An Introduction to the Investigation of Conspiracy Theories

Abstract

Conspiracy theories have become a ubiquitous element of the political and popular culture of contemporary human society in recent years. Theories explaining "how it really is (was), who is (was) behind it, in whose interest it is happening (happened)" and so on have become popular all over the world. Given their global spread and the persistence of many of them in society, it is not surprising that conspiracy theories have become the object of scholarly interest not only for historians, sociologists, psychologists, or anthropologists, but also representatives from other disciplines, e.g., political science, philosophy, cultural studies, security sciences, or mass media studies, and the subject of several scholarly papers in recent years. Therefore, the the primary goal of the author of the study– is to contribute to the academic discussion and to deepen theoretical knowledge about conspiracy theories by using relevant scientific methods within the framework of qualitative theoretical interdisciplinary scientific research and the findings published in the works of renowned foreign and domestic authors.