This seminar will proceed from a thought experiment: If the conspiracy theory known as QAnon were true, what would political reality have to be like? This makes it possible to outline some basic features that the political world must possess, should some of the things envisioned by QAnon advocates be correct, and highlight how such conspiracist imagines rely on personalistic conceptions of the constitution of political reality. In lieu of a proper conclusion, the presentation will end with a suggestion about how conspiracist imaginaries fit with contemporary political discourse.

Rickard Andersson is a research fellow in political science at the Centre for Theology and Religious Studies, Lund University. He researches political theory and the history of Western political thought, and he is currently involved in a project concerning conspiracy theories and post-truth politics.
 

About the Seminar Series

The seminar series on populism and religion is now organized by the Lund University-based research project Beyond Truth and Lies: Conspiracy Theories, Post-Truth, and the Conditions of Public Debate. This project is an affiliate of the ongoing research program At the End of the World: A Transdisciplinary Approach to the Apocalyptic Imaginary in the Past and Present. The seminar series focuses on the theoretical, philosophical, and theological dimensions of populism, with special attention to how conspiracy theories intersect with populism.

Certain conceptions of politics – including political community, political processes, and political decision-making – characterize typical formulations of populist thought. A fundamental conviction of this seminar series is that we must investigate these conceptions if we want to engage in dialogue that goes beyond plain-sense descriptions of, or explanations for, facts, and which deeply addresses questions about how society is – and ought to be – organized. Conspiracy theories – including corresponding elements of culture that shape and are shaped by conspiracy theories – have become increasingly more public in their significance on politics, political decisions, and political movements. We welcome to our seminars a range of intellectually interested parties to discuss these matters, including senior and junior scholars, doctoral students, and beginners.

Seminars are in English, unless otherwise specified. Seminars are open to the public; you may attend by joining on Zoom.

Zoom link: https://lu-se.zoom.us/j/62645329724