Changing Conceptions of Conspiracy

by Carl F. Graumann (Editor), Serge Moscovici (Editor)

The contents of the first two volumes were, we gladly admit, at once more familiar and easier to handle. We were concerned with mass and leadership psychology, two factors that we know from social and political life. They have been much studied and we can clearly trace their evolution. However, since actions by masses and leaders also have an intellectual and emotional side, we were obliged, in some way or other, to deal with this topic as well. It was obviously necessary, it seemed to us, to approach this study from a new and significant angle. One cannot escape the realiza tion that "conspiracy theory" has played, and continues to play, a central role in our epoch, and has had very serious consequences. The obsession with conspiracy has spread to such an extent that it continuously crops up at all levels of society. The fol lowing paradox must be striking to anyone: In the past, society was governed by a small number of men, at times by one individual, who, within traditional limits, imposed his will on the multitude. Plots were effective: By eliminating these individuals and their families, one could change the course of events. Today, this is no longer the case. Power is divided among parties and extends throughout society. Power flows, changes hands, and affects opinion, which no one controls and no one represents entirely."

Genres: Psychology, Nonfiction

264 pages, Hardcover

First published June 2, 1987

Reviews

[Lance Polin · Rating 5 out of 5]

To get it out of the way first, a few of the essays in this book are pompous and dull. This does not mean that, even those, do not offer some fascinating tidbits. Overall this is a wonderful collection of what I believe to be very important discussions of the increasingly nervous society we live in, worldwide.

The premise of this book is to offer historical/psychological evalutions of conspiratorial thinking from the time of Christ, up until the Reagan/ Thatcher years. It is a very important study.

Published in 1987 as part of a broader series of investigations into crowd behavior, this book presents a chillingly accurate portrait not just of the past repeating itself, with different names for conspiratorial groups blamed for everything gone wrong in society, but also a remarkably accurate portrait of our contemporary decline in trust, and the addition of new, aggressive, heavily partisan conspiratorial ideologies.

There is very little difference, according to the occasional stiff academics presenting their findings, between those terrified of Knights Templar, witches, freemasons, Zionists, world banking, NWO, Communist subversion, anti-war fanaticism, and QAnon in their approach and beliefs in a one world conspiracy controlling every aspect of existence. It is remarkable to discover just how tightly history repeats itself, albiet with different targets and increasing extremes.

The deep intensity of the work these authors undertook to come to their frightening conclusions on how the world attacks itself, based on selfish resentment and condescending impossibility, is striking. Reading this hit very close to home, myself fanatically (!!!) researching this subject from many different directions. This is an unbelievably important volume on human and organized civilization devouring itself through time/ I understand that this has hardly been read, has been dismissed even from the classrooms it once snuggly fit into (and probably frequently unread there too) It has tragically been lost as a serious understanding of the present day, all those years ago.

This is a great, great book written by people who did not experience, but seemed to understand just how conspiratorial the world was becoming.