Witkacy and Conspiracy Theories

In this article the author takes an historical overview of conspiracy theories and how they have been paraded in the work of Witkacy. They have been with us at least since the time of Ancient Rome, connected both with the Christians and Jews. The author argues that they have been used to explain historical events, especially at times of crisis, social change and upheaval, when nations, social groups, and individuals have felt threatened by inexplicable disasters and perils. Conspiratorial thinking detects labyrinthine plots and finds individuals or groups that can be held responsible for menacing social changes. They have clearly influenced Witkacy’s work. It is argued that the lonely protagonist is confronted by encroaching realms of otherness, ‘concentric circles of constraint and encroachment’ in the form of the cosmos, political and social order, family, and even the self.