Conspiracy Theories

Jeffrey B. Webb is Professor of History at Huntington University, USA

Preface

Chapter 1: Background and History

Understanding Conspiracy Theories
Conspiracy Theories in Ancient Times
Conspiracy Theories in the Medieval Era
The Early Modern Era
Machiavelli and the Conspiracy Mindset
Religious Tensions Provide Fertile Ground for Conspiracies
Puritans and Conspiracy Theories
Conspiracy Theories Arrive in the New World
A New Outlook in Colonial America
Conspiracy Theories and the American Revolution
Conspiracy Theories in the French Revolution
The Illuminati Conspiracy Theory
The Illuminati Conspiracy Theory in the United States
Anti-Masonic Conspiracy Theories in the United States
Conspiracy Theories in the U.S. Civil War Era
Gilded Age Conspiracies and Conspiracy Theories
The New Immigrants and Anti-Semitic Conspiracy Theories
Conspiracy Theories in Science, Technology, and Medicine
Conspiracy Theories in the Mid-Twentieth Century
The JFK Assassination Conspiracy Theory Phenomenon
Toward the New Millennium
Contemporary Anti-Government Conspiracy Theories
Conspiracy Theories Since 2000

Chapter 2: Problems, Controversies, Solutions

Problems

- Defining a Concept and Describing a Practice

Hofstadter’s Framework
Expanding the Framework
Conspiracy Theories as Stigmatized Knowledge
Understanding the Audience for Conspiracy Theories

- Misinformation and Disinformation

Rules of Evidence and Logic
Conspiracy Theories in the Digital Age

- Public Nuisance and Public Harm

Ideas Can Be Dangerous
The “Plandemic” Epidemic
The Sandy Hook Conspiracy Theory

- Weakening Credibility of Experts

The Need for Experts
9/11 Conspiracy Theories and the 9/11 Commission Report
COVID-19 Conspiracy Theories and Public Health Experts

Controversies

Origins of QAnon
QAnon and Donald Trump
The January 6 Insurrection
The Right-Wing Media
The Anti-Government Militia Movement
Christian Nationalism
Truth, Belief, Reality

Solutions

The Marketplace of Ideas
Debunking Conspiracy Theories
Tracking and Exposing Conspiracy Theories
Legal Action Against Conspiracy Theorists
Mental Health Intervention
Deplatforming Conspiracy Theory Spreaders
Educating the Next Generation in Media Literacy

Research on Conspiracy Theories

How Conspiracy Theorists Make Their Arguments
Predictors and Determinants of Conspiracy Belief
The Importance of Information Environments
Effects of Conspiracy Theory Adherence

References

Chapter 3: Perspectives

Conspiracy Theories and Myth-Making
Christopher R. Fee

Thinking Socially About Conspiracy Theories
Jeffrey S. Debies-Carl

Evangelical Christian Culture and Conspiratorial Tendencies
Jared S. Burkholder

Conspiracy Theories in Turkey
Andrew Wickersham

How to Spot Fake Health News
Bill Sullivan

Veterans and Conspiracy Theories
Michael T. Gambone

The Warped Epistemology of Conspiracy Theories
Maarten Boudry


Chapter 4: Profiles

Augustin Barruel (1741-1820)

John Robison (1739-1805)

Lebbeus Armstrong (1175-1860)

Thomas R. Whitney (1807-1858)

John Smith Dye (c.1821-1881)

Henry Ford (1863-1947)

John Thomas Flynn (1882-1964)

Donald Edward Keyhoe (1897-1988)

Dan Smoot (1913-2003)

Richard Condon (1915-1996)

Mark Lane (1927-2016)

Robert H. W. Welch, Jr. (1899-1985)

Milton William Cooper (1943-2001)

Louis Farrakhan (1933- )

Pat Robertson (1930-2023)

Alex Jones (1974- )

David Vaughan Icke (1952- )

Ian R. Crane (1956-2021)

Chapter 5: Data and Documents


Documents

Document 5.1 - Misinformation, Conspiracy Theories, and ‘Infodemics’ (2020)

Document 5.2 - Fanning the Flames: Disinformation and Extremism in The Media (2021)

Document 5.3 – Links Between Conspiracy Theories and White Supremacist Violence (2022)

Document 5.4 – Calling for a National Day of Reason (2023)

Document 5.5 - How Conspiratorial Thinking is Undermining Democracy (2023)


Chapter 6: Resources

Chapter 7: Chronology

Glossary

About the Author

Index