Modern Conspiracy

While conspiracy theory is often characterized in terms of the collapse of objectivity and Enlightenment reason, <i>Modern Conspiracy</i> traces the important role of conspiracy in the formation of the modern world: the scientific revolution, social contract theory, political sovereignty, religious paranoia and mass communication media. <br/><br/>Rather than seeing the imminent death of Enlightenment reason and a regression to a new Dark Age in conspiratorial thinking, <i>Modern Conspiracy</i> suggests that many characteristic features of conspiracies tap very deeply into the history of the Enlightenment: its vociferous critique of established authorities and a conception of political sovereignty fuelled by fear of counter-plots, for example. Perhaps, ultimately, conspiracy theory affords us a renewed opportunity to reflect on our very relationship to the truth itself.