Who Coined The Phrase Conspiracy Theorist?

The term “conspiracy theory” and “conspiracy theorist” were created by the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) in 1967 to disqualify those who questioned the official version of John F. Kennedy’s assassination. The CIA released a dispatch in 1967 that coined the label to attack anyone who challenged the official narrative from the Warren Commission. Conspiracy theories thrive in societies in upheaval, with poor education systems, disaffected populations, and low social capital.

The term “conspiracy theory” was popularized by philosopher Sir Karl Popper in the 1950s, and it has had a bad reputation since its first popularization in the 1950s. The term proliferates in newspapers from the 1870s onward, particularly after the assassination of President Garfield in July 1881. Politicians use the term to mock and dismiss allegations against them, while philosophers and political scientists warn that it could be used as a rhetorical weapon.

Conspiration theories have a long history, but the actual term emerged much more recently. Politicians use it to mock and dismiss allegations against them, while philosophers and political scientists warn that it could be used as a rhetorical weapon. Since the Warren Commission concluded that a lone gunman assassinated President John F. Kennedy, people who doubt that finding have been widely discredited.

Conspiration theories often incorporate elements from pseudoscience, such as employing scientific terms or referring to data, research, sources, and other sources.