We need a “Critique of Pure Conspiracy”
For all things which are reproved are made manifest by light,
for whatever does make manifest is light (Ephesians 5:13)
What is generally called “conspiracy theory” has undergone a revival of considerable proportions. Today everyone prides themselves on knowing that “all is not what it seems on the surface.” This is obvious from the declining trust in public institutions, science, politics, and education. Of course, there never was a time when all was just what it seemed on the surface. Still, there was indeed a time, and not so long ago, when propaganda systems enjoyed something closer to ubiquity due to the monopoly of broadcast technologies.
Now that everybody on your street (or at least your social media network) is a conspiracy theorist, one might reasonably ask why this hasn’t automatically translated into a free society. Part of the answer to this question is that there is a whole lot more to establishing, or regaining, a free society than just the dissemination of information. If there are elites who secretly control the world, they need to be fought, not just talked about. In fact, there are indications that they enjoy being talked about, and that it fortifies and celebrates their power.
However, while mere information is not sufficient, it is certainly necessary in both great quantity and reasonable quality. Today we certainly have the quantity, but much of what gets stuffed into that portmanteau phrase “conspiracy theory” is just plain bad. Perhaps that’s just the way the conspiratorial cookie crumbles, as the mocking skeptics claim. Or perhaps there is some sort of improvement in method which would at once validate and improve the quality of…