The Intersections of Conspiracy Theories and Postmodern Thought in the Long 1960s

This article examines the intersections of postmodern thought and conspiracy theories within the context of the "long 1960s" (roughly 1958-1974). I argue that the period’s pervasive skepticism toward grand narratives and authority, fueled by intellectual trends of the era, as well as by c...

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Main Author: Florian Andrei VLAD
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Galati University Press 2025-01-01
Series:ACROSS
Subjects:
Online Access:https://45.76.37.94/index.php/across/article/view/287
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author Florian Andrei VLAD
author_facet Florian Andrei VLAD
author_sort Florian Andrei VLAD
collection DOAJ
description This article examines the intersections of postmodern thought and conspiracy theories within the context of the "long 1960s" (roughly 1958-1974). I argue that the period’s pervasive skepticism toward grand narratives and authority, fueled by intellectual trends of the era, as well as by countercultural movements and by events such as the Vietnam War and the Kennedy assassination, created a fertile ground for the proliferation of conspiracy theories. The analysis also explores how this cultural shift was reflected in literature, including novels by Joseph Heller, Kurt Vonnegut, and Thomas Pynchon, and how this phenomenon remains relevant in the present day, in the context of persisting widespread acceptance of conspiracy theories and distrust of authority.
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spelling doaj-art-f8faeba51f7343439673771c2226e2352025-01-17T07:20:14ZengGalati University PressACROSS2602-14632025-01-0188The Intersections of Conspiracy Theories and Postmodern Thought in the Long 1960sFlorian Andrei VLAD0Ovidius University, Constanța, Romania This article examines the intersections of postmodern thought and conspiracy theories within the context of the "long 1960s" (roughly 1958-1974). I argue that the period’s pervasive skepticism toward grand narratives and authority, fueled by intellectual trends of the era, as well as by countercultural movements and by events such as the Vietnam War and the Kennedy assassination, created a fertile ground for the proliferation of conspiracy theories. The analysis also explores how this cultural shift was reflected in literature, including novels by Joseph Heller, Kurt Vonnegut, and Thomas Pynchon, and how this phenomenon remains relevant in the present day, in the context of persisting widespread acceptance of conspiracy theories and distrust of authority. https://45.76.37.94/index.php/across/article/view/287Long 1960scountercultureconspiracy theoriespostmodernismmetanarratives
spellingShingle Florian Andrei VLAD
The Intersections of Conspiracy Theories and Postmodern Thought in the Long 1960s
ACROSS
Long 1960s
counterculture
conspiracy theories
postmodernism
metanarratives
title The Intersections of Conspiracy Theories and Postmodern Thought in the Long 1960s
title_full The Intersections of Conspiracy Theories and Postmodern Thought in the Long 1960s
title_fullStr The Intersections of Conspiracy Theories and Postmodern Thought in the Long 1960s
title_full_unstemmed The Intersections of Conspiracy Theories and Postmodern Thought in the Long 1960s
title_short The Intersections of Conspiracy Theories and Postmodern Thought in the Long 1960s
title_sort intersections of conspiracy theories and postmodern thought in the long 1960s
topic Long 1960s
counterculture
conspiracy theories
postmodernism
metanarratives
url https://45.76.37.94/index.php/across/article/view/287
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