HistoryHistory

----------history as conspiracyhistory as conspiracy

Background InformationBackground Information

John Kennedy assassinationJohn Kennedy assassination John Kennedy assassinationJohn Kennedy assassination

WatergateWatergate

Princess DianaPrincess Diana

Martin Luther KingMartin Luther King

Beginning:Beginning:

What is history?What is history?

How does it influence How does it influence us?us?

example:

John Kennedy assassinationJohn Kennedy assassination

1) What is conspiracy theory?

2) Why are conspiracies so fascinating and so widely believed?

example:

the origin of the appeal of the origin of the appeal of conspiracy-thinkingconspiracy-thinking----------(17,June,1972) the day of the Watergate break-in

(1)With Watergate, democracy itself was brought into question.

(2)Governments must bear a good part of the blame for the prevalence of conspiracy theories.

(3)the author’s idea: What unsettles about secrecy is that we can never wholly trust having touched bottom.

Question:

How can inconsistencies in events cause conspiracy-thinking?

two examples:

(1)What did you have for dinner last Tuesday?

(2)the death of Princess Diana

another example:

Who murdered Martin Luther King?

to illustrate:

Conspiracy-thinking has touched all the incidents about which we may have presumed to know the truth.

If conspiracies are too complex, they cannot be hidden forever.

The problem of conspiracy-thinking is that it undermines our faith in history.

Conclusion:Conclusion:

Sometimes, the truth is indeed what it Sometimes, the truth is indeed what it seems to be at first glance. Other seems to be at first glance. Other times, the facts don’t fit together times, the facts don’t fit together perfectly, and they remain the facts.perfectly, and they remain the facts.

Thank you.Thank you.