OSUN Themes: Democratic Practice; Liberal Arts and Sciences
Epistemology of Conspiracy Theories
Term: September 3, 2024 – December 19, 2024Level: 200-Level
Day/Time: Tuesday; Thursday 10:10 AM - 11:30 AM EDT
Instructor: Bruce Matthews, Bard Early Colleges
Epistemology of Conspiracy Theories takes an interdisciplinary approach to exploring how and why the information overload of our digital age has led to a growing legitimacy crisis of our shared understandings of what is true, and how this breakdown of a shared reality makes us more susceptible to conspiracy theories. We examine works of literature and philosophy that have wrestled with the intersection of truth and narratives of power, engaging with Plato’s Noble Lie and George Orwell’s 1984, while also focusing on propaganda and the manufacturing of consent within our contemporary social media landscapes. Building on the insights of multiple schools of epistemology, students will engage and critique select conspiracy theories, as they learn to contextualize and understand the political and technological currents that shape the competing narratives of truth we confront in today’s world.
Credits: 4 US / 8 ECTS