A perspective on conspiracy theories

HUMANIST CLUB

By Dave Silva

LW contributor

What is the humanist view of conspiracy theories? It’s not always easy to determine what the truth is when we don’t know all the facts. Research from the University of Chicago reveals that 50 percent of Americans believe in one or more conspiracy theories. Some people believe there might be some truth to a conspiracy theory, while others totally believe in every aspect of the theory.

Humorist Will Rogers used to say, “All I know is what I read in the papers.” If Will were alive today, he might say, “All I know is what I read on the internet and hear on TV news.” Most conspiracy theories are spread on the internet and by word of mouth.

Conspiracies do not have to be from a long time ago. Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer was recently the target of a conspiracy to kidnap her. There were vast conspiracies in which southern politicians denied Black people the right to vote and horrific conspiracies about the events of 9/11. In real conspiracies, there’s usually evidence of people getting together to do bad things. Many people feel skeptical of mainstream news. The conspiracies people believe without proof aren’t trivial, and the believers might feel special because they believe they possess a truth that others are ignorant about. Consequently, they are often eager to share their special knowledge with friends and relatives.

One conspiracy theory that has spread almost as rapidly as the coronavirus is that, according to Forbes magazine, 22 percent of Americans believe the number of virus deaths is exaggerated. Even more bizarre is that 7 percent are sure that Bill Gates is responsible for starting the virus in an attempt to establish “a new world order.” One of the most persistent theories is that the government is studying aliens at a place called Area 51. Some theories, such as the moon landing only happened on a soundstage have largely disappeared over time. According to the Pew Foundation, 48 percent of Americans without any college education believe the virus epidemic was planned by powerful people. This compares with 38 percent who have some college, 24 percent who have a college degree and 15 percent with a postgraduate degree. Also, young people are more likely to believe these conspiracies than people over age 60. This data might lead one to believe being older and better educated makes people less inclined to believe rumors that aren’t supported by evidence.

Most humanists hold the view that the truth of any belief must be supported by logic and evidence, including their own most closely held beliefs. They usually believe news from reliable sources if they sound credible and are always willing to change their minds on the basis of new evidence.