Moral Panic

CONSPIRACY THEORIES

Conspiracy theories, moral panics, and urban legends can overlap and any or all of them can be fake news.

A conspiracy theory is an idea (because once a conspiracy is proven, it’s no longer a theory but a fact) postulating that multiple, usually powerful, people are acting in secret to benefit themselves at the expense of the general public.

The phrase “conspiracy theory” shouldn’t be used as a pejorative. Some conspiracy theories are warranted--there are and have been actual conspiracies, like Tuskegee and Watergate.

It might be helpful to think of conspiracy theories as existing on a spectrum of plausibility, as suggested by Mick West, although the degree of perceived plausibility necessarily depends on the individual encountering the theory. One might believe Lee Harvey Oswald did not act alone but draw the line of implausibility at Sandy Hook being a false flag operation. Another might believe the uber rich are up to no good at their closed meetings but consider the idea of lizard people ruling the world to be stretching credulity too far.

Adapted from SCSU Hilton C. Buley Library Critical Thinking: Conspiracy Theories, Urban Legends, and Moral Panics

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SCSU Hilton C. Buley Library Critical Thinking: Conspiracy Theories, Urban Legends, and Moral Panics

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