Conspiracy Theories in Pandemic Times On the Importance of Ethical Standards in Political Deliberation

To what extent can conspiracy theories be understood as a political challenge in these pandemic times? In order to discuss this issue, I provide an explication of the term 'conspiracy theory' that allows it to be applied in an epistemically elucidating and politically fruitful way. Against this backdrop, I will demonstrate how conspiracy theories violate, among other things, the ethically relevant standards that are established through well- ordered political deliberation, such as standards of intersubjective justification, epistemic justice and respect. To conclude, I will show how the structural violation of these standards can lead to a rise in the number of people believing in conspiracy theories and deepens people's mistrust of epistemic authorities.