Conspiracy : why the rational believe the irrational Cover Image

Book

Conspiracy : why the rational believe the irrational / Michael Shermer.

Summary:

"The author discusses how we should think about conspiracy theories, who believes them and why, which conspiracy theories are likely to be true or false and what criteria we can use to assess them, and what we should do to combat dangerous conspiracism and reestablish trust in our democratic institutions, in the media, and in one another"-- Provided by publisher.

Record details

ISBN: 9781421444451
ISBN: 1421444453
Physical Description: xiii, 355 pages : illustrations ; 24 cm
Publisher: Baltimore, Maryland : Johns Hopkins University Press, 2022.
Copyright: ©2022

Content descriptions

Bibliography, etc. Note:

Includes bibliographical references (pages 317-348) and index.

Formatted Contents Note:

Prologue: The Conspiracy Effect: Why Smart People Believe Blatantly Wrong Things for Apparently Rational Reasons -- WHY PEOPLE BELIEVE IN CONSPIRACY THEORIES: Conspiracies and Conspiracy Theories: The Difference in Thinking and the Difference It Makes -- A Brief History of Conspiracy Theories and Conspiracists: Toward a Science of Conspiracism -- Proxy and Tribal Conspiracism: How Conspiratorial Beliefs Are Reinforced as Truths -- Constructive Conspiracism: Paranoia, Pessimism, and the Evolutionary Origins of Conspiracy Cognition -- A Case Study in Conspiracism: The Sovereign Citizens Conspiracy Theory --HOW TO DETERMINE WHICH CONSPIRACY THEORIES ARE REAL: The Conspiracy Detection Kit: How to Tell If a Conspiracy Theory Is True or False -- Truthers and Birthers: The 9/11 and Obama Conspiracy Theories -- JFK Blown Away: The Mother of All Conspiracy Theories -- Real Conspiracies: What If They Really Are Out to Get You? -- The Deadliest Conspiracy in History: The Trigger of World War I and How Conspiracies Really Work -- Real and Imagined Enemies: Conspiracies in Reality and in Our Imaginations -- TALKING TO CONSPIRACISTS AND REBUILDING TRUST IN TRUTH: How to Talk to Conspiracy Theorists: Engaging with People with Whom We Disagree -- How to Rebuild Trust in Truth: Reason, Rationality, and Empiricism in Reality-Based Communities -- Coda: What People Believe About Conspiracy Theories and Why: Results of the Skeptic Research Center Survey.