Appeals to ignorance play a significant role in arguments about conspiracy theories. Due to being secretive by nature, many conspiracy theorists argue that a lack of evidence in itself is proof of a conspiracy having occurred. This makes it very difficult for conspiracy theories to be evaluated conclusively, however we have good grounds to believe their existence when a number of criteria are fulfilled. To understand the draw of conspiracy theories, we must first understand the role of appeals to ignorance. An appeal to ignorance is a form of abductive argument which assumes a conclusion to be true based on lack of evidence refuting it. This can be seen in the form of arguments such as ‘you can’t prove that Bush didn’t do 9/11 so it must mean …show more content…
(Keeley, ‘Of Conspiracy Theories’, 1999, pg. 119) Often, conspiracy theorists develop their theories specifically to account for as much evidence as possible in an attempt to lend them credence. Examples include the ‘Paul is dead’ conspiracy theory which accounts for vast amounts of insignificant details (such as him not wearing shoes and a car sign plate displaying his age) attempting to convince people of a conspiracy having …show more content…
However, it should be noted that simply showing the possibility of a shared motive by the conspirators is not a viable enough justification to prove the existence of a conspiracy. Instead, it should be carefully considered whether or not the motive was compelling enough to necessitate the orchestration of a conspiracy. Often, it would not be worth undertaking conspiratorial action if there were any other methods of attaining their goals at a lower cost. Due to the high-stakes and effort required to successfully plan, execute and conceal a conspiracy, if there are any viable alternative methods to achieving the same goal then the likelihood of a conspiracy having occurred is significantly lowered. Even if no lower-cost alternatives exist, it is important to note whether the risks and effort expended to successfully carry out the conspiracy are sufficient to justify the proposed motives of the
Conspiracy theories are entertaining for many to speculate and demand a great deal of thought to constitute. A conspiracy theory is defined as the idea that many important political, economic, and social trends are the products of secret plots that are largely unknown to the general public (“The Definition of Conspiracy Theory”). Many conspiracy theories are thought up around children’s shows, which offers a feeling of nostalgia and pleasure. A few children’s show conspiracies that need a deeper light shone on them are from Max & Ruby (2002-2013), Winnie the Pooh (1977), Rugrats (1990-2004), and All Grown Up (2003-2008).
Conspiracy theories accuse others of a cover up by secret planning. They may be based on a hunch or even backed by evidence. To the curious mind, they bring about unanswered questions that have attracted the attention of many people throughout history. Among some of the more popular theories are the assassination of President John F. Kennedy; the death of Princess Diana; alien encounters in Roswell, New Mexico; and the idea that Elvis may still be alive. Perhaps the most intriguing theory, because of our neighboring location, is the underground bunker and seemingly strange characteristics at the Denver airport.
much evidence that proves it. As far as who was part of the conspiracy, I came to the consensus
Several rhetorical concepts are used to approach the readers of this article, these being proofs known as reasoning (logos), credibility (ethos), and emotion (pathos). Conspiracy theorists, such as Mock, often use logic or reason to attract readers. They understand that conspiracies are seen as lies and paranoia, so to build their audience they appeal to their logical side. In today’s society logic is everything, and being able to prove something is what is important. Making a reference to a factual document or book is always a source of proof. The reference towards a dictionary is used because it is something we use every day, something that is impo...
Holt, Richard. "Apollo 11 Moon Landing: Conspiracy Theories Debunked." The Telegraph. Telegraph Media Group, 15 July 2009. Web. 02 Mar. 2014.
Mcclaim, Erin. "JFK Assassination: Many Theories, but No 'real Evidence' of a Conspiracy." NBC News. NBCNEWS.COM, 22 Nov. 2013. http://usnews.nbcnews.com/_news/2013/11/22/21564131-jfk-assassination-many-theories-but-no-real-evidence-of-a-conspiracy. 30 Nov. 2013.
Conspiracy theorists, calling themselves Truthers, have provided evidence to support their claims numerous times in attempts to convince the general population. Truthers start by pointing out the FBI Crime They demand the government to explain what really happened and that justice be fairly served. They have not had an open playing field, however, they received opposition at every move they make with explanations, counterarguments, and information from the government, police forces, first responders, and the residents of Newtown.
In researching this and many other conspiracy theories, one can see many uses of sensationalism, mainly by the media. This media- the news (local and national), magazines, tabloids, television shows, movies, and so on- has a huge e...
Throughout the history of mankind there have been numerous cases in which people were victims of oppression or hate. Among these cases the sole reasoning behind this oppression or hate being based on the perception of others. History has shown that society is responsible for labeling groups of people, generally these labels are misleading.
Twelve Angry Men, is a play written by Reginald Rose. The play is about the process of individuals and a court case, which is determining the fate of a teenager. It presents the themes of justice, independence and ignorance. Rose emphasises these three themes through the characters and the dialogue. Justice is the principle of moral rightness or equity. This is shown through juror number eight who isn’t sure whether or not the boy is actually innocent or guilty, but he persists to ask questions and convinces the other jurors to think about the facts first. Independence is shown through both juror number three and ten. They both believe that the defendant is guilty until they both realise that they can not relate there past experiences with the court case. Ignorance is shown throughout all the jurors during the play, it is also brought out through the setting of the play.
Although, a society with such far-fetched motives can be easily dismissed as fanciful rumors, but because of strange hand-signs and symbols, the numerous conspiracy theories and its association with famous personalities it has become difficult to refute the claims of the existence of Illuminati.
When it comes to conspiracy theories there is a wide variety of them, but few people try to explain their appeal as thoroughly as the author Maggie Koerth-Baker through her article “Why Rational People Buy into Conspiracy Theories.” The author’s paper starts by talking about the incident at the Boston Marathon and how, even though one of the brothers had been arrested, there were still theories being created in order to explain the possible events and motives behind the attack. It is explained that the best way to determine someone’s belief in a theory is if they believe in other theories due to the fact that a conspiracy theory isn’t so much a response to a single event as it is an expression of an overarching worldview (Koerth-Baker 343).
Yet the so called answers pose even more questions. Such as, just how much of our media outlook has been skewed to fit what government officials have in mind (“Media-Elite Conspiracy”). It is only until red flags start appearing in stories, that high ranking officials and media begin altering viewpoints and previous information. With that being said, it seems suspicious being that the U.S government has never officially confirmed or denied that major world and national events, primarily seen as acts of terrorism or backlash, were in fact done on purpose in order to carry out a specific task or need within society. From a government official’s viewpoint it seems probable to not want distrust from citizens. On the contrary, however, the public in both federal and state governments believed that the elite were interfering too much in both state and local issues, therefore hindering trust. Stemming from this belief comes conspiracy theories. The situation of paranoia worsens when the representatives of a social interest, such as opposing theories, are shut out of the political process: having no access to political bargaining and decision making (Drezner). While the government has yet to confirm any conspiracy to this day, there are still people that give up everything to prove what they rightfully believe as truth. In a society that solely believes the government does good, these people are not only brave for speaking out, but also have some definite points they want to get across to the world. Another thought about how so these so called theories may have some truth behind them is that events that raise conspiracy flags are too convent in timely terms. Whether the government needs a law passed, patriotism up, or a reason to go to war with other countries, there has been speculation that there is a direct
Some people believe in Bush did 9/11 because of their confirmation bias. If someone posts that 9\11 was an inside job, then someone says they saw the planes go into the Twin Towers but then the person counters with a false fact such as Jet Fuel can’t melt steel beams. The person who believes in the 9\11 conspiracy theory uses his confirmation bias to believe in false facts that support his beliefs. That is why conspiracy theories are still around. When you try to debunk false facts, you are actually helping people believe those same false facts.
Since the beginning of settled civilizations, people have had more mutual sharings than ever before. By the same token, there have been some conspiracy theories that are usually against the culturally accepted beliefs of religions, science and society. A conspiracy theory can be described so differently. However, as in his text, Marshall Brain explicates, a conspiracy is generally defined as a theory seeking to explain a disputed case or matter as a plot by a secret group or alliance rather than an individual or isolated act (Brain). Especially, after the new media has become quite popular, more and more conspiracies are theorized every single day, which aim to catch society’s attention via such media tools as the internet, journals and newspapers. Thus, people who theorize those conspiracies tend to use such objects as spiritual and mysterious ones in order to interest people. To illustrate, many examples can be given. For instance, many people have claimed that they were abducted by aliens, although they could show no evidences. Here, a citation from Blackmore could facilitate to understand the circumstance better. She states that people occasionally claim that they have been abducted from public places by aliens, in this case that may provide them with witnesses and affirmations but no evidence could be shown so far (Blackmore). As it is well known, only a small number of people believe such alien abductions, however, rating of this kind of news is quite high on media, because humankind has been wondering if there are extraterrestrial creatures out of the earth. Another example can be conspiracy theories which are about the origins of religions such as the rejection of Jesus Christ. There are some people who pay attention to...