The Philosophy of Misinformation and Disinformation: From Informational Disorder to Epistemic Integrity in the Digital Age

In contemporary informational ecosystems, the phenomena of misinformation and disinformation have become a growing and multifaceted challenge that necessitates philosophical and scientific scrutiny. With the aim of understanding the nature and impact of these phenomena, this paper examines their dimension across three main axes: First, the historical evolution of strategic falsehoods is reconstructed, from Roman propaganda to Deepfakes in the digital era. Next, by presenting a taxonomy based on intent, content, and medium, key distinctions between misinformation, disinformation, and malinformation are clarified, addressing the dimensions of the content authenticity spectrum. Third, based on social epistemology and cognitive psychology, the mechanisms through which false beliefs are formed and become resistant to correction (such as motivated reasoning, culpable ignorance, and epistemic injustice) are analyzed to explain the persistence of false beliefs and the enduring impact effect. Finally, the article addresses the societal consequences of this informational disorder on democratic deliberation, consensus reality, and trust in expertise. It offers multipronged suggestions for safeguarding epistemic integrity by combining cognitive virtues, psychological inoculation, and problem-solving based on information literacy. This analysis identifies the epistemic crisis caused by disinformation as a threat to the health and sustainability of society.