ABSTRACT
Michael Lynch creates a link between convictions, defined as “identity-reflecting commitments” and believing “Big Lies.” While Big Lies, such as “the elections were fraudulent and Covid-19 is a hoax,” have been connected with violent actions, such as the January 6, 2020, insurrection, or with inaction, i.e., refusing to be vaccinated during the Covid-19 Pandemic, what is more dangerous is that they “encourage people to be contemptuous of the social-epistemic rules that govern core democratic institutions”. Anke Finger points to the role of conviction in manifestos, an “increasingly prolific literary, artistic and sociopolitical genre since the 19th century.” As Christiane Heibach has shown, the psychological significance of atmospheres, especially media atmospheres, contribute significantly to “conviction building” and can inspire or wreak havoc on audiences unwilling to or unaware of the complexity of contexts and their mediation. Adrian Hermann understands convictions as a process- and performance-oriented perspective on religious belief.
