The Parasites of Science. A Psycho-cognitive Characterization of a Pseudo-scientific Hoax

Abstract

The theoretical framework of research on pseudoscience is deficient,since it usually includes other types of beliefs lacking epistemic warranty. In this paper, I review the mechanisms of exploitation of scientific authority by pseudoscience, developing a more refined psycho-cognitive framework to characterize the phenomenon. I will analyze the psychology of pseudoscientific deception, the cognitive roots that enable the epidemiology of these ideas and their mechanisms of self-legitimation, such as dialectical superiority, false external support or false ethical and/or epistemological superiority