Mark Fenster, author of Conspiracy Theories: Secrecy and Power in American Culture, argues that we need to change the way we understand conspiracy theories. His thoughts on paranoia illustrate the effect that falling into a "paranoid style" of analyzation has, which can make a single incident be seen as something greater.
“Conspiracy theories are the refuge of the disempowered.”
― Roger Cohen, columnist New York Times
This can also lead to a misinterpretation or misreading of evidence when trying to explain this incident.
(Paranoia, paranoia! Everyone is coming to get me!)
To understand a conspiracy theory, we must first understand how a theory is created. Paranoia plays a large part in creating a conspiracy, which according to Fenster, has the potential to turn legitimacy into irrationality. In his book, he goes on to argue that theories born from this style invite conflict, which only damages our society.
So, approaching evidence without a "paranoid style" can help find the truth behind conspiracy and determing whether there's conspiracy behind the truth.
And as we further explore the evidence to determine the truth, conspiracy theories offer a piece of a bigger puzzle. How we put it together all depends on the way we approach each piece.
Sources used:
Mark Fenster's Conpsiracy Theory: Secrecy and Power in American Cultre (Univ. of Minnesota Press 2008)
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