Thinking critically about the Kennedy assassination : debunking the myths and conspiracy theories / Michel Jacques Gagné
"Thinking Critically About the Kennedy Assassination uses the tools of critical thinking, historical research, and philosophical inquiry to debunk the many myths and conspiracy theories surrounding JFK's shocking and untimely death. As we approach the sixtieth anniversary of the violent pu...
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| Online Access: |
Full Text (via Taylor & Francis) |
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| Main Author: | |
| Format: | eBook |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
Abingdon, Oxon ; New York, NY :
Routledge,
2022.
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| Series: | Conspiracy theories (Routledge (Firm))
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| Subjects: |
| Summary: | "Thinking Critically About the Kennedy Assassination uses the tools of critical thinking, historical research, and philosophical inquiry to debunk the many myths and conspiracy theories surrounding JFK's shocking and untimely death. As we approach the sixtieth anniversary of the violent public assassination of President John F. Kennedy, over half of all Americans surveyed continue to believe that he was killed by a conspiracy involving multiple assassins. Through its reasoned and detailed analysis of the content and evolution of JFK conspiracy narratives, this book also serves as a comprehensive case study of paranoid reasoning and modern mythmaking. The book's opening chapters lay out the "official" academic consensus concerning the Kennedy assassination (better known as the "Lone Gunman Theory") and discuss the origins of popular interpretations of Kennedy's life and death, such as the nostalgic myth of "Camelot," the unsympathetic "Irish Mafia" narrative, and the many conspiracy theories critical of both. Subsequent sections scrutinize the alleged motives of leading conspiracy suspects, the ballistic, forensic, and medical evidence related to JFK's murder, and the most popular "proofs" of an enduring government cover-up. The book concludes that no clear evidence exists to suggest that JFK was the victim of a conspiracy and ends with a discussion of the causes and consequences of paranoid thinking in contemporary public discourse. This volume will appeal to students of history, politics, psychology, and cultural and media studies, and to a broader audience interested in American history, critical thinking, and conspiracy thinking"-- |
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| Physical Description: | 1 online resource (xxv, 481 pages) : illustrations (some color), map. |
| Bibliography: | Includes bibliographical references and index. |
| ISBN: | 9781003222460 1003222463 9781000544121 1000544125 9781000544091 1000544095 |
| Source of Description, Etc. Note: | Description based on online resource; title from digital title page (viewed on May 12, 2022) |
| Biographical or Historical Data: | Michel Jacques Gagné teaches courses in critical thinking, political philosophy, philosophy of religion, and ethics in the Humanities Department of Champlain College Saint-Lambert, a junior college (CÉGEP) located near Montreal, Canada. |