Given below are two statements:
Statement I: Hannah Arendt’s “defactualization” is very close to the concept of “post-truth”.
Statement II: Post-truth relies on absolute lies.
In the light of the above statements, choose the most appropriate answer from the options given below:

The correct option is: Statement I is correct, but statement II is incorrect.

Let's analyze both statements step-by-step to understand why this option is correct:

1. Analysis of Statement I:
Hannah Arendt, in her works such as "Truth and Politics" and "The Origins of Totalitarianism," discussed how political movements (especially totalitarian ones) manipulate facts. Her concept of "defactualization" refers to the process where factual reality is blurred, ignored, or replaced by coherent, fabricated narratives that suit a political agenda. This is highly aligned with the modern concept of "post-truth," where objective facts are less influential in shaping public opinion than appeals to emotion and personal belief. Therefore, Statement I is correct.

2. Analysis of Statement II:
"Post-truth" does not rely solely on absolute or simple lies. Instead, it operates by blurring the line between truth and falsehood, using half-truths, selective presentation of facts, cherry-picked data, and emotional manipulation. In a post-truth environment, the goal is often not just to make people believe a specific lie, but to make them doubt the existence of any objective truth altogether. Because post-truth is a more complex phenomenon than just relying on absolute lies, Statement II is incorrect.