June was a long month, and Jonah Goldberg is feeling entitled to a little bit of self-indulgence. Instead of turning to the bottle, however, he has opted for a rollicking, frolicsome ramble through the deep history of conspiracy theory. Jonah is joined by Andrew McKenzie-McHarg, author of the definitive volume on the topic, to discuss conspiracy theory (singular), etymology, secularization, 19th-century social science, the paranoid style, The Protocols of the Elders of Zion, Argentina, magic and science, antisemitism, apocalyptic thinking, Karl Popper, Richard Hofstadter, Karl Marx, World War I, Donald Trump, social media, institutions, and Catholicism.

Show Notes:

—Andrew McKenzie-McHarg - The Hidden History of Conspiracy Theory

—Jesse Walker - The United States of Paranoia: A Conspiracy Theory

—Richard Hofstadter - “The Paranoid Style in American Politics”

—Jesse Walker review of The Hidden History of Conspiracy Theory in Reason

The Remnant is a production of ⁠The Dispatch⁠, a digital media company covering politics, policy, and culture from a nonpartisan perspective. To access all of The Dispatch’s offerings—including the Saturday Ruminant, audio versions of all our articles and newsletters, and Jonah’s twice-weekly G-File—⁠click here⁠. Instructions on how to set up your members-only feed can be found here, and if you’d like to remove all ads from your podcast experience, consider becoming a premium Dispatch member ⁠by clicking here⁠.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices