What’s distinctive about “conspiracy theories” is generally not so much the alleged conspiracy to do whatever-it-is but the conspiracy to hide their having done it. And, usually, the fact that it would have to be an exceptionally effective conspiracy, because keeping such things secret is often difficult.
And, related to this, the epistemic pattern whereby anyone who ought to know the facts of the situation and claims my theory is false must therefore be part of the conspiracy.
What’s distinctive about “conspiracy theories” is generally not so much the alleged conspiracy to do whatever-it-is but the conspiracy to hide their having done it. And, usually, the fact that it would have to be an exceptionally effective conspiracy, because keeping such things secret is often difficult.
And, related to this, the epistemic pattern whereby anyone who ought to know the facts of the situation and claims my theory is false must therefore be part of the conspiracy.