Propaganda and the Ethics of Persuasion - Second Edition

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Broadview Press, Sep 30, 2013 - Philosophy - 350 pages

This book develops a sophisticated account of propaganda and its intriguing history. It begins with a brief overview of Western propaganda, including Ancient Greek theories of rhetoric, and traces propaganda’s development through the Christian era, the rise of the nation-state, World War I, Nazism, Communism, and the present day. The core of the book examines the ethical implications of various forms of persuasion, not only hate propaganda but also insidious elements of more generally acceptable communication such as advertising, public relations, and government information, setting these in the context of freedom of expression. This new edition is updated throughout, and includes additional revelations about a key atrocity story of World War I.

 

Contents

Why Study Propaganda?
1
History of Propaganda
35
Propaganda Technique An Analysis
91
Ethics and Propaganda
139
Advertising and Public Relations Ethics
183
Freedom of Expression Some Classical Arguments
217
The Question of Controls
247
Propaganda Democracy and the Internet
307
Bibliography
345
Permission Acknowledgements
355
Index
357
Copyright

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About the author (2013)

Randal Marlin is a professor of Philosophy at Carleton University.

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