Gresham College Lectures

Why believe in Conspiracy Theories? - Peter Knight


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Watch the Q&A session here: https://youtu.be/EyU7TCE1QJQ

With Brexit, the US presidential election and the Covid pandemic, conspiracy theories now seem to be everywhere. It’s commonly argued that the internet has fuelled their popularity, leading to a loss of faith in mainstream media, science, democracy and even truth itself. But what if the rise of conspiracy theories is a symptom rather than the cause of a collapse of trust in civic institutions?

This lecture was recorded by Peter Knight  on 14th November 2024 at Barnard's Inn Hall, London.

Peter Knight is a Professor of American Studies at the University of Manchester, and has held visiting fellowships at New York University, Harvard, Leiden University and the Netherlands Institute for Advanced Studies in Amsterdam.

The transcript of the lecture is available from the Gresham College website: https://www.gresham.ac.uk/watch-now/conspiracy-theories

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