The Gödel Conspiracy
University of St Thomas Journal of Law & Public Policy, Vol. 15 (2022)
33 Pages Posted: 4 Aug 2021 Last revised: 3 Feb 2022
Date Written: January 29, 2022
Abstract
This Article explores a little-known conspiracy theory: The Gödel Conspiracy. Although this particular conspiracy theory is a relatively minor one in the larger scheme of things, it nevertheless merits careful study because of the man who invented it, the logician Kurt Gödel. That one of the most logical and rigorous thinkers of all time could formulate such an elaborate and far-fetched conspiracy theory shows us why beliefs in conspiracies are so compelling, widespread, and unavoidable and also why most psychological and social explanations of conspiracy theories are off the mark. In the alternative, the Article will propose a Conspiracy Theory Retrodiction Market. In brief, a betting market would aggregate all available information about the truth values of various conspiracy theories by allowing people to bet on their beliefs about past events.
Keywords: Conspiracy Theories, Kurt Gödel, Retrodiction Market
JEL Classification: C53, D47, D82
Suggested Citation: Suggested Citation