Conspiracy Theories, Antisemitism, and the Far Right

From the Executive Office to neo-Nazi gangs, conspiracy theories permeate Far Right politics. These narratives have roots in medieval Christianity, but in the last two centuries have frequently cast Jews as the malicious agent which seeks to destroy society. This class will explore how conspiracy theories are structured; what their relationship to antisemitism is; and how they function on the Far Right today, including coded and metonymic antisemitism. As a class we will read and watch Far Right primary texts and videos. If time permits, we will have former conspiracy theorists Skype in to discuss both how they became involved—and left—these circles.

Spencer Sunshine, PhD, has been researching contemporary Far Right and fascist movements for 15 years, with special attention paid to antisemitism. Since 2016, his blow-by-blow coverage of the U.S. Far Right’s meteoric rise to power has appeared in publications like Truthout and Colorlines. The subject of several conspiracy theories himself, Sunshine is currently finishing a report on the origins of the neo-Nazi murder manual Siege, in addition to working on two books about Nazism in the United States.

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