Conspiracy: Why the Rational Believe the Irrational

Best-selling author Michael Shermer presents an overarching theory of conspiracy theories, which are now mainstream, and explores why people believe them, which ones are real, and what we should do about them. He argues that trust in conspiracy theories cuts across gender, age, race, income, education level, occupational status, and political affiliation, and that anxiety and a sense of loss of control play a role in conspiratorial cognition patterns.

Format: Hardback
Length: 376 pages
Publication date: 25 October 2022
Publisher: Johns Hopkins University Press

Conspiracy theories have long been a fringe part of the American political landscape, but they are now mainstream. 147 members of Congress voted in favor of objections to the 2020 presidential election based on an unproven theory about a rigged electoral process promoted by the mysterious group QAnon. This is only the latest example in a long history of ideas that include the satanic panics of the 1980s, the New World Order and Vatican conspiracy theories, fears about fluoridated water, speculations about President John F. Kennedy's assassination, and the notions that the Sandy Hook massacre was a false-flag operation and 9/11 was an inside job.

In Conspiracy, Michael Shermer presents an overarching review of conspiracy theories—who believes them and why, which ones are real, and what we should do about them. Trust in conspiracy theories cuts across gender, age, race, income, education level, occupational status—and even political affiliation. One reason that people believe these conspiracies is that enough of them are real that we should be constructively conspiratorial: elections have been rigged (LBJ's 1948 Senate race); medical professionals have intentionally harmed patients in their care (Tuskegee); your government does lie to you (Watergate, Iran-Contra, and Afghanistan); and, tragically, some adults do conspire to sexually abuse children.

Shermer argues that conspiracy theories are not only wrong but also harmful. They can lead to fear, paranoia, and discrimination against those who are perceived to be part of the conspiracy. They can also distract us from the real problems that we face as a society, such as climate change, economic inequality, and political polarization.

To combat conspiracy theories, Shermer suggests that we should be more skeptical of the information that we receive. We should be more willing to challenge the claims made by those who promote conspiracy theories and to seek out multiple sources of information before forming our opinions. We should also be more open to discussing our beliefs and opinions with others, even those who hold different views than we do.

In conclusion, conspiracy theories have long been a fringe part of the American political landscape, but they are now mainstream. Michael Shermer presents an overarching theory of conspiracy theories—who believes them and why, which ones are real, and what we should do about them. Conspiracy theories are not only wrong but also harmful. To combat them, we should be more skeptical of the information that we receive, challenge the claims made by those who promote conspiracy theories, seek out multiple sources of information, and be more open to discussing our beliefs and opinions with others.

Weight: 703g
Dimension: 229 x 152 x 33 (mm)
ISBN-13: 9781421444451