Summary of The Assault on Reason

The Assault on Reason, written by Nobel Prize winning author Al Gore, is an examination of the decline of reason, rational discourse, and our nation's ability to recognize the gravity of the challenges that confront us. Gore examines how the perils of the contemporary world are compounded by the decline of the public sphere, an environment in which intellectual discourse can happen without interruption and where free and open access to information allows thoughtful deliberation and consensus building. The book further examines how the traditional media have been supplanted by an unstable and incomplete electronic media, and the way in which this new information environment is being used to manipulate public discourse and undermine the public's ability to make informed judgments. Gore argues that the decline of reasoned discourse and deliberation undermines the rule of law, threatens democracy, and increases the risk of catastrophic war and environmental destruction. He outlines specific steps that can be taken to democratize the public sphere and restore thoughtful public deliberation.