Trust No One?: The (Social) Epistemological Consequences of Belief in Conspiracy Theories

Item Type

Language

English

Abstract

Conspiracy theorists are typically sceptical about the trustworthiness of central governmental institutions. Some philosophers have argued that, therefore, conspiracy theorists in general play an important role in modern democracies. Their scepticism may lead to the exposure of actual governmental conspiracies and strengthens institutions of open societies that control the different branches of government. This chapter argues that this optimism is misplaced. Belief in false conspiracy theories doesn’t make one interested in strong controlling institutions. On the contrary, it is not surprising that the conspiracy theorists who voted people like Trump into office don’t mind at all when the president questions the very legitimacy of such institutions.

Subject

Irrationality
Debunking
Conspiracy theories
Epistemological effects
Inconsistency
Infiltration
Trust-networks

Publication Title

Publication Year

2021

Publication Date

2021

Source

University Press Scholarship

License

ISBN

978-0-19-886397-7

Publication Place

Oxford

Short Title

Trust No One?

Citer cette ressource

Trust No One?: The (Social) Epistemological Consequences of Belief in Conspiracy Theories, dans Science & Ignorance, consulté le 21 Novembre 2024, https://ignorancestudies.inist.fr/s/science-ignorance/item/5060

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