Propaganda

"Bernays' thought-provoking and practical manual offers valuable insights into the inner workings of powerful and influential institutions in modern industrial state capitalist democracies." —Noam Chomsky

Edward Bernays (1891–1995), a seminal and controversial figure in political thought and public relations, revolutionized the scientific approach to shaping public opinion—an endeavor he famously termed "engineering of consent." Through his involvement in the U.S. Committee on Public Information (CPI) during World War I, a potent propaganda machinery designed to sell the war to the American people as an effort to "Make the World Safe for Democracy," Bernays honed his skills. The CPI would lay the groundwork for future marketing strategies employed in wartime.

Drawing from his experience with the CPI and incorporating insights from Walter Lipmann and his own uncle, Sigmund Freud, Bernays championed the use of propaganda as a means for democratic governance and corporate influence over the masses. His groundbreaking work, Propaganda, published in 1928, offers a chillingly prescient vision of employing propaganda to regiment collective thinking in various domains, including government, politics, art, science, and education. Reading this book today unveils a disconcerting understanding of the extent to which our current government and business institutions engage in organized manipulation of the population.

Prepare to be captivated by Bernays' provocative ideas as you confront the reality of our contemporary systems of governance and corporate influence.