Philosophical discussions about propaganda are not new. In The Republic, Plato argued that democracies are short-lived, destabilized by less rational interests of its citizens. In his Politics, Aristotle asserted that the “intemperance of demagogues” brings about revolution by stirring up the people with manipulative rhetoric. Our contemporary thoughts on propaganda are greatly influenced by its use in WWII, as best captured in George Orwell’s depiction of the activities of the “Ministry of Truth” in his dystopian 1984. To get a better sense of what propaganda is, and how it works, we’ll begin by looking at Bertrand Russel’s Free Thought and OfficialPropaganda, written in 1922. A more recent publication, Jason Stanley’s How Propaganda Works, can further this discussion, as Stanley explores how propaganda can reveal a deeper conflict in ideologies.

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