A conspiracy group’s fictional image can outshine its real tiny history

Evidence

So much mythology has encrusted the Illuminati that their actual history has been obscured, even by scholars. This is a case of the image having achieved greater prominence than the reality of the organization itself—an ultimate though dubious tribute to the infl uence of the genre begun by Robison and Barruel. Distinguishing the image from what it purports to represent is made more diffi cult by the Illuminati’s own penchant for secrecy, its small size, and its brief lifespan. Nonetheless, the broad outlines of its history are reasonably clear. — Michael Barkun, A Culture of Conspiracy, 269

Categorization

• XREF: connects to: Specific fabricated detail confers surface plausibility on conspiracy claims — Michael Barkun, A Culture of Conspiracy: Apocalyptic…, 381; A TV hoax became real to conspiracy theorists who adopted it — Michael Barkun, A Culture of Conspiracy: Apocalyptic…, 314; Conspiracy claims gain credibility by mixing precise detail with untestable vagueness — Michael Barkun, A Culture of Conspiracy: Apocalyptic…, 383

Broader Connections

• Specific fabricated detail confers surface plausibility on conspiracy claims #expands (0.85) — Michael Barkun, A Culture of Conspiracy, 381
• A TV hoax became real to conspiracy theorists who adopted it #exemplifies (0.85) — Michael Barkun, A Culture of Conspiracy, 314
• Conspiracy claims gain credibility by mixing precise detail with untestable vagueness #expands (0.80) — Michael Barkun, A Culture of Conspiracy, 383