The Crisis of Epistemic Regimes of Security

This chapter analyzes the structural crisis of public order in the Post-Truth Era, defined by the collapse of the state's monopoly on truth. It argues that the traditional epistemology of intelligence, rooted in verification, is being dismantled by the “affective epistemology” of techno-populism. Leveraging algorithmic governance and surveillance capitalism, these regimes replace verified expertise with data-driven emotion, fundamentally inverting the intelligence cycle. This epistemic rupture fabricates threats based on viral engagement rather than empirical reality, resulting in the securitization of identity politics while dangerously de-securitizing complex existential risks. Consequently, the state faces institutional paralysis, eroding trust, and rising vigilante security. The study posits that modern state survival depends on establishing “epistemic security”, protecting the knowledge systems essential for rational governance against digital disinformation.