It's a Conspiracy!

Conspiracy theories have become a major element in modern opinion formation. From the theory that the killing of President Kennedy was masterminded by a powerful conspiracy to the theory that 9/11 was an inside job, from the story that Barack Obama wasn't born in America to the story that Donald Trump was a Russian asset, conspiracy theories have become a major element in opinion formation and an ever-present influence, sometimes open, sometimes hidden, on the daily headline news. In It's a Conspiracy , philosophers of diverse backgrounds and persuasions focus their lenses on the phenomenon of the conspiracy theory, its psychological causes, its typical shape, and its political consequences. Among the questions addressed: ● What's the formula for designing a contagious conspiracy theory? ● Where does conspiracy theorizing end and investigative reporting begin? ● What can we learn about conspiracy theories from the three movie treatments of the Kennedy assassination (The Parallax View, JFK, and Interview with the Assassin)? ● Does political powerlessness generate conspiracy theories? ● Is conspiracy theorizing essentially an instinct that lies behind all belief in religion and all striving for a meaningful life? ● Can we find conspiracy theories in all political movements for centuries past? ● What are the most common types of fallacious reasoning that tend to support conspiracy theories? ● Is there a psychological disorder at the root of conspiracy theories? ● Why is the number of flat-earthers growing? (来源indiebound)

Richard Greene is Professor of Philosophy at Weber State University in Utah. He has edited or co-edited sixteen books on popular culture and philosophy, including Westworld and Philosophy: Mind Equals Blown with Joshua Heter, and with Rachel Robison-Greene, Twin Peaks and Philosophy: That's Damn Fine Philosophy! and American Horror Story and Philosophy: Life Is but a Nightmare. Rachel Robison-Greene is the co-editor of numerous Philosophy and Popular Culture books, including The Handmaid's Tale and Philosophy: A Womb of One's Own, Mr. Robot and Philosophy: Beyond Good and Evil Corp, Orange Is the New Black and Philosophy: Last Exit from Litchfield, and Girls and Philosophy: This Book Isn't a Metaphor for Anything. (来源indiebound)