What Are Conspiracy Theories?

Explaining a strange phenomenon.

Conspiracy theorists get a seriously bad press. Gullible, irresponsible, paranoid, stupid. These are some of the politer labels applied to them, usually by establishment figures who aren’t averse to promoting their own conspiracy theories when it suits them. President George W. Bush denounced outrageous conspiracy theories about 9/11 while his own administration was busy promoting the outrageous conspiracy theory that Iraq was behind 9/11.

If the abuse isn’t bad enough, conspiracy theorists now have the dubious honour of being studied by psychologists. The psychology of conspiracy theories is a thing, and the news for conspiracy theorists isn’t good. A recent study describes their theories as ‘corrosive to societal and individual well-being’. Conspiracy theorists, the study reveals, are more likely to be male, unmarried, less educated, have lower household incomes and see themselves as having low social standing. They have lower levels of physical and psychological well-being and are more likely to meet the criteria for having a psychiatric disorder.

In case you’re starting to feel sorry for conspiracy theorists (or for yourself if you are one), perhaps it’s worth remembering that they aren’t exactly shrinking violets. They are vociferous defenders of their theories and scornful of their opponents. Anyone who has been on the receiving end of the wrath of conspiracy theorists will know that it can be a bruising experience. 

And yet, on reflection, you might wonder what all the fuss is about. After all, if a conspiracy theorist is someone who believes in the existence of some conspiracies then surely in that sense we are all conspiracy theorists. History is full of well-documented conspiracies and one would have to be remarkably ignorant not to realise that. Surely, what we should be debating is not whether there is anything wrong with conspiracy theories per se but whether there is anything wrong with specific conspiracy theories.

A conspiracy requires a small group of conspirators who work together in secret to do something illegal or harmful. This is the sense of conspiracy in which history has always been full of conspiracies. Suppose that a conspiracy theory is defined as a theory about a conspiracy. History books tell us, for example, that Guy Fawkes and his colleagues plotted to blow up the English Parliament in 1605. The plot was a conspiracy, and historical accounts of the plot are therefore conspiracy theories.  

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potyn saoni 28 February 2024

What counts as propaganda isn’t just determined by the intentions of people spreading it.

heritage ericsson 11 October 2023

Recognizing that individuals have a predisposition to look for connections and patterns when none exist is, in my opinion, crucial. Conspiracy theories might help some people make sense of a confusing and uncertain reality.

Lee Williamson 3 May 2023

It's interesting to see how the term "conspiracy theory" is often used to discredit those who challenge mainstream narratives. While it's true that some conspiracy theories lack evidence and are harmful to society, we can't dismiss the possibility that some of them may have merit. After all, history has shown that conspiracies can and do happen.

Regarding the psychology of conspiracy theories, I think it's important to recognize that people have a natural inclination to seek patterns and connections, even where none exist. In some cases, conspiracy theories may be a way for individuals to make sense of a complex and uncertain world.

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Valerian Rize 1 November 2019

Yeah, it's a very interesting article. And what is surprising is that echoes of such processes are coming up more and more often. But perhaps the most significant for me was the program on Allatra TV, called "about the ninth circle". Extremely heavy but dotted transmission. I will not say that the world has turned over, but has become darker and harsher. I highly recommend it for review, and leave a link for review. https://allatra.tv/en/video/about-the-ninth-circle
And thank you for raising such questions.

Chad Quinn 26 September 2019

Conspiracy theories are a very maligned subject. A true and proper conspiracy theory is a phenomenal exercise in critical thinking. It must present a realistic motive, it must present a legitimate means, it must present a verifiable opportunity. If it cannot satisfy these three primal conditions of social science in the raw then it is not a conspiracy theory, its’ simply paranoia in sheep’s clothing. For this reason true aficionados of the form are among some of the most interesting people one can converse with… they’ll dissect and debate reality to the Nth degree in an effort to establish or debunk the possibility of the moment. I like conspiracy theories. They make reading history books, where the genuine conspiracies of yesteryear are revealed, a worthwhile entertainment.
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Timothy Wilbanks 20 May 2019

It is interesting that he spends so much time on 9/11 as an example of a conspiracy theory based on amateurish conjecture, specifically pointing to a couple of books as examples of a proponents with no "relevant technical expertise" while ignoring AE911truth.org with over 3000 architects and engineers contributing, either guilty of poor research or it's a disingenuous attempt to prove a point. The science is with the contrarians and not the official story in this case.