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Books > Reference & Interdisciplinary > Controversial knowledge > Conspiracy theories
* What is the standard view of history is completely wrong? * What if science and writing developed from an advanced prehistoric civilisation in the British Isles? * What is written evidence in the Dead Sea Scrolls records megalithic history and provides the plans for a machine that could rebuild civilisation following a global catastrophe? * And what if Jesus and his brother James were practitioners of megalithic astronomy? In URIEL'S MACHINE Knight & Lomas offer powerful new evidence that our planet was hit by seven mountain-sized lumps of comet, creating a series of giant waves that ripped across the globe. Putting together the latest findings of leading geologists with their own sensational new archaeological discoveries, they show how a civilisation emerged and was able to build an international network of sophisticated astronomical observatories which provided accurate calendars, could measure the diameter of the planet and accurately predict comet impact years in advance. The revelation that this is the true purpose of the great megalithic sites in Western Europe, built long before the Egyptian pyramids.
Conspiracy theorizing (or what Richard Hofstadter famously called
the paranoid style) is an enduring part of American politics. For
such a common feature of the political landscape, there is little
consensus on why conspiratorial beliefs blossom. This is not for
want of attention; large literatures have addressed the phenomenon.
For example, some argue that the causes of conspiracy theories are
psychological, stemming from cognitive quirks, authoritarian
personality traits, or psychopathologies. Sociological arguments
contend that group dynamics and social status drive conspiracy
theorizing. Political scientists argue that institutional power (or
lack thereof) drives people to adopt conspiracy theories.
Philosophers, on the other hand, argue that conspiracy theories
gain traction because of their unique epistemological features,
which allow beliefs to prosper without standards of evidence. Each
of these views provides valuable insights. Conspiracy Theories
brings together these perspectives for students to evaluate their
strengths. While engaging in rich discussion, Conspiracy Theories
rigorously analyzes the most current arguments and evidence while
providing numerous real-world examples so students can
contextualize and visualize the current debates. Each chapter
addresses important current questions, provides conceptual tools,
defines important terms, and introduces the appropriate methods of
analysis. Each chapter concludes with a list of important terms,
questions to spark class discussion, and suggestions for further
reading. The chapters will have boxed text to highlight important
points with anecdotes and quotes.
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