Trolls. Disinformation. Canceling. Conspiracy theories. If America’s grasp on reality seems to be under attack, that’s because it is. Epistemic warfare—the use of powerful psychological manipulations to divide, distract, and disorient our society—has come into its own in the 21st century as never before.

In this dramatically illustrated talk, the author of The Constitution of Knowledge: A Defense of Truth explains the goals and tactics of the war on truth. He shows who’s behind it and how it works. Most important, he reveals the inner workings and hidden strengths of our precious Constitution of Knowledge—and how to capitalize on them to fight back.

Jonathan Rauch is a contributing writer at The Atlantic and a senior fellow at the Brookings Institution.