<div dir="ltr"><div><div style="border:0px;font-style:inherit;font-variant:inherit;font-weight:inherit;font-stretch:inherit;font-size:12pt;line-height:inherit;font-family:Aptos,Aptos_EmbeddedFont,Aptos_MSFontService,Calibri,Helvetica,sans-serif;font-size-adjust:inherit;font-kerning:inherit;font-feature-settings:inherit;margin:0px;padding:0px;vertical-align:baseline;color:rgb(0,0,0)">Dear colleagues,</div><div style="border:0px;font-style:inherit;font-variant:inherit;font-weight:inherit;font-stretch:inherit;font-size:12pt;line-height:inherit;font-family:Aptos,Aptos_EmbeddedFont,Aptos_MSFontService,Calibri,Helvetica,sans-serif;font-size-adjust:inherit;font-kerning:inherit;font-feature-settings:inherit;margin:0px;padding:0px;vertical-align:baseline;color:rgb(0,0,0)"><br></div><div style="border:0px;font-style:inherit;font-variant:inherit;font-weight:inherit;font-stretch:inherit;font-size:12pt;line-height:inherit;font-family:Aptos,Aptos_EmbeddedFont,Aptos_MSFontService,Calibri,Helvetica,sans-serif;font-size-adjust:inherit;font-kerning:inherit;font-feature-settings:inherit;margin:0px;padding:0px;vertical-align:baseline;color:rgb(0,0,0)">I hope you're well.</div><div style="border:0px;font-style:inherit;font-variant:inherit;font-weight:inherit;font-stretch:inherit;font-size:12pt;line-height:inherit;font-family:Aptos,Aptos_EmbeddedFont,Aptos_MSFontService,Calibri,Helvetica,sans-serif;font-size-adjust:inherit;font-kerning:inherit;font-feature-settings:inherit;margin:0px;padding:0px;vertical-align:baseline;color:rgb(0,0,0)"><br></div><div style="border:0px;font-style:inherit;font-variant:inherit;font-weight:inherit;font-stretch:inherit;font-size:12pt;line-height:inherit;font-family:Aptos,Aptos_EmbeddedFont,Aptos_MSFontService,Calibri,Helvetica,sans-serif;font-size-adjust:inherit;font-kerning:inherit;font-feature-settings:inherit;margin:0px;padding:0px;vertical-align:baseline;color:rgb(0,0,0)">I'm writing to invite you to the philosophy work-in-progress talks this semester, which begin on February 25. As usual, talks will be from 1 PM to 2 PM, followed by informal tea with the speaker. Unlike last year, we are mostly holding the talks in 17 Wally's Walk, room 117. A couple of talks will be in the Moot Court, as indicated on the WIP website. One will also be zoom-only. (Ines Hipolito is working on setting up the zoom link for these meetings, so you can expect to hear from her in a follow-up email.)</div><div style="border:0px;font-style:inherit;font-variant:inherit;font-weight:inherit;font-stretch:inherit;font-size:12pt;line-height:inherit;font-family:Aptos,Aptos_EmbeddedFont,Aptos_MSFontService,Calibri,Helvetica,sans-serif;font-size-adjust:inherit;font-kerning:inherit;font-feature-settings:inherit;margin:0px;padding:0px;vertical-align:baseline;color:rgb(0,0,0)"><br></div><div style="border:0px;font-style:inherit;font-variant:inherit;font-weight:inherit;font-stretch:inherit;font-size:12pt;line-height:inherit;font-family:Aptos,Aptos_EmbeddedFont,Aptos_MSFontService,Calibri,Helvetica,sans-serif;font-size-adjust:inherit;font-kerning:inherit;font-feature-settings:inherit;margin:0px;padding:0px;vertical-align:baseline;color:rgb(0,0,0)">You can keep track of speakers, titles, abstracts, and rooms at this website: <a href="https://url.au.m.mimecastprotect.com/s/b-osC5QPXJiWE4Zo6uzf2TkaAVD?domain=raphael-milliere.github.io/" id="gmail-LPlnk319440" style="border:0px;font:inherit;margin:0px;padding:0px;vertical-align:baseline">https://raphael-milliere.github.io/wip-seminars/</a></div><div style="border:0px;font-style:inherit;font-variant:inherit;font-weight:inherit;font-stretch:inherit;font-size:12pt;line-height:inherit;font-family:Aptos,Aptos_EmbeddedFont,Aptos_MSFontService,Calibri,Helvetica,sans-serif;font-size-adjust:inherit;font-kerning:inherit;font-feature-settings:inherit;margin:0px;padding:0px;vertical-align:baseline;color:rgb(0,0,0)"><br></div><div style="border:0px;font-style:inherit;font-variant:inherit;font-weight:inherit;font-stretch:inherit;font-size:12pt;line-height:inherit;font-family:Aptos,Aptos_EmbeddedFont,Aptos_MSFontService,Calibri,Helvetica,sans-serif;font-size-adjust:inherit;font-kerning:inherit;font-feature-settings:inherit;margin:0px;padding:0px;vertical-align:baseline;color:rgb(0,0,0)">I will update the TBA items as we receive more information.</div><div style="border:0px;font-style:inherit;font-variant:inherit;font-weight:inherit;font-stretch:inherit;font-size:12pt;line-height:inherit;font-family:Aptos,Aptos_EmbeddedFont,Aptos_MSFontService,Calibri,Helvetica,sans-serif;font-size-adjust:inherit;font-kerning:inherit;font-feature-settings:inherit;margin:0px;padding:0px;vertical-align:baseline;color:rgb(0,0,0)"><br></div><div style="border:0px;font-style:inherit;font-variant:inherit;font-weight:inherit;font-stretch:inherit;font-size:12pt;line-height:inherit;font-family:Aptos,Aptos_EmbeddedFont,Aptos_MSFontService,Calibri,Helvetica,sans-serif;font-size-adjust:inherit;font-kerning:inherit;font-feature-settings:inherit;margin:0px;padding:0px;vertical-align:baseline;color:rgb(0,0,0)">Our first speaker is Melina Tsapos, who is visiting Sydney from Lund University.</div><div style="border:0px;font-style:inherit;font-variant:inherit;font-weight:inherit;font-stretch:inherit;font-size:12pt;line-height:inherit;font-family:Aptos,Aptos_EmbeddedFont,Aptos_MSFontService,Calibri,Helvetica,sans-serif;font-size-adjust:inherit;font-kerning:inherit;font-feature-settings:inherit;margin:0px;padding:0px;vertical-align:baseline;color:rgb(0,0,0)"><br></div><div style="border:0px;font-style:inherit;font-variant:inherit;font-weight:inherit;font-stretch:inherit;font-size:12pt;line-height:inherit;font-family:Aptos,Aptos_EmbeddedFont,Aptos_MSFontService,Calibri,Helvetica,sans-serif;font-size-adjust:inherit;font-kerning:inherit;font-feature-settings:inherit;margin:0px;padding:0px;vertical-align:baseline;color:rgb(0,0,0)">Here's a preview of her talk:</div><div style="border:0px;font-style:inherit;font-variant:inherit;font-weight:inherit;font-stretch:inherit;font-size:12pt;line-height:inherit;font-family:Aptos,Aptos_EmbeddedFont,Aptos_MSFontService,Calibri,Helvetica,sans-serif;font-size-adjust:inherit;font-kerning:inherit;font-feature-settings:inherit;margin:0px;padding:0px;vertical-align:baseline;color:rgb(0,0,0)"><br></div><div style="border:0px;font-style:inherit;font-variant:inherit;font-weight:inherit;font-stretch:inherit;font-size:12pt;line-height:1.1;font-family:Aptos,Aptos_EmbeddedFont,Aptos_MSFontService,Calibri,Helvetica,sans-serif;font-size-adjust:inherit;font-kerning:inherit;font-feature-settings:inherit;margin:0px 0px 20px;padding:0px;vertical-align:baseline;color:rgb(0,0,0)"><b>What is Interesting about Conspiracy Theories?</b></div><div style="border:0px;font-style:inherit;font-variant:inherit;font-weight:inherit;font-stretch:inherit;font-size:12pt;line-height:inherit;font-family:Aptos,Aptos_EmbeddedFont,Aptos_MSFontService,Calibri,Helvetica,sans-serif;font-size-adjust:inherit;font-kerning:inherit;font-feature-settings:inherit;margin:0px 0px 20px;padding:0px;vertical-align:baseline;color:rgb(0,0,0)">A central debate in conspiracy theory research concerns how to conceptualize conspiracy theories in a way that advances our understanding of the phenomena and those who believe in them. This debate remains unresolved, with researchers adopting widely different positions: while some argue for a purely descriptive understanding, others seem strongly committed to the view that conspiracy theories are, or can be shown to be, inherently irrational. This paper reconstructs the controversy, arguing that it stems from two distinct scholarly motives: to attain objective knowledge of the phenomena in question versus to defend beliefs and norms that are part of the researcher’s own cultural context. By examining the epistemological and methodological challenges in this field, I highlight how competing frameworks—normative cultural biases versus objective scientific inquiry—shape our understanding of rational belief. When cultural biases influence research, they risk narrowing its scope and undermining the development of a comprehensive understanding of conspiracy theories. Ultimately, even proponents of normative cultural approaches can acknowledge that such perspectives fail to capture the full complexity and significance of these phenomena.</div><div style="border:0px;font-style:inherit;font-variant:inherit;font-weight:inherit;font-stretch:inherit;font-size:12pt;line-height:inherit;font-family:Aptos,Aptos_EmbeddedFont,Aptos_MSFontService,Calibri,Helvetica,sans-serif;font-size-adjust:inherit;font-kerning:inherit;font-feature-settings:inherit;margin:0px;padding:0px;vertical-align:baseline;color:rgb(0,0,0)">I hope to see you there!</div><div style="border:0px;font-style:inherit;font-variant:inherit;font-weight:inherit;font-stretch:inherit;font-size:12pt;line-height:inherit;font-family:Aptos,Aptos_EmbeddedFont,Aptos_MSFontService,Calibri,Helvetica,sans-serif;font-size-adjust:inherit;font-kerning:inherit;font-feature-settings:inherit;margin:0px;padding:0px;vertical-align:baseline;color:rgb(0,0,0)"><br></div><div style="border:0px;font-style:inherit;font-variant:inherit;font-weight:inherit;font-stretch:inherit;font-size:12pt;line-height:inherit;font-family:Aptos,Aptos_EmbeddedFont,Aptos_MSFontService,Calibri,Helvetica,sans-serif;font-size-adjust:inherit;font-kerning:inherit;font-feature-settings:inherit;margin:0px;padding:0px;vertical-align:baseline;color:rgb(0,0,0)">Best wishes,</div><div style="border:0px;font-style:inherit;font-variant:inherit;font-weight:inherit;font-stretch:inherit;font-size:12pt;line-height:inherit;font-family:Aptos,Aptos_EmbeddedFont,Aptos_MSFontService,Calibri,Helvetica,sans-serif;font-size-adjust:inherit;font-kerning:inherit;font-feature-settings:inherit;margin:0px;padding:0px;vertical-align:baseline;color:rgb(0,0,0)"><br></div><div style="border:0px;font-style:inherit;font-variant:inherit;font-weight:inherit;font-stretch:inherit;font-size:12pt;line-height:inherit;font-family:Aptos,Aptos_EmbeddedFont,Aptos_MSFontService,Calibri,Helvetica,sans-serif;font-size-adjust:inherit;font-kerning:inherit;font-feature-settings:inherit;margin:0px;padding:0px;vertical-align:baseline;color:rgb(0,0,0)">Mark (& Ines)</div><div style="border:0px;font-style:inherit;font-variant:inherit;font-weight:inherit;font-stretch:inherit;font-size:12pt;line-height:inherit;font-family:Aptos,Aptos_EmbeddedFont,Aptos_MSFontService,Calibri,Helvetica,sans-serif;font-size-adjust:inherit;font-kerning:inherit;font-feature-settings:inherit;margin:0px;padding:0px;vertical-align:baseline;color:rgb(0,0,0)"><br></div></div><div><br></div><span class="gmail_signature_prefix">-- </span><br><div dir="ltr" class="gmail_signature" data-smartmail="gmail_signature"><div dir="ltr"><div><div dir="ltr"><div><div dir="ltr"><div><div dir="ltr"><div dir="ltr"><div>Mark Alfano<br>Philosophy, Macquarie University</div><div><a href="https://url.au.m.mimecastprotect.com/s/1Ta_C6XQ4LfGz8rEyh6hwT52Dtk?domain=alfanophilosophy.com" target="_blank">www.alfanophilosophy.com</a></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div>