New conspiracism abandons explanatory theory and targets democratic legitimacy

Evidence

Conspiracy theory is not new, of course, but conspiracism today introduces something new—conspiracy without the theory. And the new conspiracism betrays a new destructive impulse: to delegitimate democracy. — Russell Muirhead and Nancy L. Rosenblum, A Lot of People Are Saying, 11

Categorization

• XREF: Distinction between evidence-seeking and pure assertion parallels readings on how discourse practices (misunderstanding, praise, insult) function without truth value. — connects to: New conspiracism abandons evidence while classic conspiracism theorizes it; New conspiracism uniquely harms democracy through both delegitimation and disorientation — Russell Muirhead and Nancy L. Rosenblum, A Lot of People Are Saying: The New…, 32; New conspiracism operates without theory because its sole product is delegitimation — Russell Muirhead and Nancy L. Rosenblum, A Lot of People Are Saying: The New…, 82 (+19 more)

Broader Connections

• New conspiracism abandons evidence while classic conspiracism theorizes it #expands (0.95)
• New conspiracism operates without theory because its sole product is delegitimation #expands (0.90) — Russell Muirhead and Nancy L. Rosenblum, A Lot of People Are Saying, 82
• New conspiracism floats allegations disconnected from observable reality #expands (0.85) — Russell Muirhead and Nancy L. Rosenblum, A Lot of People Are Saying, 64
• New conspiracism differs from classic conspiracy theory in kind #expands (0.85) — Russell Muirhead and Nancy L. Rosenblum, A Lot of People Are Saying, 185
• New conspiracism uniquely harms democracy through both delegitimation and disorientation #complicates (0.80) — Russell Muirhead and Nancy L. Rosenblum, A Lot of People Are Saying, 32
• Compliant elite silence, not belief, enables conspiracism to delegitimize democracy #qualifies (0.75) — Russell Muirhead and Nancy L. Rosenblum, A Lot of People Are Saying, 138