In Defence of Conspiracy Theories: with Examples from Irish and International History and Politics by Brian Nugent

With the onset of mainstream media, conspiracy theories are becoming more and more prominent in this day and age. Instead of being able to rely on news reports and television to give the public the truth, it’s being used as an avenue to promote widespread fallacy. This is the complexity that we are faced with today. Society has lost its ability to discern fact from fiction, due to heavy reliability on media. This is precisely what Nugent addresses in his book, In Defence of Conspiracy Theories. What’s brilliant about Nugent’s arguments is that he relates today’s events with historical data and occurrences. Due to his specialization in Irish history and politics, he’s able to instantly see the connection between then and now.

Conspiracy theories and secret groups did not just sprout with the introduction of mainstream media. They are also found in history. As Nugent cites, there was the 1641 Rebellion, the 1919-21 British Intelligence manipulation of Irish leaders, some occult organizations and secret societies, and much more. All these were intricate political plots that aimed to dupe the public and keep them in the dark. The author does a fine job at tracing these events to the present times, and questions the values of Western society in terms of politics and governance. If you’re a reader who’s out to find the most sensational myths or debunk outlandish theories, this is not something for you to pick up. Only those with a genuine interest in history, and an intellectual capability to discern present day conspiracy possibilities, will benefit from the thoughts that Nugent presents.