Saberes, pensamento crítico e superioridade cognitiva: caminhos para mitigar a era da pós-verdade, polarização política e a guerra híbrida

Abstract

Technological advances and the digitization of communications have not ushered in an age of enlightenment, but rather a period of uncertainty, information overload, and instability in social relations and structures. Zygmunt Bauman (2001) called this scenario “liquid modernity,” characterized by political, social, and cognitive fragmentation. In this environment, post-truth emerges, in which emotions and personal beliefs prevail over objective facts in the formation of public opinion. This phenomenon contributes to increased political and ideological polarization, hindering rational dialogue and consensus building (Keyes, 2004; D’Ancona, 2017), as represented in the illustration on the right. The current context favors informational manipulation strategies characteristic of hybrid wars, which combine color revolutions and unconventional wars, with narratives as a central element of sociopolitical destabilization (Korybko, 2018). In this scenario, critical thinking plays a fundamental role as a form of cognitive, ethical, and social resistance (Lima Martins, 2025). This article, therefore, analyzes how structural knowledge, critical thinking, and cognitive superiority can mitigate the effects of post-truth and political polarization, in addition to strengthening the defense against hybrid threats to society.