7.1.3 Weak Points and Counterarguments

Argument: Certain government conspiracies, originally thought to have been ridiculous, have sometimes been proven true in the course of time (Saltarelli, 2015).

Rebuttal: While uncovering outlandish government secrets is nothing new, it’s important to recognize that the nature of these discoveries proves that the government is not all-powerful in hiding its motives or actions. Notably, the conspiracies having been uncovered are also on a much smaller scale in comparison to the existence of an omnipresent world power, which would be much harder to disguise for so long.

Argument: The Illuminati never existed.

Rebuttal: There is evidence to prove the Illuminati’s existence in history. It could potentially still exist today, but not in the way that it is perceived by society. It was originally a secret organization founded in the 1770s to combat the influence of religion on society and abuses of power by the state. This was attempted by fostering a safe space for critique, debate, and free speech (Vickery 2017).

Argument: There is behavioral evidence that celebrities are Illuminati members.

Rebuttal: The evidence is not reliable, but rather exaggerated assumptions about behavior that seems abnormal. For example, posing hands in certain ways for pictures, zoning off at certain times, and looking confused (Krishnan, 2019). When people see these ambiguous sources of information, they will often find a way to construe the evidence in a way that supports their belief.