This handbook examines where conspiracy theories come from, who believes in them and what their consequences are. Other chapters consider the psychology and the sociology of conspiracy beliefs, in addition to their changing cultural forms, functions and modes of transmission. It maps out the key debates, and includes chapters on the historical origins of conspiracy theories, as well as their political significance in a broad range of countries and regions. It analyses conspiracy theories from a variety of perspectives, using both qualitative and quantitative methods. This handbook provides the most complete analysis of the phenomenon to date. Taking a global and interdisciplinary approach, the Routledge Handbook of Conspiracy Theories provides a comprehensive overview of conspiracy theories as an important social, cultural and political phenomenon in contemporary life. This book organizes them into a toolbox which will enable students and researchers to analyze conspiracy theories as practices of the self geared at self-empowerment, a sort of political self-help. Fortunately, critical theory has developed tools able to conceive of truth beyond knowledge and power, and hence to make sense of conspiracy theories. Since science is unable to make sense of conspiracy theories, it treats conspiracy theorists as individuals who fail to make sense, and it explains their persistent nonsense by some cognitive, behavioral, or social dysfunction. That is impossible for any scientific discipline because it takes for granted that truth comes from knowledge and that truth is powerful enough to destroy the legitimacy of any authority that would dare to conceal or manipulate it. Therefore, in order to understand conspiracy theories, we need to think of truth beyond knowledge and power. Yet conspiratorial knowledge is potent enough to be studied by researchers and recognized as a risk by experts and authorities. And the impossible knowledge claimed by conspiracy theorists is rigorously excluded from the regimes of truth and power - that is not even wrong. In effect, conspiracy theories detach truth from knowledge. Yet they accept this impossible knowledge as truth. Conspiracy theorists claim impossible knowledge, such as knowledge of the doings of a secret world government.
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