Buzz Words Make My Head Buzz 0

The newest one seems to be “epistemic closure.” It appeared out of nowhere this week and took the world like some kind of new Apple iYawn.

It must be a Very Important Phrase, for it has Lots of Syllables and Sounds Vaguely Scientific.

“Epistemic” is apparently related somehow to epistemology, the branch of philosophical inquiry that concerns itself with how we know things. “Closure” comes from closed minds. It seems to mean the phenomenon of deciding that one already knows all that one needs to know and therefore needs to learn nothing more.

Frankly, I prefer Anonymous Liberal’s phrase, “Bubble World”; it is pithier and much more descriptive, even though it doesn’t have as many syllables and doesn’t sound vaguely scientific.

A. L.’s description of Bubble World, excerpted from a much longer post that is well-worth one’s while (If you haven’t seen the Truman Show to which he refers in his post, do so; it is an excellent movie and good training for reading the news):

In its place, the Right has constructed its own Bubble World, a sort of political Truman Show complete with its own facts and rules (albeit facts and rules that are constantly changing based on political expediency). The writers, directors, and actors in this conservative version of Seahaven are the legions of GOP politicians, operatives, and conservative media outlets that relentlessly push this politically expedient alternative reality, and the Trumans are the millions of regular Americans who don’t realize the joke is on them.

A. L.’s follow up post on the Manzi mocking is also quite a good read.

John Cole enumerates the bubbles here. DougJ, also writing at Balloon Juice, has a nice starter collection of links on the Manzi mocking.

Full Disclosure: I haven’t read the Manzi post yet. There is room for only so many electrons in a day.