Conspiracies & Conspiracy Theories

What We Should and Shouldn't Believe - and Why

By: Michael Shermer, The Great Courses

Narrated by: Michael Shermer

Millions of Americans buy into conspiracy theories. Did you know that...

• 81 percent of Americans believe more than one person was responsible for the assassination of John F. Kennedy?
• 1/3 of this country thinks 9/11 was an “inside job” by the Bush administration?
• 21 percent believes aliens crash-landed in Roswell and are being hidden in Area 51?
• 7 percent are convinced that the moon landing was faked?

What causes some people to advocate these unfounded—often disproven—ideas as reality? And why is the power of conspiracies so compelling that they can motivate people to act, some even participating in acts of violence?

In this eye-opening Audible Original, Professor Michael Shermer, publisher of Skeptic magazine and the host of the Science Salon podcast, takes you through some of the most prevalent conspiracy theories in history, giving you a clear understanding of how and why they came about, who was likely to believe and perpetuate them, and the reality behind these beliefs.

Whether you are looking for the truth regarding popular conspiracy theories; are fascinated by the psychology of why people buy into them; or are interested in how they shaped and were shaped by history, this course will provide you all the tools you need to better understand the pervasiveness of conspiracy theories.

©2019 Audible Originals, LLC (P)2019 Audible Originals, LLC.

misleading, disappointing

The first 7 lectures were spent explaining this inquiry as an academic pursuit.
(about five lectures too much..)
Schermer's politics also make make me suspect his motives;
He vocally defended the Trump- Russia hoax. he called the wuhan lab leak theory a "right-wing hoax" and he dismissed hunter's laptop.

But I Heard on FB...

Another of the “Great Courses” of lectures by university professors, this course is a bit briefer than some but still complete enough. But, if you’re expecting a discussion of various conspiracy theories with arguments for or against them, note the subtitle. Professor Michael Shermer does pick up some theories and some that are not just “theories” but certainly real and true conspiracies and uses them as examples or illustrations, but the focus of this book if more on helping us to understand them and be better equipped to judge between those that are true or possibly true and those that are likely not or certainly not. 

With that goal, Shermer has succeeded fairly well. He reminds us to make a distinction between conspiracies (secret plots) and conspiracy theories (what people think might be a secret plot). Shermer is not trying to convince you to disbelieve in all conspiracies. Conspiracies are real and are carried out by groups of individuals, government officials, and business. But, how can we decide which ones are believable? Some of the lectures touch on subjects that you may already have heard about, such as cognitive biases and why the theories can hold such sway. He discusses how to rate them according to probability. He talks about how difficult it is to carry out a conspiracy and thus the more complicated and the more people are involved, the more likely it is to fail. He gives us a conspiracy detection kit and then finally does review some of the more famous ones (from some that are almost certainly false to some that are proven to be true) including 9/11, Obama’s birthplace, the JFK assassination, the tobacco companies hiding of the tobacco/cancer link, drug companies, and what he calls “the Deadliest Conspiracy Theory in History,” the plot to assassinate Archduke Franz Ferdinand which was the catalyst for World War I which resulted in the deaths of at least 20 million people, enabled the Spanish Flu (which started in Kansas, not in Spain) to spread around the world, brought on an economic collapse in Europe and the Great Depression, sped up the collapse of the Colonial Empires,  and set the stage for the Russian Revolution as well as WWII. And, it was carried out by a group of 6 men. 

There are some caveats. The author is strongly biased against any idea of a belief in transcendence and several times states that the theistic belief that “everything happens for a reason” allows some people to more readily look for a conspiracy to explain what may well be chance. But, he then evokes science as a search for the reason behind all things. He shows his misunderstanding of transcendentalists who can believe in a sovereign God who allows man to make choices, even evil ones. He disparages the idea of a God with a “secret” plan for the universe but misunderstands the distinction between “secret” and “mystery.” He also forgets that while science rightly seeks truth through data, this is still a theoretical ideal because scientists also have biases, preconceptions, and emotions.  Transcendentalism is not intuitive any more or less than empiricism.  Modern research has shown that we don’t believe because of data. We believe because of our emotional side and we tend to see the data that supports that belief. There are checks and procedures that try to minimize and overcome that, but it’s still true of scientists and of him. 

Nonetheless, the lectures are worth listening to and there is much to learn. Despite this criticism, the lectures are quite balanced and they are certainly relevant to today when it seems that people see conspiracies in every corner.

Explained well.

I like how it's broken down & explained how good people believe these conspiracies.

Great

I will read anything Dr. Shermer puts out. His logic is so concise would recommend!

a basic rundown of well-known conspiracy theories

I had hoped this book would offer a fresh take on conspiracy theories—maybe some unique insights or deeper psychological analysis—but unfortunately, it felt incredibly generic. The author doesn’t bring anything new to the table; it’s just a basic rundown of well-known conspiracy theories without much depth or originality.

If you’ve ever watched a 10-minute YouTube video on the subject, you’ve basically already read this book. The writing isn’t bad, but nothing stood out, and I found myself waiting for something interesting that never came. If you’re completely new to the topic, it might be a decent introduction, but for anyone even mildly familiar with conspiracy theories, this book doesn’t add much value.

Easy to follow

This is a lecture format. It was easy to follow and had some interesting things to consider. I enjoyed the listen.

Not revolutionary, but insightful enough

The book may not be a major breakthrough but it's definitely insightful enough to be on your reading list.

The book provides a good review of theories of conspiracy, good examples of conspiracies and analysis of such.

recommend.

Interesting

There is no denying that this is a fascinating book, but it is not the book I expected it to be. Where I was expecting each lecture to be dedicated to a famous conspiracy theory or two, most of the book is dedicated to the psychology of people who believe in conspiracy theories and trying to understand what attracts them to them. It turns out that everyone believes in conspiracy theories of some sort—the political left and right, the rich and the poor, people of every race, people of every religion, the young, the old, and everyone in between. The book is a lot of fun, but you won’t come away knowing a lot more about specific conspiracies and conspiracy theories.

Plots & cabals, real and imagined

This book describes many of the famous conspiracies of history as well as their more interesting conspiracy theories that have captured the popular imagination. It also provides insights into the features of human psychology that even irrational theories so compelling. Best of all we get a handy set of criteria to help us distinguish between real and fanciful conspiracies.

Essential Listening

Very good presentation. Interesting, educational, and thought-provoking. Even more relevant now in 2021 than when this was produced in the early Trump years.