The Definition Of Conspiracy Theory

Brian Keeley’s short essay, “Of Conspiracy Theories” discusses conspiracy theories and their value in an epistemological context. Keeley defines a conspiracy theory as “a proposed explanation of some historical event (or events) in terms of the significant causal agency of a relatively small group of persons-the conspirators-acting in secret (Keeley 1999, pg. 116).” Keeley seeks to answer the question of why conspiracy theories are unwarranted. His interest in the warrant of conspiracy theories focuses on ¬the unfalsifiability of conspiracy theories and how conspiracy theories are founded upon an extraordinarily large amount of skepticism. In section III, Keely discusses what a conspiracy theory is, and contends that there is no grounds for

The Internet has played a large role in my interest in conspiracy theories. Although I definitely do not believe all of them, they are fun to look into and are good tools for procrastination. Falling deeper into the hole that is Wikipedia, I spent a large amount of my free time “researching” them. It got to the point where I had to force myself to actually work on homework instead. However, I am not one of those crazy conspiracy theorists; I am only interested in ones that seem legit. All interesting conspiracy theories have similar qualities. A majority of them involve the government or celebrities. And depending on the theory, they are believable.

Maggie Koerth Baker’s piece titled Why rational people buy into conspiracy theories represents the reasons why rational people believe in conspiracy theories. Throughout the article Baker tries to explain the reasons behind the belief of conspiracy theories supported by research and evidence. This paper will review Baker’s article as well as her main arguments, will evaluate the quality of Baker’s writing and focus on any areas of weakness within the article.

Throughout history, people have attempted to come up with explanations to make sense of events which could not be comprehend, such explanations are commonly known as conspiracy theories. According to the Merriam-Webster dictionary, the official definition of conspiracy theory  is “a theory that explains an event or set of circumstances as the result of a secret plot by usually powerful conspirators.” These theories can range from minor events, to large scale terrorist attacks. A few well known theories include, Bill Clinton caused 9/11, the Earth is flat, and a reptilian race is planning to take over the Earth. Conspiracy theories can inflict various amount of damage, but it dependent on the conspiracy theory context. (Mckay).  In an

Once you believe in a conspiracy it is easy to believe in the possibility of other conspiracies even if the other conspiracies are improbable and contradictory. Conspiracy theory is defined as “a proposed plot by powerful people or organizations working together in secret to accomplish some (usually sinister) goal.” Conspiracy theorists’ skepticism of official narratives may be so intense that many alternative theories are simultaneously endorsed in spite of many contradictions between them.

A conspiracy theory, in it’s purest form, describes a hypothesis concerning an incident in which more than one person is involved. Since 1963 more Americans have believed in a conspiracy against Kennedy than have believed in a single assassin working alone (Majority in U.S. Still Believe JFK Killed in a Conspiracy). After years of investigation, evidence continues to prove the majority of Americans wrong. There was only

A conspiracy theory is a theory that argues that the rich and those with power seek the make sure the criminal justice system fails because they benefit from that failure. Conspiracy theories are hard to be proven and for it to succeed, it has to be kept a secret. There’s no credibility in the sources due to the degree of secrecy. Conspiracy theories are invalid because it doesn’t correspond with how people behave most of the time. The Pyrrhic defeat theory isn’t a conspiracy theory because the theory bases itself on why the criminal justice system fails and that’s due to our own shortcoming of not trying hard enough to prevent it.

Ever heard a story so outlandish that you start to wonder if that could possibly ever happen. Well you’ve just been told a conspiracy theory, but do not worry. Many people don’t just wonder about them, they believe in them. There is a great many reason of why this is, there have even been studies done on it. Many scientists concede that people believe in conspiracy theories because they have some uncertainty or fear with in them, and the conspiracy is a way to relieve themselves. They also believe that mistrust has a huge roll in people believing, especially mistrust in huge corporations and big bodies of power such as the government. But fear and mistrust aren’t the only reasons. People also just love a good story, something that is complex and has a lot of action. I mean no one goes to the movie to see a movie about paint drying. They want drama, romance, and lots of action. That’s why people are so compelled into believing conspiracy theories.

In 1605, a group of young and angry Catholics decided that they had enough of King James I, and decided to take over the kingdom of England. They planned to destroy the Protestant government by murdering the most important men in the kingdom. Many people since think that the Gunpowder Plot was a conspiracy theory to make the Catholics even more unpopular in society. Others think that the traditional story that they had been taught for generations was true. In order to find out we have to consider the actions that make the Gunpowder Plot look like a conspiracy theory and the traditional story.

On Friday November 22, 1963 President John F. Kennedy was assassinated in the city of Dallas, Texas. Since then, many have speculated the truth behind the events of the Kennedy assassination. Although Lee Harvey Oswald was claimed to be the mastermind behind the horrific murder, many theorists still believe today that there is more to the story than the government is willing to admit.

September 11, 2001, was a day that caused physical and emotional destruction because of the terror attacks that took place at the World Trade Center and the Twin Towers.There are many conspiracy theories that have come up causing great speculation of what actually happened and are argued to this day.A conspiracy theory is a theory that explains an event as a result or secret plan organized by a covert group.Many conspiracists believe that the United States government was behind the 9/11 attacks and altered the events and information and persuaded citizens into believing that the Islamic group Al-Qaeda was responsible. Similarly in 1984 by George Orwell, the government alters the truth to keep control of the country.The main protagonist Winston Smith works at the Ministry of Truth where he works to destroy any evidence where Big Brother could be called into question and also changes how events happened to fit the Party’s expectations.The purpose of his job is for the other citizens to continue to believe that Oceania is a perfect place to live in because of its economic, social, and military dominance. The Party is also responsible for watching and hearing everything that happens in Oceania.The Thought Police placed telescreens in every household and through these telescreens everything someone does can be seen and heard leaving no one with privacy; comparable to how after the 9/11 attacks, security across the United States tightened up. Anything that was seen as suspicious

The official story of 9/11 is a conspiracy theory in that the government claims 19 hijackers conspired together to hijack four planes and create terror in the world. Four American airplanes were hijacked; two were driven into the World Trade Centers and the third airplane into the Pentagon. The fourth airplane suspected target was the White House, but it was diverted by the brave men and women aboard that hijacked airplane, and crashed the airline jet before it could reach its target. It was like time stood still as America watched through television broadcast these unbelievable and horrifying events taking place. The reports told of the smell the jet fuel, burning flesh, and people jumping out windows to their death to escape the flames.

Conspiracy as discussed in our text is defined as a mixture of two or more people to accomplish an unlawful object or to accomplish a lawful object by unlawful means (McCormick, 2007, p.87).

Social psychologists claim that conspiracy theories provide to their supporters a complete picture of the world in which there are no contradictions, of inexact details and questions without answers [Billig М. Ideology and Opinions: Studies in Rhetorical Psychology. London: Sage, 1991. XII+224 p. p/107-121] what, in turn, promotes a feeling of personal comfort, and also removes anxiety and explains personal failures of supporters the conspiracy theories Edelman М. The Symbolic Uses of Politics. Urbana, Illinois: University of Illinois Press, 1985. 232 p. According to Professor Swami,who is a Professor in Social Psycology, there are two main reasons why people believe in conspiracy theories."Stressful situations increase the tendency to think less

The definition of a conspiracy theory, according to Merriam Webster’s Dictionary is, “a secret plot that is largely unknown to the general public” (Webster 84). Dan Brown focuses on an unusual conspiracy in his novel, The Da Vinci Code. The religious conspiracy theories suggested in this novel discuss secrets of epic proportions that have the potential to shatter the foundations of Christianity. “Behold the greatest cover-up in human history!” (270). Dan Brown’s The Da Vinci Code proves everybody loves a conspiracy.