LU konference
This event brings together researchers and scholars from various disciplines to explore the cultural phenomenon of “conspirituality”— a fusion of conspiracy thinking and spiritual beliefs that is becoming prominent in Europe’s social landscape. The conference aims to trace its historical roots, examine its development, and better understand its cultural, psychological, and political implications.
The program features two distinguished keynote speakers. Professor Emeritus David Voas of University College London will deliver a lecture titled “Distrust and gullibility: The paradox of conspirituality,” addressing the dualities of the postmodern conspiritual mindset. Professor Asbjørn Dyrendal from the Norwegian University of Science and Technology will reflect on the theoretical frameworks and challenges in defining this phenomenon in his talk, “What to think about ‘conspirituality’?”.
Throughout the two days, participants from Australia, China, Croatia, Estonia, Great Britain, Hungary, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Norway and the USA will present their research on various aspects of conspirituality, including its emergence in Western esotericism, its political functions in different European contexts, and its role in individual identity formation and community-building, especially during times of societal crisis.
Programme (PDF).
The conference will be held entirely online via Zoom, and the working language is English.
We welcome all interested listeners to join remotely and take part in the discussions: Zoom access for both conference days.
We look forward to your participation in this event.
Organising Committee:
Senior Researcher Dr. Solveiga Krūmiņa-Koņkova,
Senior Researcher Dr. Māra Kiope,
Senior Researcher Dr. Inese Runce.
Institute of Philosophy and Sociology
Faculty of Humanities
University of Latvia
Kalpaka bulvāris 4, Rīga, Latvia, LV-1050
https://www.fsi.lu.lv/
The conference is organized by the Institute of Philosophy and Sociology of the Faculty of Humanities, University of Latvia, within the framework of the research project “Genealogy of Conspirituality in 20th-Century Latvia (GENOCON),” funded by the Latvian Council of Science, project No. lzp-2023/1-0142.
