Research project
Conspiracy, legitimacy and violence
Can conspiracy constructions explain for hatred of the system? And if so, should conspiracy constructions be considered to be a risk in terms of national security?
- Contact
- Jelle van Buuren
- Funding
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University of Leiden (profile area Political Legitimacy) and National Coordinator for Terrorism and Security
This PhD-research project answers these questions by a qualitative case study into digital conspiracy communities in The Netherlands. Conspiracy constructions are understood as coded social critique in which principled questions are being forwarded concerning the legitimacy of the political system and the epistemological regulation in society. Functioning both as a substitute ideology and a substitute religion conspiracy constructions provide a new master narrative that fills up the vacuum created by the post-political constellation of modern Western societies. As conspiracy constructions could function as a device that not only critizes in a fundamental way the legitimacy of the political order but also could entail a spur to violence this research look specificaly into the risks for national security with an emphasis on actions by lone actors.
