29 Sep 2014

Philosopher Matthew Dentith on why we love conspiracy theories

From Nine To Noon, 10:10 am on 29 September 2014

Philosopher Matthew Dentith wrote a PhD thesis titled, "In defence of conspiracy theorists", which he has turned into a forthcoming book, "The Philosophy of Conspiracy Theories". In it, he explores why some people believe in conspiracy theories, why some other people view them as irrational, and when, if ever, it might be rational to believe a conspiracy theory. He says that sometimes conspiracy theories look plausible and even reasonable to believe - and as such, we need to understand when we should treat conspiracy theories seriously and how to distinguish warranted claims of conspiracy from spurious conspiracy theories. Matthew Dentith is a speaker at this year's TEDxChristchurch event.