ASSAF SHARON - THE ARCHITECTURE OF POLITICAL MANIPULATION

ASSAF SHARON IN CONVERSATION WITH LEONARD BENARDO SAMSTAG, 26.09.2026 / 12h30 AKADEMIE DER BILDENDEN KÜNSTE WIEN, SITZUNGSSAAL Where does the border between political manipulation and persuasion, nudging, or everyday deceit lie? Drawing on philosophy, history, and contemporary politics, philosopher ASSAF SHARON, coauthor of "Captive Minds: A Study of Manipulation" (Belknap Press, 2026), will argue that manipulation is not merely a cause for the spread of misinformation. Rather, it is a profound exercise of power aimed at stripping away human freedom. In conversation with Open Society Foundations Vice President LEONARD BENARDO, Sharon will examine how conspiracy theories and cognitive traps are corrupting the formation of public opinion, and what conceptual tools we need to defend the increasingly fragile institutions of liberal democracy. Learn more about the Vienna Humanities Festival here: https://www.humanitiesfestival.at In 2026, the Vienna Humanities Festival was organized by the Institute for Human Sciences (IWM Vienna) and Time To Talk (TTT) in cooperation with ERSTE Foundation, the Open Society Foundations, the City of Vienna, the Academy of Fine Arts Vienna, Ö1 Intro, the Volkstheater, the Wien Museum, and TU Wien. ______________________________________________________ FOLLOW US ON SOCIAL MEDIA: X (Twitter):   / iwm_vienna   LinkedIn:   / iwmvienna   Facebook:   / iwmvienna   Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/iwm.at Instagram:   / iwm_vienna