Conspiracy Theory in Political Thought
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Shawai, Atheer A
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Abstract
This thesis analyzes the theoretical bases, argumentations, logical developments of conspiracy theory from epistemological, politically-oriented, cultural and critical approaches. The majority of scholarly literature considers conspiracy theory as an irrational conception that is irrelevant or even contrary to the Enlightenment rationality, but this research finds the opposite. After discussing conspiracy theory from different aspects, whether in the theoretical or practical levels, this thesis concludes that the theoretical flaws of conspiracy theory are attributed to inaccurate premises and assumptions lie at the heart of the Enlightenment project itself. What pushes conspiracy theory into the margin of Enlightenment is not its lack of rationality but, rather, its contradictory orientation towards reasonability understood as the ability to compromise with other rational parties to reach an overlapping consensus.
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Keywords
Conspiracy theory, Right-wing, The Enlightenment Rationality, Political philosophy, Islamic intellectuals, Žižek