Overview
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Assignment: Please respond substantially to the classmate’s discussion post: reference: https://fivethirtyeight.com/features/why-people-fall-for-conspiracy-theories/
Conspiracy is typically thought of as a means to achieve political ends, usually involving some form of deception to absolve political leaders of wrongdoing. In the opposite direction, it could be viewed as elaborate plans to overthrow a government or assassinate world leaders. To conspire is simply to plot, usually in secret, the commission of a criminal or harmful act. Under this framework, it can be broadly understood as a series of events that work together to produce a particular result. Theories, for the most part, are just supported estimations of explanatory variables that lead to particular phenomena -- in this case conspiracies. Evident by various religious and secular beliefs, I believe humans are constantly searching for meaning and explanations of history and the affairs of man. Events like the Watergate burglary have shown that skepticism towards official narratives isn't always unwarranted. Conspiracy theory as a belief finds certain events are the result of covert actions rather than chance or official explanations. When a historical event takes place, and the public is left unsatisfied as to why it may have occurred or in what way events actually unfolded, they use their mental faculties to attempt to find a cause that aligns with their reason. While I certainly believe it can be argued that conspiracies themselves may be immoral (or wrong), I find an equally justifiable argument that conspiracy theories themselves are amoral (not necessarily bad). They are just another example of people trying to explain why something harmful to society or a political system may have occurred.
The article "Why People Fall for Conspiracy Theories" identifies a few fallacies that reveal character traits correlated with one's propensity to hold conspiratorial beliefs, but these errors in reasoning are psychological phenomena all humans can fall victim to. Cognitive shortcuts often can be beneficial in helping individuals make quick judgments that enhance their decision-making capabilities, particularly in stressful environments. I believe the strongest argument made throughout the article is in reference to the environmental factors brought up by behavioral scientist Gordon Pennycook. How often one is exposed to any specific idea influences the likelihood an individual will find said idea to be valid or plausible. Mass communication in the form of social media has made it easier than ever for ideas to be shared, spread, and consumed. We are constantly fed information strengthening arguments that are perfectly curated to keep us engaged. We believe these arguments even more because our algorithms begin to show us similar content that reinforces us into rigid ideological camps or echo chambers. The risk here is that inflammatory conspiracy theories, or ones that can potentially lead to violence, have a greater chance of survival and virality. No longer is it the stereotypical "tinfoil-hat man", but it's your neighbors, classmates, and family that can fall prey to potentially harmful ideas or thought patterns.