Course Syllabus
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Conspiracy Theories and Historical Controversies A |
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Source: Wikimedia Commons (public domain).
| Semester & Location: |
Spring 2025 - DIS Copenhagen |
| Type & Credits: |
Elective Course - 3 credits |
| Major Disciplines: |
History, International Relations, Political Science |
| Prerequisite: |
None |
| Faculty Members: |
Miłosz Jeromin Cordes, PhD - current students use Canvas inbox |
| Time & Place: |
Monday & Thursday 10:05-11:25 Classroom: N7-C23 |
Description of Course
In 1964, American historian Richard Hofstadter identified conspiracy theories and the ‘paranoid style’ as an endemic part of US history and politics. Since then, this paranoid view of the world has grown exponentially, largely because of the Internet where ideas can now reach millions, allowing new communities of like-minded conspiracy believers to blossom overnight. The origins of these phenomena in the Western culture, however, are rooted in Europe starting at least from the Middle Ages.
Conspiracy theories can be defined as secret plots by powerful people or organisations to carry out (usually sinister) goals. Dealing with the public’s widespread belief in such nefarious narratives has presented journalists, historians, and scientists with a growing challenge. When it becomes a global trend to explain major events by referring to conspiracy theories, however far-fetched these may seem, that trend requires a thorough examination.
The course focuses on conspiracy theories in the European context and will address both their historical roots and their contemporary dimension. It will seeks to trace back such long-lasting phenomena as belief that certain minorities have a dominating influence on whole countries and societies, fear of modern technologies and aggression towards the Other. It also aims at bridging the longue durée of conspiracy theories with the so-called late (post-, liquid) modernity and other changes the Western societies have undergone.
Contents of the course should not only help understand the reasons for people believing in conspiracies, but also for incorporating those beliefs in their political decisions. By doing so, the course provides insights into the rise of right-wing populist parties across Europe, tensions between the West and Russia, as well as the crisis of liberal democracy in a number of European nation-states.
By the end of the semester, we will see how these phenomena relate to contemporary conspiracy theories in the United States.
The course is divided into four modules and the final group project:
1) The Other: approaches to those defined as different across centuries.
2) Paranoia: historical cases of orchestrated actions towards individuals and groups of people based on arbitrary criteria.
3) Consequences of Progress: contradictions between technological advancement and human way of thinking.
4) Final Project: workshop about designing and the actual creation of board games.
4) Late modernity (from 1960s onwards). Key notions: late/fluid/post-modernity, digitalisation, cultural revolution, information revolution, globalisation, global tourists and nomads.
5) Final project: conspiracy theories board game.
Learning Objectives
The course:
1) provides historical and theoretical background for understanding the emergence and development of both current and past conspiracy theories,
2) explains the role of conspiracy theories in the European context and their influence on European politics and societies;
3) stimulates critical, analytical thinking about the topic;
4) see linkages between contemporary conspiracies in the U.S. and their origins in European culture.
After finishing the course, students should have an overall understanding of the methods and problems of studying history and current events, as well as an ability to analyse specific conspiracy theories and historical controversies.
Faculty
Miłosz J. Cordes
PhD in Cultural Studies, MA in East-European Cultural Studies & International Relations, BA in History & International Relations. Consultant at the Danish Institute of International Studies (2023). Research Fellow at the Danish Foreign Policy Society (2021-2023), Post-Doc Researcher at Lund University (2022-2023). Benjamin Franklin Transatlantic Fellow (2006). Member of the Polish U.S. Alumni Association and the Association for the Advancement of Baltic Studies.
Miłosz spent 10 years in the Polish diplomatic service. He served as Vice-Consul at Poland's Consulate General in Kaliningrad (2018-2021), Second Secretary at Poland's Permanent Representation to the European Union (2016-2018), Second Secretary & Specialist at Poland's Ministry of Foreign Affairs' (2012-2016). He assisted the Maltese Presidency in the EU Council in affairs related to Eastern Europe, South Caucasus and Central Asia.
Miłosz's research interests cover politics of memory, nationalism & populism in Central and Eastern Europe, the Baltic Sea Region, as well as the West-Russia relations. He has published over 30 articles in international journals and is now working on his book about collective memory in post-Soviet Kaliningrad Oblast.
Selected readings
- David Aaronovitch. 2010. Voodoo Histories: How Conspiracy Theory has shaped Modern History.
- Anastasiya Astapova, Onoriu Colăcel, Corneliu Pintilescu and Tamás Scheibner (eds.). 2021. Conspiracy theories in Eastern Europe : tropes and trends, Abingdon, Oxon; New York, NY: Routledge.
- Michael Butter and Peter Knight (eds.). 2020. Routledge handbook of conspiracy theories, Abingdon, Oxon; New York, NY: Routledge.
- Precious N Chatterje-Doody. 2022. Russia Today and Conspiracy Theories. People, Power and Politics on RT, London & New York, NY: Routledge.
- Matthew Dentith. 2014. The Philosophy of Conspiracy Theories, Palgrave Macmillan.
- Will Eisner, 2006. The Plot: The Secret Story of the Protocols of the Elders of Zion, WW Norton.
- European Commission. nd. Identifying conspiracy theories. https://commission.europa.eu/strategy-and-policy/coronavirus-response/fighting-disinformation/identifying-conspiracy-theories_en [together with infographics and additional materials]
- Hargrave, Kiran Millwood. 2021. The Mercies. London: Pan Macmillan.
- Stephen Kotkin. 1992. Steeltown, USSR. Soviet Society in the Gorbachev Era, University of California Press.
- Farhad Manjoo. 2008. True Enough: Learning to Live in a Post-Fact Society, John Wiley & Sons.
- Arthur Miller. nd. The Crucible. https://dn790003.ca.archive.org/0/items/TheCrucibleFullText/The%20Crucible%20full%20text.pdf
- Andreas Önnerfors, André Krouwel (eds.). 2021. Europe: Continent of Conspiracies Conspiracy Theories in and about Europe, London: Routledge.
- Alexandr Pushkin, Boris Godunov. A Drama in Verse. Translated by Alfred Hayes. https://www.gutenberg.org/files/5089/5089-h/5089-h.htm
- Joseph E. Uscinski (ed.). 2018. Conspiracy Theories and the People Who Believe Them, Oxford University Press.
- Ilya Yablokov. 2018. Fortress Russia. Conspiracy Theories in the Post-Soviet World. Polity Press.
- John C. Zimmerman. 2000. Holocaust Denial: Demographics, Testimonies and Ideologies, University of America Press.
Other readings, podcasts and audiovisual material will be added throughout the course.
Approach to Teaching
In this course, we will utilise an eclectic mix of lecturing, thematic video clips, group research work, and discussions, as well as individual and group presentations in class.
Expectations of the Students
Students are expected to have completed the reading prior to each class and to arrive with notes and questions to promote discussion. This will give us material to generate an in-depth conversation. We will discuss mutual expectations and define ‘active participation’ in more detail during the first class.
To facilitate communication between me and the group, we will elect two class representatives at the beginning of the semester. We will discuss the representatives' role during our first meeting.
Evaluation
| Assignment |
Percent |
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| Class attendance (roll call) |
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15% |
| Active class participation |
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15% |
| Activities throughout the semester, including: |
|
70% |
| Short assignment during the semester (at least 2 persons per assignment) |
20% |
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| Reflection paper (1,200 words; 2 persons per paper) |
20% |
|
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Board game final project |
30% |
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Active class participation is essential for those students who seek to receive an overall A grade.
Academic Regulations
Please make sure to read the Academic Regulations on the DIS website. There you will find regulations on:
DIS - Study Abroad in Scandinavia - www.DISabroad.org
Course Summary:
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