Nope, It Was Always Already

New Post Public Reply Private Reply Replies (2) Message Board

Mar 1, 2018 at 11:27 PM 271

Quote:

Nope, It Was Always Already Wrong

https://www.csicop.org/specialarticles/show/n...eady_wrong

Please, please, please, tell me, that you were out sick that day in grammar school when......

Quote:

Late Middle English: from Anglo-Norman French conspiracie, alteration of Old French conspiration, based on Latin conspirare ‘agree, plot’

No? Then somewhere along the checkered way of what passed for your formal education, surely?

So, no. The CIA did not invent the word “conspiracy theorist.” But this made me wonder how far back I could push the use of a term like “conspiracy theory.” Using the OED to date vocabulary is a dodgy proposition. The oldest example you are likely to find in an OED definition is unlikely to be the first time the word was used. It might not even be the first time that the word was written down. It just happens to be the oldest example that the dictionary’s lexicographers have found.

Nonetheless, we’ll use the OED as a starting point and just be confident that the word has to be at least as old as the first example found there.

The earliest appearance of “conspiracy theory’ in the OED goes as far back as 1909 to an article from the American Historical Review:

Amer. Hist. Rev. 14 836 The claim that Atchison was the originator of the repeal may be termed a recrudescence of the conspiracy theory first asserted by Colonel John A. Parker of Virginia in 1880.

This sentence appears in Allen Johnson’s review of P. Ormon Ray’s The Repeal of the Missouri Compromise: Its Origin and Authorship. The sentence that follows it makes quite clear that the phrase is being used in the modern sense: “No new manuscript material has been found to support the theory, but the available bits of evidence have been collated carefully in this volume” (836).

Tweet Email The Conspiracy Guy

https://www.csicop.org/specialarticles/show/n...eady_wrong

Robert Blaskiewicz
August 8, 2013

Recently, the claim that the phrase “conspiracy theory” was popularized in the 1960s by the CIA to discredit those who dared to question the Warren Commission has been popping up in the conspiracy-o-sphere. From the original PsyOp, so the story goes, the application of the phrase spread to encompass all sorts of nefarious doings, and now people reflexively think that all conspiracy theorists are crazy. The first version that I heard, in fact, was the claim that the term was actually invented in the 1960s, and that grabbed my attention. Really? Never appeared before the 1960s?

An infuriating feature of conspiracy theory is its propensity to take the standard of evidence that skeptics value so highly and turn it on its head: extraordinary claims no longer require extraordinary evidence; rather an extraordinary lack of evidence is thought to validate the extraordinariness of the conspiracy. It is thinking just gone wrong.

Worse still, disconfirming evidence becomes evidence in favor of the conspiracy. I strongly suspect that the “the phrase ‘conspiracy theory’ was invented by the CIA” gambit is a fairly radical extension of this tendency, that the mere fact that so many people recognize that conspiracy theorizing is a futile and intellectually unproductive exercise is only more proof to the conspiracy theorists that they are really onto something.

So, no. The CIA did not invent the word “conspiracy theorist.” But this made me wonder how far back I could push the use of a term like “conspiracy theory.” Using the OED to date vocabulary is a dodgy proposition. The oldest example you are likely to find in an OED definition is unlikely to be the first time the word was used. It might not even be the first time that the word was written down. It just happens to be the oldest example that the dictionary’s lexicographers have found. Nonetheless, we’ll use the OED as a starting point and just be confident that the word has to be at least as old as the first example found there.

The earliest appearance of “conspiracy theory’ in the OED goes as far back as 1909 to an article from the American Historical Review:

Amer. Hist. Rev. 14 836 The claim that Atchison was the originator of the repeal may be termed a recrudescence of the conspiracy theory first asserted by Colonel John A. Parker of Virginia in 1880.

This sentence appears in Allen Johnson’s review of P. Ormon Ray’s The Repeal of the Missouri Compromise: Its Origin and Authorship. The sentence that follows it makes quite clear that the phrase is being used in the modern sense: “No new manuscript material has been found to support the theory, but the available bits of evidence have been collated carefully in this volume” (836).

This use of conspiracy theory, I think, is recognizable with our contemporary understanding.

What is clear is that “conspiracy theory” has always been a disparaging term. While proponents of alternative knowledge are correct in asserting that it is possible to unfairly discredit someone by calling them a “conspiracy theorist,” they must also remember that just because you are called a conspiracy theorist doesn’t mean you aren’t one.

Newer

Older

Scroll down for more posts ▼

Top 10 Most Recent News Articles

BJ's Brews a New Dessert Innovation with Pizookie

Banana Bread Meets Nutella in BJ's Latest Pizookie Right off the bat, let's cut to the heart of this dessert innovation. BJ's Restaurant & Brewhouse, traded under NASDAQ:BJRI, has fired up its dessert menu with something new: the Nutella® Gone Bananas Pizookie®. This isn't just another sweet treat—it’s a bold move, and if you're wondering why, you're in good...

Palmetto Publishing's M&A Guide Aims to Boost Home Services

Palmetto's New Release: Mergers & Acquisitions Focus Man, Palmetto Publishing just dropped a bombshell for home services aficionados with their latest M&A guide. Now, if you’re like me, swimming in stocks and always looking for that next big exit play, this one’s tailor-made for you. Mergers and acquisitions might not sound as flashy as the tech darlings or...

Sweco: Europe’s Water Resilience Faces Tough Challenges

Tackling Europe's Water Resilience Ah, water infrastructure—it's that unglamorous pillar we often overlook until nature reminds us of its importance, sometimes with a swift, wet slap across the face. Sweco's recent report might not grab flashy headlines, but it's a good reminder for Europe that smarter investments in water resilience ain't just good advice; it's a damn...

Bitcoin Mortgages: APX Ushers in New Canadian Era

Bitcoin Meets Canadian Mortgages: A Game Changer? Here's a scenario you didn't see coming: Bitcoin, the digital darling of the new millennium, now backing Canadian mortgages. If that doesn't get your financial senses tingling, maybe you haven't been paying attention. APX Lending, a pioneer in digital-asset-backed lending, is kicking open the doors to a fresh financial...

JELD-WEN Kicks Off 2027 Senior Notes Exchange

By Caleb Price Updated Oct 28, 2026 Category News Views 164

A Fresh Play: Swapping Old for New With a fresh brew in hand and the latest company maneuvers on the table, JELD-WEN's move to exchange its 4.875% Senior Notes due 2027 for new secured notes maturing in 2031 comes into focus. This ain't just some routine shuffling of papers. They're calling up eligible folks holding onto those old notes, saying, 'Why stick with the old...

CashNetUSA Faces Class Action Over Exploitative Rates

High-Risk Lending Meets Military Protections Ever seen a seemingly legal scheme that just leaves a sour taste? That's the vibe with CashNetUSA right now. They've landed in the hot seat over allegedly sky-high interest rates served up to folks who put on a uniform. We're talking about a proposed nationwide class action lawsuit accusing the lender of giving active-duty...

Navigating Commercial Leases: Insights from Brandon McClain

Beyond the Monthly Rent: Real Lease Considerations When it comes to picking out a commercial space, folks, we ain't just talking square footage and what's scribbled under monthly rent. There's a whole roster of stuff businesses need to vet before getting ink on that dotted line. This ain't just about signing a lease—it's sizing up whether a property plays ball with your...

HiTHIUM Powers Up Australia's Energy Storage Future

Just imagine, folks, a slice of the energy world reshaping right under our feet in good ol' Australia. That's the buzz HiTHIUM sparked at All Energy Australia as they showcased their fancy ?Power 6.9MWh, 8-hour long-duration battery storage system (BESS). It wasn’t just about the tech superiority but the strategic planting of stakes in the local energy market....

Victory Gala Honors Heroes, Raises Over $500K

A Night Celebrating Service and Sacrifice You know, in times like these, it’s refreshing to see events that focus on giving back rather than taking everything to the bank. Victory Home Remodeling, along with its nonprofit arm, the Victory Foundation, recently hosted their second annual gala in Woodland Park, New Jersey to give some much-needed limelight to those who put...

New Era at Farah & Farah: Layla Farah Joins Firm

Expanding the Family Legacy In the bustling city of Jacksonville, a fresh breeze has swept the corridors of the longtime legal fortress, Farah & Farah. Layla Farah, fresh off her swearing-in ceremony, has entered the ranks. It's not every day you see a purely family-driven outfit pulling together generations in such a dramatic way. Three kiddos now walking the halls of...