Positive Warrant for Skepticism in Public Institutions


Basham's Positive Warrant


Basham argues that positive warrant places conspiracy theories in a new “league.” He says that “in our personal lives most of all of us have encountered the existence of treacherous disloyalties, conspiratorial sexual infidelities, carefully crafted business betrayals..”(271). Positive-warrant is what warrants us to be justifiably skeptical about public institutions. During his explanation, he says that the government’s security agency “engage in ruthless manipulation to achieve their ends” (271). Because we are used to people in power,completing secrets acts used to benefit themselves, then it is warranted for them to be accepting of certain conspiracy theories.


Positive Warrant with Conspiracy Theories


Basham uses this definition of positive warrant in order to show that our trust for systems are “thin at best” (275). However, Basham quotes Keeley and says that “such a system cannot be controlled because the world as we understand it today is made up of an extremely large number of interacting agents.” Because the conspiracy involves more than one agent, it is hard to place all of their intentions in one bucket and then successfully prove how they controlled a large event that impacted the country or world. Basham says that even though some conspiracies are warranted through our knowledge of corrupt institutions; we should steer clear of making a stance on the conspiracy theories. Conspiracy theories blocks us from seeing the good the world has to offer. While it might be true that people have positive warrant to believe that agents are being deceitful, there is nothing we can do about it according to Basham.

Bibliography
1. Keeley, Brian L. “Brian L. Keeley, Of Conspiracy Theories.” PhilPapers, 1 Jan. 1999, philpapers.org/rec/KEEOCT.
2. Basham, Lee. “Lee Basham, Living with the Conspiracy.” PhilPapers, 1 Jan. 1970, philpapers.org/rec/BASLWT-2.
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