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Conspiracy Theories (Think) 1st Edition

by Quassim Cassam (Author)
4.2 4.2 out of 5 stars 108 ratings
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9/11 was an inside job. The Holocaust is a myth promoted to serve Jewish interests. The shootings at Sandy Hook Elementary School were a false flag operation. Climate change is a hoax perpetrated by the Chinese government.

These are all conspiracy theories. A glance online or at bestseller lists reveals how popular some of them are. Even if there is plenty of evidence to disprove them, people persist in propagating them. Why? Philosopher Quassim Cassam explains how conspiracy theories are different from ordinary theories about conspiracies. He argues that conspiracy theories are forms of propaganda and their function is to promote a political agenda. Although conspiracy theories are sometimes defended on the grounds that they uncover evidence of bad behaviour by political leaders, they do much more harm than good, with some resulting in the deaths of large numbers of people.

There can be no clearer indication that something has gone wrong with our intellectual and political culture than the fact that conspiracy theories have become mainstream. When they are dangerous, we cannot afford to ignore them. At the same time, refuting them by rational argument is difficult because conspiracy theorists discount or reject evidence that disproves their theories. As conspiracy theories are so often smokescreens for political ends, we need to come up with political as well as intellectual responses if we are to have any hope of defeating them.

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  1. ISBN-10
    1509535837
  2. ISBN-13
    978-1509535835
  3. Edition
    1st
  4. Publisher
    Polity Pr
  5. Publication date
    November 4, 2019
  6. Part of series
    THINK
  7. Language
    English
  8. Dimensions
    5 x 0.75 x 7.25 inches
  9. Print length
    127 pages
  10. See all details
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Editorial Reviews

Review

"Quassim Cassam has done the world a great service. This short, bracing and easily accessible book is not only a compelling read - it is also a much-needed weapon in the war against lies and the battle for truth. Methodically, he takes apart the mindset of the conspiracy theorist and shows why such theories arise, why they appeal and why they cause real damage. Truth has taken a battering in recent years. Now, thanks to Cassam, the truth is hitting back."
Jonathan Freedland

"Those who engage in [conspiracy theory]... need to protect themselves against its corrupting effects. The philosopher Quassim Cassam is, I think, our wisest writer on this matter. I'd heartily recommend his work..."
Matthew Sweet, BBC Radio Presenter

"Interesting and informative"
Quest Magazine

"Beautifully clear, thoroughly researched, rigorous and wide-ranging."
Society

About the Author

Quassim Cassam is Professor of Philosophy at the University of Warwick.

Product details

  • Publisher ‏ : ‎ Polity Pr; 1st edition (November 4, 2019)
  • Language ‏ : ‎ English
  • Paperback ‏ : ‎ 127 pages
  • ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 1509535837
  • ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-1509535835
  • Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 4.8 ounces
  • Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 5 x 0.75 x 7.25 inches
  • Customer Reviews:
    4.2 4.2 out of 5 stars 108 ratings

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Quassim Cassam

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Customer reviews

4.2 out of 5 stars
4.2 out of 5
108 global ratings

Top reviews from the United States

MJSH
5.0 out of 5 stars Good value
Reviewed in the United States on February 13, 2024
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Needed this for son’s college class and this was the best price we could find. Book was in good condition when arrived.
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Tony
5.0 out of 5 stars Conspiracy theories information and origins
Reviewed in the United States on May 12, 2021
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An interesting point of view based on basic legit research. The author gives logical reasoning as to why some people believe in nonsensical conspiracies.
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Bill Weaver
2.0 out of 5 stars fighting ‘power’ with ‘opposition’ is not the same thing as fighting lies with truth
Reviewed in the United States on March 3, 2022
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Okay I will try again since apparently my first review of this was not palatable to the AI overlords. I confess that this book is not to my liking but hope that you don’t think I am either a “conspiracy theorist” or a capital-C capital-T “Conspiracy Theorist” as the author makes the distinction key to his argument. I should mention this argument is fairly airtight and logical as it should be since this guy is a professional (“expert”) philosopher. Still I find something unpleasant about it which I will attempt in my own (amateurish) fashion to explain. These “Conspiracy Theories” he discusses are awful and deserve to be laughed out of court, yes. So why don’t I like this book? The Prof highlights the “seductive” quality of these “stories that people want to hear.” (p. 31) So we are suddenly in the realm of folklore, which stands in opposition to ‘official’ accounts. I am suddenly reminded of the elite fears about tabloids in the 80s and the increasing ‘irrationality’ in society (see The Bosom Serpent by Schechter). Most interesting of all in the present tome under discussion is the author’s mention of the study showing conspiracy theories have decreased from 1890 to 2010 (p. 32). If this trend continues, what’s all the fuss? The author cites some “harm” caused by these theories which yes I agree can be palpable, but Alex Jones lost in court didn’t he? The Prof is not satisfied with legal system verdicts perhaps, as he says “the response to [Conspiracy Theories] should be political”, (p. vii) so fight fire with fire, I get it. From the systems theory or sociological perspective, one could just as easily view the Prof’s battle cry against “Conspiracy Theory” as part of an ongoing collapse of differentiation leading up to a terroristic regime, where academia, the law, politics, religion and maybe even art become indistinguishable from each other. To put it in layman’s terms, one can see politics creeping into everything these days. I’m sure this is not (exactly) what the Prof has in mind, but communication systems have a mind of their own. One might begin with the most benign of intentions, yet who can say exactly where all those other observers will take it once they really get going? “Conspiracy Theories . . . are speculative, contrarian, esoteric, amateurish and premodern.” (p. 28) Yes, yes and yes, but so are human beings. “Once you’ve given up on the idea that (Conspiracy Theories’] point is to tell the truth, a different account of their function is called for.” (p. 28) The difficulty here too is that the point of politics is not to tell the truth either. I’m not saying that all politics is propaganda, so I am in no way apologizing for repugnant views. I am only saying that politics is on an emotional level and ultimately codes ‘power/opposition’ not ‘true/false’. So as any amateur systems theorist would say, fighting ‘power’ with ‘opposition’ or vice versa is not the same thing as fighting lies with truth.
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Lee McIntyre
5.0 out of 5 stars Packed with insights
Reviewed in the United States on November 19, 2019
This is an outstanding book packed with insights. My copy is full of underlines and notes, as I thought about the content the whole time I was reading it. One of the greatest virtues of this book is the clear writing. Cassam takes on one of the greatest intellectual threats of our age and gives us a took kit that can be used by a wide audience. Underneath this, however, is a philosopher's precision, as he carefully constructs his argument and provides the foundation for his insights. Conspiracy theories are not just a failure of reasoning, they are a corruption of the good faith and proper attitude we must bring to any sort of empirical inquiry where "truth" is on the line. Page after page, Cassam demonstrates that conspiracy theories have a political motive (they are essentially propaganda) and that the question of whether the people who are inventing or disseminating them believe in their truth is in some ways beside the point. Perhaps they do believe they are true; they are nonetheless a corruption of the process by which true beliefs are formed. Conspiracy theorists won't give up their beliefs even when they are rebutted. They exaggerate evidence. They jump to conclusions. They take any alleged refutation of their views instead to be evidence that there is a nefarious cover up (thus managing to use even negative evidence to prop up their theories). I can't do justice to the whole argument here, but it was incredibly insightful and I plan to read the book again. I'll need to buy a new copy though. My first one was basically destroyed by my first reading.
10 people found this helpful
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Gary C. Marfin
5.0 out of 5 stars Suspicious Minds
Reviewed in the United States on May 26, 2020
This is a short, but pithy examination of Conspiracy Theories, capital letters to distinguish "these extraordinary theories" from conspiracy theories -- theories are empirically plausible. After all, conspiracies do exist. Nevertheless, this might be the golden age of Conspiracy Theories, if only because their proponents can reach such a wide online audience. It's hard to imagine someone like Alex Jones, who claims, among other absurdities, that Sandy Hook was a false flag, would enjoy the following he does today in the pre-internet era.

I have to admit that one of the most insightful arguments in this book was somewhat outside its main thesis. Specifically, the argument against brandishing the confederate flag: "... what the flag actually symbolizes isn't determined by the beliefs and intentions of the individual who chooses to display it. "The flag has a life of its own, its own history and meaning, and doesn't become politically benign just because the person displaying it doesn't think of it as a symbol of slavery and racism." This argument strikes me as spot on. It certainly explains my reluctance to accept the flag as an appropriate symbol of the old south.
That same argument accounts for my reluctance to accept the "N" word from whoever opts to use it.
4 people found this helpful
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Top reviews from other countries

CS
5.0 out of 5 stars Fantastic, clear-headed, easy read
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on July 21, 2020
Verified Purchase
Prof Cassam writes clearly and concisely about one of the most important topics of our time. Whether it's terrorism or Covid 19, conspiracy theories abound. This is the how, when and why by a philosopher who has made it his job to write about complex matters in terms anybody can understand.
2 people found this helpful
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Richard starkie
1.0 out of 5 stars Very superficial. He has one point that he repeats again and again
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on March 31, 2022
Verified Purchase
A very superficial coverage of the topic. His basic message is that this is a political issue, is the realm of philosophers like himself and that psychologists should but out of his area of work. To make his argument work at all, he is very selective with which conspiracy theories he mentions, basically using a handful again and again.
When you’ve read the first chapter, you’re done really. The rest is just padding.
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