Saturday 27 February 2021

upcoming projects

I'm presently working on research on fake news and conspiracy theories and how they relates to epistemology (the study of knowledge, or how we know what we know) and the psychology of religion. 

My prima facie opinion of fake news is that it appeals to human sociability, and combined with our instincts to believe things that fit into our world view, it leads us to share this information online without checking its validity.

My prima facie opionion of conspiracy theories is that they're an emergent form of religion (ie a cult). They have many features in common: a larger than life enemy, persecution of a chosen people who know the truth, a prophetic leader, an ingroup/outgroup distinction, a doctrine which is not questioned.