Moving beyond debunking conspiracy theories from a narrow epistemic lens: ethical and political implications for education

Abstract

ABSTRACT How should educators deal with conspiracy theories in the classroom, if at all? Do the epistemic deficiencies of some conspiracy theories make them easy prey for debunking? Can the moral and political dangers that certain conspiracy theories pose to democratic societies justify educators avoiding addressing conspiracy theories in the classroom? These questions are at the heart of this essay. Its purpose is to assess both the promises and perils of whether and under which conditions it might be pedagogically productive to address conspiracy theories in the classroom. In particular, it is argued that debunking conspiracy theories in the classroom from a narrow epistemic lens (fact-checking) is not only impossible, but also unproductive. It is suggested that a fruitful trajectory to deal with conspiracy theories is to go beyond treating them merely as a narrow epistemic problem and consider the ethical and political motivations and implications of conspiracy theories.