Who doesn’t believe in conspiracy theories?

Melina Tsapos (Lund University)

I would like to draw your attention to the following online philosophy seminar series, hosting by the Center for International Philosophy at Beijing Normal University at Zhuhai this semester.

On November 13th, 7pm China Standard Time, Melina Tsapos (Lund), will be presenting a talk titled "Who doesn’t believe in conspiracy theories?."

Attendance is free.

Please register for the event by sending an email to [email protected] for the Zoom link and password.

Abstract: Who doesn’t believe in conspiracy theories? This deceptively simple question exposes a tension within social epistemology. Explanations that contradict recognized epistemic authorities are often dismissed as ‘conspiracy theories'. Yet, if knowledge is radically social—requiring immersion within epistemic communities—then those who reject these authorities are excluded from the very networks that enable genuine inquiry. Conversely, social immersion itself can distort knowledge, as seen in echo chambers where trust is restricted to insiders and dissenting views are discredited. This creates a social epistemic dilemma: both the believer in conspiracy theories and the non-believer risk epistemic limitation, each constrained by their own social environment. I argue that this dilemma reveals a lacuna in our understanding of epistemic evaluation. After examining strategies grounded in epistemic virtues and trust, I propose that shared procedural standards—rather than fixed authorities—offer a path toward more reliable epistemic practice (in our evaluation of conspiracy theories). 

Bio: Melina Tsapos is a researcher in Theoretical Philosophy at Lund University. Her work focuses on epistemology and the philosophy of mind, with a special emphasis on conspiracy theories, belief formation, and predictive processing. She recently completed her doctoral thesis, Dimensions of Conspiracy, which develops a new framework for understanding the cognitive and epistemic standing of conspiracy theories.

The respondent for the talk is Lucien Baumgartner (University of Zürich).

The meeting time is the 13th of November, 7pm China Standard Time [11am GMT, November 13th]

Meeting time in other timezones:

• 12am New Zealand Standard Time
• 6am Eastern Standard Time