Event overview
In this lecture, Mark Dery delves into the political and cultural implications of conspiracy theories in modern-day America.
Trump was the first conspiracist Troll-in-Chief. Now, conspiracism—the unshakable conviction that conspiracies drive history—is the default worldview of millions and an existential threat to democracies everywhere.
In “Suspicious Minds,” cultural critic Mark Dery delves deep into the “epistemological vertigo” that characterizes our historical moment and the emergence, in its wake, of conspiracism as a secular religion, tribal ideology, and propaganda weapon of the far right. He’ll explore the history and root causes of conspiracy theories, their appeal, social media’s role in spreading them, and the threat they pose, not just to democracy but to the very notion of objective truth.
Along the way, he’ll take a close look at the weird-bedfellow-ism of the New Age fringe and Trumpism (poster boy: the QAnon shaman) and the descent into conspiracism of former liberal intellectuals like RFK Jr. Of course, he’ll consider the Mother of All Conspiracy Theories: the assassination of JFK. Just how deep does the rabbit hole go? In “Suspicious Minds,” Dery invites you to find out.
Dates & times
| Date | Time | Add to calendar |
|---|---|---|
| 4 Oct 2023 | 3:00pm - 5:00pm |
Accessibility
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