Editing Karl Popper (section)

==== The "conspiracy theory of society" ====
Popper criticized what he termed the "conspiracy theory of society", the view that powerful people or groups, godlike in their efficacy, are responsible for purposely bringing about all the ills of society. This view cannot be right, Popper argued, because "nothing ever comes off exactly as intended."<ref>{{Cite book |last=Popper |first=Karl |title=Conjectures and Refutations, 4th ed |publisher=Routledge Kegan Paul |year=1972 |location=London |pages=123–125}}</ref> According to philosopher David Coady, "Popper has often been cited by critics of conspiracy theories, and his views on the topic continue to constitute an orthodoxy in some circles."<ref>{{Cite book |last=Coady |first=David |title=Conspiracy theories : the philosophical debate |publisher=Ashgate |year=2006 |isbn=978-1-315-25957-4 |location=London |pages=4 |oclc=1089930823}}</ref> However, philosopher Charles Pigden has pointed out that Popper's argument only applies to a very extreme kind of conspiracy theory, not to conspiracy theories generally.<ref>{{Cite journal |last=Pigden |first=Charles |date=1995 |title=Popper Revisited, or What Is Wrong With Conspiracy Theories? |journal=Philosophy of the Social Sciences |language=en-US |volume=25 |issue=1 |pages=3–34 |doi=10.1177/004839319502500101 |issn=0048-3931 |s2cid=143602969|url=https://philpapers.org/rec/PIGPRO }}</ref>