
new to university campuses, but will likely become more noticeable and vocal in the years ahead.
Inspired by the rhetoric and behavior of right-wing populist politicians and media personalities, the
classroom troll, like his online brethren, deliberately provokes or offends to cause a reaction.
Though“left-wing”trolls exist, this terrain has been mostly been taken over by the right. It is part of
a cultural shift in democratic societies where a sizable minority is gravitating toward far-right
demagogic rule–the most dramatic example being the triumph of Trump in the 2016 U.S. pres-
idential election. Trump’s approach to politics, and his outrageous statements, have enabled some
of Trump’s supporters to employ similar tactics when confronting people with whom they dis-
agree.^35 The campus troll seeks to unsettle liberal opinions on race, gender, feminism, sexuality, the
environment, the economy, etc., not to inspire critical thinking, but to elicit an emotional reaction
and create confrontation. Ironically, this new breed of right-wing populism has actually embraced
aspects of left-wing identity politics, insofar as it is a reactionary assertion of“white identity,”
fueled by a self-righteous sense of victimization. It also uses emotional reasoning to assert its own
view of reality against all contrary evidence and attack those who are perceived to be elites–those
who have thrived in the globalized technological economy with its cosmopolitan liberalism, at the
expense of white populations in industrial and rural areas with more conservative values.
A newtypeofdemagogicpoliticshasbeenunleashedintheWest–onewhichgoesbeyondTrump
and his supporters, and will likely endure, regardless of the fate of the Trump administration. Trump
succeedednotonly becausehecouldexploitwhiteresentments,butbecauseheoperatedwithinwhat
has been called a“post-truth”environment. No matter how many falsehoods, outrageous claims,
and offensive statements were made during his campaign and the early part of his presidency, and no
matterhowmanytimesthesestatementswereidentifiedbythemainstreammedia,ithadlittleimpact
on a certain portion of the public; indeed, it only seemed to reinforce Trump’s hardcore supporters.^36
As such, the“truth”no longer seemed to matter. Consequently, the Oxford Dictionary chose“post-
truth”as its 2016 word of the year, defining it as“relating to or denoting circumstances in which
objective facts are less influential in shaping public opinion than appeals to emotion and personal
belief.”^37 Higgins argues that both liberals and conservatives display symptoms of living in a post-
truth condition.^38 Much of this is exacerbated by the Internet and social media, which facilitate the
distribution of falsehoods and conspiracy theories. But whereas the left-wing embrace of post-truth
relativism has a long history, and is the child of postmodern intellectuals, the conservative embrace
of post-truth“Trumpism”is a more recent phenomenon, and is proudly anti-intellectual, leading to
what Higgins calls“conservative postmodernism.”^39 It is as if post-truth conservatives, in a moment
of honesty, have said to left-wing Relativists:
You are right! Everythingisjust opinion. Truths and moral standards cannot be rationally
discussed. All that matters is power. It is best to assert your own identity and political demands
aggressively, and deny all contrary positions, even if those positions are supported by research,
evidence, and rational arguments.146 Paul Corey