We have mostly read epistemologist (theorists of knowledge) each of whom talk about how to acquire knowledge. The traditional definition of knowledge (which has known problems) is that knowledge is a justified true belief. A belief that is also knowledge, by definition, must be true (false knowledge is impossible by definition). To say that I believe a statement is just to say that I think that statement describes the way things are. If I believe that the 2020 election was stolen, and you believe that it was not stolen, then one of us must be wrong. Truth/reality is not relative to the individual, but beliefs are. Whether I believe something is something I decide. Most (if not all) epistemologists would say that we have a moral obligation to make sure that our beliefs are not contrary to the available evidence.
In light of our readings in epistemology, I want you to write a paper on conspiracy theories in general and in particular I want you to look at:
• The claim that Biden only won the 2020 election because of fraud.
• The claim that vaccines cause autism or are a way for the government to control us.
During the course of your paper you must address the following issues:
Do People have a moral obligation to make sure that all of their beliefs are reasonable?
Does an individual’s belief about a vaccine being dangerous endanger other people?
Does an individual’s belief that the 2020 election was stolen potentially harm other people?
Is there good evidence that the outcome of the 2020 election was determined by fraud?
What evidence can you find about whether the 2020 elections were conducted fairly? (Do some searching for evidence about the reliability of the 2020 results and report on what you found).
Is a person who believes that the 2020 election was determined by fraud being irresponsible?
Is there good evidence for believing that vaccines cause autism?
What would good evidence for vaccines causing autism look like?
For both conspiracy theories (the claim that the 2020 election was stolen and the claim that vaccines cause autism) who has the burden of proof? Does one side have a greater obligation to produce evidence than the other?
Descartes:
How much evidence would Descartes think is required for forming a belief?
What would Descartes say about the belief that the 2020 election was stolen?
What would he say about people who believe that vaccines cause autism?
Hume:
David Hume, in the Enquiry Concerning Human Understanding says that it is impossible to be certain of a ‘matter of fact.’ Does this sort of claim make a belief, such as the 2020 election was stolen or the QAnon claim that our country is run by cannibalistic pedophiles reasonable?
In section 12 Hume talks about dogmatists and skeptics. Would those believing that vaccines cause autism or that the 2020 election was stolen look more like skeptics or dogmatists?
Looking at Hume’s discussion of miracles, what might he say about whether it is rational to believe the stolen election conspiracy or that vaccines cause autism?
Plato:
Is Socrates right that we ought to live examined lives? (That an unexamined life is not worthy of a human being?) Would a person living an examined life believe that the 2020 election was stolen? Explain.
