The Deep State between the (Un)Warranted Conspiracy Theory and Structural Element of Political Regimes?
The Deep State between the (Un)Warranted Conspiracy Theory and Structural Element of Political Regimes?

Summary/Abstract: This paper tries to address a more general issue of conspiracy theories as knowledge, its (mis)treatments, selective and biased use, as well as specific features and outcomes of different epistemic approaches to conspiracy theories important for further clarification of this field of research. Following that, the author tries to explain why the ‘deep state’ is a good candidate for such a research of conspiratorial knowledge as a field of contesting interpretations. Conceptually speaking, the ‘deep state’ is considered as a sort of systemic, political arch-conspiracy, or the parapolitical structure organized for permanent conspiratorial enterprises. In that sense, it functions as a metaphorical umbrella for state conspiracies and includes many contested singular conspiracy theories. Furthermore, it will be shown, through the analysis of the current scholarly literature on the ‘deep state’, how the knowledge produced by those scholars who believe in its existence can be contested and compared with (non) conspiratorial public interpretations, and other experts’ arguments who are not ‘enchanted’ by this concept. The purpose of such research would be to explore differences in argumentation, providing a basis for evidence-building and alternative explanations between these various groups of social agents. Based on this information, further more rigorous social science research should enable us to build the criteria for differentiation between warranted and unwarranted conspiratorial scepticism.

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