Conspiracy theories seem to be proliferating today. Long relegated to
a niche existence, conspiracy theories are now pervasive, and older
conspiracy theories have been joined by a constant stream of new ones
- that the USA carried out the 9/11 attacks itself, that the Ukrainian
crisis was orchestrated by NATO, that we are being secretly controlled
by a New World Order that keep us docile via chemtrails and
vaccinations. Not to mention the moon landing that never happened.
But what are conspiracy theories and why do people believe them? Have
they always existed or are they something new, a feature of our modern
world?
In this book Michael Butter provides a clear and comprehensive
introduction to the nature and development of conspiracy theories.
Contrary to popular belief, he shows that conspiracy theories are less
popular and influential today than they were in the past. Up to the
1950s, the Western world regarded conspiracy theories as a legitimate
form of knowledge and it was therefore normal to believe in them. It
was only after the Second World War that this knowledge was
delegitimized, causing conspiracy theories to be banished from public
discourse and relegated to subcultures. The recent renaissance of
conspiracy theories is linked to internet which gives them wider
exposure and contributes to the fragmentation of the public sphere.
Conspiracy theories are still stigmatized today in many sections of
mainstream culture but are being accepted once again as legitimate
knowledge in others. It is the clash between these domains and their
different conceptions of truth that is fuelling the current debate
over conspiracy theories.
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Produktdetaljer
ISBN
9781509540839
Publisert
2020
Utgave
1. utgave
Utgiver
Vendor
Polity
Språk
Product language
Engelsk
Format
Product format
Digital bok
Forfatter