I did a very brief Google search on “paranoid scholar” and found an interesting essay on Hofstadter’s idea, which you have been exploring.

http://hnn.us/article/23498

I decided to stop there and consult with you further before plunging into the literature.

Although Hofstadter is mentioned only in passing, as a means to explore what the author considers as anti-Semitic elements in academia (an issue I don’t wish to get into here), it did serve as a reminder of a style of analysis which I have long since been familiar with. My first exposure to it was when I read the John Birch manifesto “None Dare Call it Treason” in high school, which overwhelmed the reader with meticulously docmented details on the breadth and depth of treachery in American society and politics, all masterminded by shadowy cabals determined to destroy everything worthwhile and decent in Western Civilization.

Even as a 17 year old, I was able to track down enough of the citations to see it as a cleverly assembled and maliciously constructed edifice of cherry-picked factoids, items taken out of context, and even totally disconnected personalities, incidents and events, presented as evidence of a master plan carried out by organized sinister forces feverishly toiling in the background to destroy us.

Since then, I keep on stumbling on more examples of paranoid scholarship, in areas like “creation science”, theological research, holocaust deniers, partisan journalism, anomalism in all its glorious manifestations, climate change skepticism, pop psychology, “alternative and holistic studies” and, of course, political and cultural propaganda on both left and right. Its not new to me, but I’m happy to see the idea has attracted academic attention and some serious critical analysis, and that it has a name and rigorously identified and classifiable characteristics.

Do you have any suggestions for further reading, perhaps on line and easily digestible, which I can use to decide whether or not I wish to plunge further into this fascinating sub-genre of psychology? Even better, is there a single go-to source whith some definitive coverage of the field? The choices turned up by Google are legion, I thought I’d rely on your reconaissance to help guide me through the jungle.

Hofstadter sounds like an an extension and generalization of Eric Hoffer to collective psychology and sociology. And we’ve certainly seen enough examples of it right here to see that the paranoid scholar is alive, well and flourishing, even in our enlightened times.