Complotist

People who believe in “conspiracy theories” are known as “conspiracists” and, blinded by their imaginary beliefs, may commit violent acts such as insults, discrimination, attacks, assassinations... A conspiracy theory draws on fears and suffering to provide reassuring answers and a simplistic explanation of the world. It is almost always structured around a scapegoat (i.e. a category of the population blamed for the ills of others; this could be Jews, blacks, non-believers in one’s religion, the unvaccinated, etc.).

It’s important to be aware that the term “conspiracy theorist” is also often used to discredit opponents of the policies of dominant regimes, and make them appear to be “conspiracy theorists”, which they are not. Environmentalists, for example, have for a very long time been branded as conspiracy theorists, as enlightened individuals dangerous to Western economies, and discredited as far as possible, because they had serious scientific arguments for going against industrial policies that were highly profitable in financial terms. The hard-hitting actions of Greenpeace and José Bové reinforced the view that environmentalists were dangerous people. Similarly, during the Covid-19 crisis in France (2020-2022), scientists and citizens who dared to question health policy choices were immediately discredited as “conspiracy theorists”; and afterwards, we gradually discovered that their criticisms were really well-founded.

The tool used to instrumentalize conspiracy is essentialization: in the opponents of the Covid policy, for example, there were also genuine conspiracists, people who believed in delusional discourse, as well as the far right; the strategy of those in power was to associate with the far right and conspiracy anyone who criticized government policy with serious arguments. As most citizens were blinded by fear, they accepted this simplistic and reassuring discourse, thanks to the designation of a scapegoat; in this way, an inversion took place, with the majority becoming conspiracists in the belief that they were not. Many people were convinced that the “unvaccinated” were dangerous and irresponsible, and that it was legitimate to discriminate against them. We then discovered the irrefutable proof, which had been brandished by these “conspiracy theorists” from the start, that “vaccines” had not been designed to protect against contagion and did not protect against it, among other examples. It’s almost no longer a matter of debate that this health policy was built on lies. Those who denounced them were designated as dangers to public health.

Another common instrumentalization of conspiracy: most wars are triggered by state lies, and those who uncover them are portrayed as dangerous conspiracists, complicit with opponents who put national security at risk. In my opinion, it is therefore important to keep a critical eye on the process of designating “conspiracy theorists”, in order to assess whether this is a sound judgment, or an instrumentalization to serve certain interests. It’s a much finer and more complex subject than one might at first imagine.

Benoît Labourdette, 28 June 2023.

Poem in automatic writing about « Complotist »

I propose a few avenues, which are as many philosophical and practical undertakings: Recognise fear as a political fact. Working on awareness of how and why information is produced is not a “conspiracist” approach aimed at discrediting the work of professionals. As during the Second World War, the resistance brought together people from all political sides, left, right, far right, united to defend democracy. This approach teaches us a truth: digital industrialists necessarily have a political vision. Far from protecting public health, it weakens it by generating distrust, anxiety, and radicalization. This is particularly dangerous in terms of identity, which is why, to foster nuanced thinking, I believe we must strive to create as many spaces for democratic debate as possible—spaces where opposing viewpoints are allowed to clash, facilitated by structured discussion, and where these spaces are safe—meaning that expressing my opinion, my viewpoint, or my worldview, even if radically opposed to others’, does not put me at social risk. Behind her, cars are flowing normally. I propose to explore how this word, born in a specific context, has become a tool of intellectual censorship that threatens the very exercise of critical thinking. The vaccine simply immunized them better against death in case of severe respiratory illness, in the absence of care.

Pandemic or epidemic?

On the politics of words.

The use of the word “pandemic” for Covid-19 illustrates how language shapes our perception. This lexical choice, adopted by everyone, contributes to a distorted view of the reality experienced. Beware of Assumed TruthsThe words we use as (…)

17 April 2025

4 min

The word

17 January 2022

Pre-covid

A film by Benoît Labourdette (1’, 2022).

A book that presents itself. Published just before the Covid-19 crisis, it reveals the techniques of mass manipulation that were employed during that crisis by governments and the mainstream media to gain public support for human rights abuses.

12 January 2022

3 min

Critical Thinking Against Archetypes

How the greatest minds can fall into obscurantism, and why understanding this matters for forgiveness.

Rigorous scientists can defend irrational and inhumane positions, devoid of any ethics, on certain subjects. This paradox reveals the deep mechanisms of conformism and collective fear. The Blind Spots of the Scientific MindEven the most (…)

2 January 2026

10 min

INSERM’s Anti-Fake News Campaign

When public health adopts the methods of propaganda.

In October 2025, an advertising campaign by INSERM against “health fake news” illustrates, in my view, the dead ends of public communication that, by reproducing propaganda techniques—even when done ironically—betrays its goals of critical (…)

14 December 2025

8 min

1990

31 août 2021

The concept of reality in the age of digital media

A proposal to revitalize the practice of independent thinking.

Since 2005, digital media has redefined our relationship to reality. We now confuse our direct perceptions with images from others, creating an unprecedented confusion about what reality is. A guard of honor to manufacture realityThe (…)

25 May 2025

5 min

Presence, care and politics

When self-care becomes an act of political resistance.

Presence, care, and politics are intimately linked. Faced with contemporary biopower that controls bodies and attacks our free will, cultivating inner presence becomes resistance and a path towards true democracy. Definitions Presence is an (…)

13 May 2025

6 min

Inside the Mind of Conspiracy Theorists

Philosophical reflection on the political use of the word “conspiracy theorist” and its implications for democratic debate.

The term “conspiracy theorist” functions today as a defamatory label that prevents any critical discussion. I propose to explore how this word, born in a specific context, has become a tool of intellectual censorship that threatens the very (…)

11 September 2025

7 min

What fear did to us

Philosophy of a health crisis, both political and intimate.

The Covid period revealed, beneath the veneer of our democracies, mechanisms of collective fear whose consequences have not yet been fully measured. This article is an attempt at understanding, not condemnation. It is addressed to those who were (…)

28 February 2026

12 min

Presence and nuance of thought

Psychosociology of democracy.

Nuanced thinking, unlike dogmatic simplism, embraces the complexity of the world and acknowledges the subjectivity of viewpoints. It is the source of democracy. It requires safe spaces for dialogue where everyone’s presence is legitimized. Nuance (…)

27 April 2025

4 min

The post-covid inversion of power

Political absence in times of crisis.

The Covid crisis revealed how censorship, lies and manipulation of information by public authorities and mainstream media weaken our democracies. Today, the inversion of power fortunately rehabilitates yesterday’s dissident voices, but (…)

28 May 2025

5 min

A fixed point (thought 383)

A film by Benoît Labourdette (2’15s, 2023).

How do we know if we’re right or if the other guy is right?In the staging of this film, the text appears as a single piece. This may seem simplistic. It’s meant to symbolize that a way of thinking about the world must take into account all (…)

19 June 2023

3 min

Towards voluntary evaluation of cultural projects

For “cultural prevention” policies.

The subsidized cultural sector is going through a crisis of legitimacy after betraying its democratic values. I believe that a refoundation through sincere evaluation is necessary. A sector in crisis that refuses to see its contradictionsIn (…)

2 June 2025

6 min

Digital politics

When clicking becomes voting: the hidden face of our technological choices.

Code is law: digital tools are not neutral. Our daily technological choices are political acts that shape the world. Here are concrete elements for personal and collective awareness and action. The Choice of Hosting: A Masked Political Decision (…)

11 June 2025

6 min

Attestational Dramaturgy

A concept for understanding the journalistic staging of reality, in dialogue with Bourdieu, Debord, Baudrillard, Chomsky, Colon, Deleuze, Watkins and Virilio.

Journalism traditionally presents itself as privileged access to reality. Its everyday practice, however, very often consists of summoning the real as an illustration of narratives decided in advance. How can we name, with some precision, this (…)

18 April 2026

21 min

All themes

Photographs, paintings, drawings, assemblies and texts by Benoît Labourdette (unless otherwise stated).

Pocket Films

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ChatGPT

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Short film

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Transhumanism

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Escher

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Blaise Pascal

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Polyamory

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Demonstration

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Paul Virilio

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Romain Baujard

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Cultural Rights

The “cultural rights”, which derive from the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, are a concept developed and defended by researchers, (…)

LED

Light-Emitting Diode.

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Hare

(image generated by artificial intelligence Ideogram)

Earth

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Construction site

(the photograph displayed and the installation are by Myriam Drosne)

Superimposition

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Karine Saporta

Photographie : Karine Saporta.

Light

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Célestin Freinet

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Autobiography

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SPIP

SPIP (Système de Publication Pour l’Internet) is an “engine” for creating websites, known as a “CMS” (Content Management System). SPIP is free, (…)

Work

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Relaxation

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Sledge

Image generated by Dall-E on January 16, 2023.

ROSEBUD 2022, the end of cinema

Accident

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Oblivion

Memory failure, involving either acquired knowledge or skills or memories; forgetfulness.

Tree

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Compersion

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Panorama

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emmanuel vergès

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Hippolyte Labourdette

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Roger Odin

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Lamp

(photograph : Bénédicte Loyen)

Projection

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Saint George

Painting by Paolo Uccello: Saint George slaying the dragon (c. 1456).

Orc (2013)

Rainer Maria Rilke

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Classical music

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Michel Serres

(photo : DR)

Feminism

Here is my definition of feminism, from my place as a man: it is for me a movement of thought and action for equal rights between women and men, (…)

Zebra

The zebra... it seems to be just an animal, but it’s actually a theme. Do you know the particularity of people called zebras? Here are some films, (…)

Pikachu

Drawing by Hassan, 7, from Les Lilas (Seine Saint-Denis).

Contents

Us

(photo : DR)

Infra

Super 8

“Super 8” is a film format, launched by Kodak in 1965. It was the main format of amateur cinema, since its launch, until the democratization of (…)

Maëlla Mickaëlle

Maëlla Mickaëlle is a multidisciplinary artist working between dance and image. A filmmaker, multimedia author, video artist, dancer and musician, (…)

Colour

Colour is a matter of psychology, physiology, neurobiology, chemistry, physics, art, philosophy... This notion operates at the heart of some of my (…)

Serge Tisseron

Serge Tisseron is a psychiatrist and psychoanalyst, specialist in images and new technologies. He is a great popularizer and inventor of essential (…)

Diffusion

Photograph by Jeanne Paravert.

The singularity

The “Technological Singularity”, commonly called “The Singularity”, is the hypothesis of a future tipping point, located between 2030 and 2040, (…)

Church

Church: this is both the place of assembly, generally devoted to religious worship, and the human assembly itself, and by extension in (…)

Abstraction

Abstraction is a philosophical, artistic, computer and psychological concept. In psychology, it is the ability to mentally construct conceptual (…)

Telephone number

(photo : DR)

Lockdown

What has been termed “lockdown” is the situation in February-March-April-May 2020 when a very large proportion of human beings on earth were (…)

Innovation

“Innovation” is a singularly overused word, which is often used to justify change for change’s sake, the new without thinking. Innovation is often (…)

Window

A window is an opening. This opening is mainly considered in the architectural sense, but it is also psychological, symbolic, historical, (…)

Olivier Houdé

Olivier Houdé is a French psychologist and researcher specializing in cognitive development. He has studied in detail the mechanisms of cognitive (…)

Ada Lovelace

Ada Lovelace (1815-1852) is considered as the first programmer in the history of computer science, even before the existence of this discipline. (…)

Richard Texier

Richard Texier is a painter, sculptor, writer and filmmaker. His works and his vision are part of an open and free animist philosophy. He produces (…)