[SydPhil] MQ Philosophy Work in Progress Seminar 24th March Adam Piovarchy (Notre Dame)

[Emily Hughes]

Dear all,

You are warmly invited to the next MQ Philosophy Work in Progress (WIP)
seminar which will be given by *Adam Piovarchy (Notre Dame)*

The details are as follows:
Date: Tuesday 24th of March
Time:   13:00-14:00
Room: 17WW 113

*Title: Conspiracy Theories and the Ways of Bayes*

*Abstract:* Is there something epistemically defective about conspiracy
theories as a class? Generalists argue there is something about conspiracy
theories that makes them generally unjustified, unlikely, or less credible
than other kinds of explanations. Particularists, in contrast, deny this.
Because many conspiracy theories are true, just as many non-conspiracy
theories are false, we should evaluate individual conspiracy theories
according to the evidence for each. This paper argues for a defeasible
generalism by taking a closer look at what would count as strong evidence
for or against a conspiracy theory. Using Bayes’ theorem, I illustrate how
several argumentative moves made by both conspiracy theorists and
particularists incur significant costs that are often overlooked. The ease
with which conspiracy theories’ content lends themselves to these moves
leads people to misunderstand when they have evidence for a conspiratorial
hypothesis. Scepticism of conspiracy theories is thus generally warranted
as a corrective to their tendency to be misleadingly convincing.

Please note: this talk assumes some familiarity with Bayes' theorem; any
popular YouTube explainer will suffice.

Further information about the seminar series including the zoom link and
details on future talks can be found at the seminar webpage:
https://url.au.m.mimecastprotect.com/s/AYT4C3QNPBiGpg00qUgfJSQt1w3?domain=mqphilosophy.github.io

We look forward to seeing you there.


*Dr Emily Hughes *(she/her)

ARC Discovery Early Career Research Award (DECRA) Fellow in Philosophy

School of Humanities, Faculty of Arts

Michael Kirby Building, 17 Wally's Walk

Level 2, Room 233

Macquarie University – Wallumattagal Campus, Dharug Country

NSW 2109 Australia

E: emily.hughes at mq.edu.au

W: https://url.au.m.mimecastprotect.com/s/9V8bC4QOPEimB233gHxhOS4Ov4-?domain=researchers.mq.edu.au



*I acknowledge that Macquarie University stands on the land of the Dharug
Nation, land that was never ceded. I pay my respects to the Dharug
people, the Wallumattagal clan, and their Elders past and present. Always
was, always will be, Aboriginal land.*