I think it’s important that everyone knows who this man is, and what he has developed. Using the theories of his uncle, Sigmund Freud, he’ became one of the principle designers of our modern society. His thought that is is natural and necessary for the masses in a democratic society to be controlled by a small number of men who mold the mindset of these masses. Here is a quote from his book Propaganda.
" The conscious and intelligent manipulation of the organized habits and opinions of the masses is an important element in democratic society. Those who manipulate this unseen mechanism of society constitute an invisible government which is the true ruling power of our country. …We are governed, our minds are molded, our tastes formed, our ideas suggested, largely by men we have never heard of. This is a logical result of the way in which our democratic society is organized. Vast numbers of human beings must cooperate in this manner if they are to live together as a smoothly functioning society. …In almost every act of our daily lives, whether in the sphere of politics or business, in our social conduct or our ethical thinking, we are dominated by the relatively small number of persons…who understand the mental processes and social patterns of the masses. It is they who pull the wires which control the public mind. " - Edward Bernays
The Century of the Self is a hypnotic film on the subject by British filmmaker Adam Curtis. I think that everyone who is interested in politics should have watched this or be laughed at.
First of all, I think that the question that should be answered is: can we agree with Bernays that a democratic society should be manipulated to such a degree that democratic power is necessarily running after the fact? Are the masses as stupid and dangerous as he thought?
Can we compare this figure with what Nietzsche referred to as the Artist Tyrant, in section 960 of the Will to Power?
" From now on there will be more favorable preconditions for more comprehensive forms of dominion, whose like has never yet existed. [… T]he will of philosophical men of power and artist-tyrants will be made to endure for millennia–a higher kind of man who, thanks to their superiority in will, knowledge, riches, and influence, employ democratic Europe as their most pliant and supple instrument for getting hold of the destinies of the earth, so as to work as artists upon “man” himself. Enough: the time is coming when politics will have a different meaning. " - Friedrich Nietzsche
I wonder if Bernays was influenced by Nietzsche along with Freud. In any case, it is clear that he did begin to “fulfill the prophecy” quite quickly after it was made. Nietzsche and Bernays differ in their explanations of the justification of such a society - to Nietzsche it’s simply to will to power, Bernays seems to have had moral considerations, he did not trust “the people” with government. I think that this has remained a crucial issue over the past century until now, after the failure of the Occupy movements: the people can be trusted to fight the government to extract some policies from it, but they never show the slightest initiative to organize into a ruling body. It’s like the people still believe that if they want something, all they should do is yell. If this is the case, Bernays was right to do what he did… but is it the case? Or rather, will it continue to be the case?
if not, what kind of counterargument can one present in favor of political responsibility of the people?
