Introduction
“Why Rational People Buy into Conspiracy Theories” is an article by Koerth-Baker. The author gives an explanation of the connections between calamities that take place in the world and shadow forces. For example, Koerth-Baker gives a connection between Boston Marathon and the Tsarnaev brothers. The relationship between scientific research and the psychological theory gives contradicting information that makes rational people believe in conspiracy theories. People who propagate conspiracy theories may fail, but one of them may become plausible under the scientific research. In addition, Koerth-Baker gives examples of the bombing of 9/11 with President Bush and the use of condoms in relation to high spread of HIV in Africa.
Summary
Koerth-Baker’s purpose of writing the article is to provide evidence that conspiracy theories are present and that rational people fall victims to conspiracy theories. The calamities and disasters taking place in the world have different versions of their cause. Scientific research finds the motives behind the calamities. Scientists would like to give evidence on the ways of arriving at the conclusion, whereas psychologists would prove the theory through experiences and previous references. It is normal to have varying results, but it is not fit to correlate the disasters and calamities in the world with shadowy forces.
Believing in more than one conspiracy theory would result in associating every evil act in the world with shadowy forces. The failure to obtain reliable evidence from scientific studies causes a high number of people to believe in conspiracy theories. Rational people believe in the existence of the alternative version of reality from every calamity report in the public gallery. The false allegations have strong relationships with the calamity. Therefore, they win a significant number of rational people. Books on conspiracy theories are increasing in the market. This has led to few speculations. Scientific research suggests that conspiracy books have theories with the aim of convincing the public on the existence of shadowy forces behind every tragedy.
Assessment of Presentation
Koerth-Baker’s information is accurate because she compares psychological information and scientific-based data. Koerth-Baker goes ahead and uses evidence from a book in order to validate the information in her article. She uses Hofstadter’s book that develops narratives from wildest conspiracy theories in order to win the minds of rational thinkers. University polls on the political conspiracy theories form part of the article so as to convince the reader that conspiracy has popular votes than the factual evidence from scientific research. Koerth-Baker is using simple and easy language to understand in order to convince the reader. Koerth-Baker avoids the use of complex psychological terms in order the article can appeal to a wide audience.
References from psychology journals are minimal and she picks only the relevant parts. Koerth-Baker interprets her information in simple and logical English, making it easy to analyze. The interpretation of psychologists’ thoughts is through a brief survey and laboratory studies. The importance of combining the surveys of psychology and scientific evidence is to validate the information in the article. Koerth-Baker makes her arguments logical because she gives factual evidence on conspiracy beliefs and the results of conspiracy theories. She further explains the effects of conspiracy theories in the society.
Response to Content
Koerth-Baker’s arguments on conspiracy theories are true because they correlate with the real events that take place in the world. Conspiracy theories and beliefs are resulting in economic recessions in the developed countries like the US. Investors also believe in conspiracy theories, which results in the creation of fear in making major investments in areas prone to disasters. Political leaders are also victims of conspiracy theories and beliefs. They follow the fallacy of individuals giving claims on the rise or fall of a political party. The intention of individuals making such conspiracy theories is to influence the decision making process of politicians. In addition, people who write about conspiracy theories create fear in prominent people and make them believe in fallacious statements. Terrorist are also happy with the fast rate of acceptance of conspiracy theories. They influence the creation of fallacious statement that results in the generation of conspiracy theories.
Koerth-Baker makes the assumption that all the conspiracy theories are due to bad omen or influence from freemasons, Catholics or Communists. The results from laboratories or scientific research evidence may be true, but lacks proper description, making it lack meaning in the public gallery. False allegations of some groups of people getting involved in conspiracy theories have been on the increase. This has resulted in lack of differentiation between true and false statements. Koerth-Baker arrived at this assumption after discovering a significant number of rational people who believed in conspiracy theories. The explanation of psychologists about the way the mind works is resulting in the brainwashing of intellectuals into conspiracy acceptance.
Conclusion
In conclusion, the article by Koerth-Baker gives evidence on the reasons for stating that rational people have a high tendency of accepting conspiracy theories. The examples from the article factually make the evidence valid. The article has the strength of the evidence of how some conspiracy beliefs become a reality. The weakness of the article is about making an assumption on economists and politicians being the major victims of conspiracy theories.