On Bullshit

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On Bullshit is Harry Frankfurt’s short study about what people say and why. He defines bullshit as speech meant to persuade, but with no care for whether what is said is true. By contrast, a liar cares about the truth but tries to hide it; a bullshitter does not care if what they say is true or false.

Frankfurt first published a brief essay in 1986, and then expanded the ideas into the book On Bullshit in 2005, which became popular with readers and stayed on bestseller lists. He later wrote On Truth (2006). He argues that respect for the truth is essential for civilization, and that the rise of bullshit threatens that respect.

To explain bullshit, Frankfurt builds on Max Black’s idea of humbug, which is a form of misrepresentation short of lying. The key difference between bullshit and lying is intent: liars aim to conceal or distort the truth, while bullshitters aim to influence regardless of the truth.

Frankfurt also breaks down the word “bullshit” to show how it signals nonsense and useless talk. He suggests that bullshit often grows as more people feel pressured to share opinions on topics they don’t know well, especially in more crowded public discourse.

Two important points: bullshit can be produced without any knowledge of the truth, and while it may be tolerated, it harms trust more than lying because it shows a careless disregard for the truth.

Reception has been mixed. Many academics praise the analysis, but some critics say it’s too simple or narrow and doesn’t cover all motives or how audiences detect bullshit. Nevertheless, the work remains influential and is frequently referenced in discussions about truth, politics, and even technology, including debates about AI chatbots and “botshit.”