Social fears between science and the culture wars: conspiracy theories during the COVID-19 pandemic

This article looks at the rise of the conspiracy theories during the COVID-19 pandemic. Current social research on conspiracy theories points to two major factors which underline the spread and appeal of conspiracy thinking: social media and the rise of alternative truths; and the rising distrust in science. Both factors, no doubt, contribute to the current "epistemological crisis", but cannot successfully explain a broader "anti-Enlightenment turn". In order to better understand the appeal of conspiracy theories, the author brings into the picture the current rise of radical populism. A comparative look at the two structures of feeling, she argues, allows us to better understand the role of the neoliberal state which has triggered many social fears and, by undermining the idea of the common good, opened up a ground for the polarization of communities.