Conspiracies and Secrecy: An Exercise in Social Epistemology

• In Event: 557 - Theory Section Refereed Roundtable Session and Business Meeting
  In Refereed Roundtable 60min: Table 06. Modernity and Nature

Abstract

In the existing literature on conspiracy theories, the least contentious part of the academic discourse would appear to be talk of conspiracies. We all know that a conspiracy is a secretive plot between two or more people towards some end. Yet what, exactly, is the connection between something being a conspiracy and it being secret? Is it possible to conspire without also engaging in secretive behaviour? We look at the role secrecy plays in conspiratorial activity, and argue that whilst many conspirators commit to keeping secrets once their conspiracy is underway, the idea that conspiracies are necessarily secretive is not as obvious as previously thought.

Authors

• Matthew R. X. Dentith, Auckland University of Technology

• Martin B. Orr, Boise State University