Conspiracy Theory: A Philosophical Defense

By Kurtis Hagen

Given the exigencies of the time, Fomite offers a series of bound pamphlets on urgent political, social, cultural, and organizing issues from a radical, anti-capitalist viewpoint.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Fomite
• Release date: Jul 10, 2018

Book preview

Conspiracy Theory: A Philosophical Defense

Conspiracy Theory: A Philosophical Defense

Kurtis Hagen

Fomite

Contents

Chapter 1

Acknowledgments

Chapter 2

The phrase conspiracy theory is often used as a pejorative, especially by people who take themselves to be sophisticated—such as scholars, government officials, and TV news personalities. Yet, if pressed, even these people will generally admit that some conspiracy theories have turned out to be true. For example, Cass Sunstein is a prominent critic of conspiracy theories who, shortly before becoming the head of the Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs in the Obama administration, actually proposed a plan to infiltrate and undermine groups that espouse conspiracy theories. But even Sunstein and his Harvard Law School co-author, Adrian Vermeule, have to admit:

Of course some conspiracy theories have turned out to be true... The Watergate hotel room used by Democratic National Committee was, in fact, bugged by Republican officials, operating at the behest of the White House. In the 1950s, the Central Intelligence Agency did, in fact, administer LSD and related drugs under Project MKULTRA, in an effort to investigate the possibility of mind control. Operation Northwoods, a … plan by the Department of Defense to simulate acts of terrorism and to blame them on Cuba, really was proposed by high-level officials (though the plan never went into effect). (Sunstein and Vermeule 2009, 206)

In light of the fact that some conspiracy theories turn out to be true, a number of philosophers have taken the position that each conspiracy theory ought to be judged on its own particular merits—a position that has been called particularism. This view, which may seem obvious as soon as one thinks about it, has become the dominant position in the philosophical literature on conspiracy theories. Charles Pigden, who has made important contributions to this literature, remarks:

---

The idea that there is something suspect about conspiracy theories is one of the most dangerous and idiotic superstitions to disgrace our political culture.