In his new publication, Quassim Cassam investigates the origins and purpose of conspiracy theories. Why are conspiracy theories so different from ordinary theories about conspiracies? Why are they so prevalent in our own turbulent times? What dangers do they pose for us as a society - and why we ignore them at our peril - undermining as they do our established intellectual and political frameworks. In four focused chapters, Quassim Cassam explores the reasons why conspiracy theories originate, their appeal in a world of media deluge and instant news feeds, and the role they serve as insidious forms of propaganda, harnessed to promote specific political agendas. He concludes with some pertinent observations about how we - both as a society and as individuals - should respond, if we are to create an effective means of defence to counteract them.

Published by Polity Books as part of their Think Series.