Conspiracy Theory: Truth Claim or Language Game?

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    Abstract

    The paper is a contribution to current debates about conspiracy theories within philosophy and cultural studies. Wittgenstein’s understanding of language is invoked to analyse the epistemological effects of designating particular questions and explanations as a ‘conspiracy theory’. It is demonstrated how such a designation relegates these questions and explanations beyond the realm of meaningful discourse. In addition, Agamben’s concept of sovereignty is applied to explore the political effects of using the concept of conspiracy theory. The exceptional epistemological status assigned to alleged conspiracy theories within our prevalent paradigms of knowledge and truth is compared to the exceptional legal status assigned to individuals accused of terrorism under the War on Terror. The paper concludes by discussing the relation between conspiracy theory and ‘the paranoid style’ in contemporary politics
    Original languageEnglish
    JournalTheory, Culture & Society
    Volume34
    Issue number1
    Pages (from-to)137-159
    Number of pages23
    ISSN0263-2764
    DOIs
    Publication statusPublished - Jan 2017

    Keywords

    • Agamben
    • Contemporary politics
    • Epistemology
    • State of emergency
    • Terrorism
    • Wittgenstein

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