Propaganda: The Science of Manipulation

The conscious intelligent manipulation of the organized habits and opinions of the masses is an important element in a democratic society. Those who manipulate this unseen mechanism of society constitute an invisible government which is the ruling power of our country.

Edward Bernays

Preparation

Do the following prior to the next class:

  • Read the following two short chapters from Bernays, E. L. (2005). Propaganda. Ig publishing. [SWEM Online]

    I. Organizing Chaos (pp. 9-18). You may stop at page 13.
    IV. The Psychology of Public Relations (pp. 47-61).

It has been found possible so as to mold the minds of the masses that they will throw their newly gained strength in the desired direction. In the present structure of society, this practice is inevitable. Whatever of social importance is done today, whether in politics, finance, manufacture, agriculture, charity, education, or other fields, must be done with the help of propaganda.  Propaganda is the executive arm of the invisible government. 

Universal literacy was supposed to educate the common man to control his environment. Once he could read and write he would have a mind fit to rule. So ran that democratic doctrine. But instead of a mind, universal literacy has given him rubber stamps, rubber stamps inked with advertising slogans, with editorials, with published scientific data, with the trivialities of the tabloids and the platitudes of history, but quite innocent of original thought. Each man’s rubber stamps are the duplicates of millions of others, so that when those millions are exposed to the same stimuli, all receive identical imprints. It may seem an exaggeration to say that the American public get most of its ideas in this wholesale fashion. The mechanism by which ideas are disseminated on a large scale is propaganda, in the broad sense of an organized effort to spread a particular belief or doctrine. (pp. 47-48)

Edward Bernays, Propaganda, beginning of Chapter II

Further Reading

Miller, Mark Crispin – Introduction to “Propaganda” by Edward Bernays.

Bernays, E. L. (2005). Propaganda. Ig publishing. [SWEM Online]