The thesis deals with the concept of conspiracy theories in the context of society, psychology, political science and ethics. In connection with these areas there was created a framework of relevant subtopics that fall under the phenomenon of conspiracy theories. This thesis is divided into five parts. The firts part is dealing with connspiracy theories as a concept and presents its definition, typology and historical occurrence. Next chapter is devoted to the mutual relationship of conspiracy thinking and society, and how conspiracy theories acquiring its popularity. The following sections deals with the influence of psychological disorders on conspiracy belief, how conspiracies influence the political sphere and the last chapter deals with ethical evaluation of conspiracy theories impact.

Orientador: Sidney Chalhoub / Tese (doutorado) - Universidade Estadual de Campinas, Instituto de Filosofia e Ciências Humanas / Made available in DSpace on 2018-08-22T10:01:51Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 Mata_IacyMaia_D.pdf: 3012704 bytes, checksum: ab8490eeb71d6cc0d687169cc656dda4 (MD5) Previous issue date: 2012 / Resumo: Entre 1864 e 1881, a jurisdição de Santiago de Cuba, situada na região oriental da ilha, foi palco de conspirações e insurreições antiescravistas e anticoloniais. Em 1867, foi descoberto um plano de sublevação envolvendo escravos e livres de cor com o objetivo de pôr fim à escravidão; nos anos seguintes, a região seria o cenário de duas guerras anticoloniais: a Guerra de Dez Anos (1868-1878) e a Guerra Pequena (1879-1880). Nos conflitos, houve grande mobilização de escravos e livres de cor e os insurretos lograram formar um Exército Libertador multirracial. Estas insurreições forçaram a Espanha a encaminhar a emancipação gradual da escravidão e foram marcadas pela emergência de líderes negros e mulatos que pautaram a luta contra o domínio colonial, a escravidão e as barreiras raciais. Em 1880-1881, após ser aprovado o Patronato (última lei de emancipação), as autoridades espanholas promoveram uma violenta repressão a uma suposta "conspiração da gente de cor" e a deportação de centenas de negros e mulatos para Fernando Pó, na Costa da Guiné. Através destes episódios, investigados a partir de uma vasta documentação, que inclui textos de viajantes, testamentos, censos, processos instaurados pela Comissão Militar, correspondências de autoridades coloniais e debates parlamentares, discuto como uma parte da população de cor passou a reivindicar a identidade racial. Para isto, analiso o complexo sistema de classificação racial em Cuba e as diversas clivagens internas à população de cor, as transformações no vocabulário político dos não brancos e a aproximação entre negros e mulatos para fins de mobilização política. Concluo argumentando que, entre 1864-1881, quando se fortaleceram as críticas à escravidão e foram aprovadas leis de emancipação gradual, houve o recrudescimento das linhas raciais em Santiago de Cuba, ao mesmo tempo em que, junto à formação da identidade nacional que se forjava nas lutas anticoloniais, negros e mulatos se unificavam reivindicando o pertencimento à "raça de cor" / Abstract: Between 1864 and 1881, the jurisdiction of Santiago de Cuba, located in the eastern region of the island was the scene of antislavery and anticolonial conspiracies and insurrections. In 1867, a plan was discovered for an uprising involving slaves and free people of color with the goal of putting an end to slavery; in the following years, the region would be the scene of two anticolonial wars: the Ten Years' War (1868-1878) and the Small War (1879-1880). In these conflicts, there was great mobilization of slaves and free people of color and the insurgents managed to form a multiracial Liberation Army. These insurrections forced Spain to move towards the gradual emancipation of slavery and were marked by the emergence of black and mulatto leaders who highlighted the struggle against colonial rule, slavery and racial barriers. In 1880-1881, after the approval of the Patronato (the last emancipation law), the Spanish authorities promoted a violent repression of an alleged "conspiracy of people of color" and the deportation of hundreds of blacks and mulattos to Fernando Po, on the Guinea Coast. Through these episodes, investigated from an extensive documentation, which includes texts of travelers, wills, censuses, military commission prosecutions, correspondence of colonial authorities and parliamentary debates, I discuss how a part of the population of people of color began to claim racial identity. To this, I discuss the complex system of racial classification in Cuba and the various internal divisions of the population of people of color, changes in the political vocabulary of nonwhites and rapprochement between blacks and mulattoes for purposes of political mobilization. I conclude by arguing that, between 1864-1881, when criticism of slavery was strengthened and laws of gradual emancipation were enacted, there was an upsurge in racial lines in Santiago de Cuba, at the same time that both the formation of the national identity was forged in the anti-colonial struggles and blacks and mulattos were unified affirming membership in the "colored race" / Doutorado / Historia Social / Doutora em História

Early modern English Catholic eschatology, the belief that the present was the last age and an associated concern with mankind’s destiny, has been overlooked in the historiography. Historians have established that early modern Protestants had an eschatological understanding of the present. This thesis seeks to balance the picture and the sources indicate that there was an early modern English Catholic counter narrative. This thesis suggests that the Catholic eschatological understanding of contemporary events affected political action. It investigates early modern English Catholic eschatology in the context of proscription and persecution of Catholicism between 1558 and 1603. Devotional eschatology was the corner stone of individual Catholic eschatology and placed earthly life in an apocalyptic time-frame. Catholic devotional works challenged the regime and questioned Protestantism. Devotional eschatology is suggestive of a worldview which expected an impending apocalypse but there was a reluctance to date the End. With an eschatological outlook normalised by daily devotional eschatology the Reformation and contemporary events were interpreted apocalyptically. An apocalyptic understanding of the break with Rome was not exclusively Protestant. Indeed, the identification of Antichrist was not just a Protestant concern but rather the linchpin of Reformation debates between Catholics and Protestants. Some identified Elizabeth as Jezebel, the Whore of Babylon. The Bull of Excommunication of 1570 and its language provided papal authority for identifications of Elizabeth as the Whore. The execution of Mary Queen of Scots was a flashpoint which enabled previously hidden ideas to burst into public discourse. This was dangerous as eschatology and apocalypticism was a language of political action. An eschatological understanding of contemporary events encouraged conspiracy. The divine plan required human agents. Catholic prophecy and conspiracy show that eschatology did not just affect how the future was thought about but also had implications for the present. This thesis raises questions about Catholic loyalism which other scholars have also begun to challenge. Yet attempts to depose or murder the monarch was not the only response which could be adopted. Belief that one was living in the End also supported what this thesis terms ‘militant passivity’. Martyrs understood their suffering as a form of eschatological agency which revealed and confirmed the identities of the Antichrist and the Whore. The Book of the Apocalypse promised that they would be rewarded at God’s approaching Judgement and the debates of the Reformation would be settled by the ultimate Judge. As martyrs came to symbolise the English Catholic community, it came to understand itself eschatologically. This thesis argues that acknowledging the eschatological dimensions of Catholic perception and action helps us to re-think the nature of early modern English Catholicism.