Bernays and Freud’s ethics

In 1928, Edward Bernays published his famous book, Propaganda, which dealt with controlling the collective mind of the masses. In the book, he explained how psychology and public relations could be used to direct the unconscious behavior of the masses by manipulating their desires and subconscious instincts rather than relying on conscious logic. Bernays asserted that the masses were incapable of making rational decisions and therefore had to be programmed by opinion leaders and the media to serve the interests of the government or the elite. He believed that control could be achieved through indirect influence, using “third parties” such as experts, analysts, and celebrities to justify or suppress messages.

This was evident in his famous 1929 campaign to promote smoking among women, linking it to personal freedom and transforming consumption, in its various forms, into a social necessity. Herein lies the role of the media in transforming news into a propaganda tool to control collective perception without the public’s or the recipient’s knowledge. Bernays, the nephew of renowned psychologist Sigmund Freud, discovered that Americans ate a light breakfast. He then sought and secured the support of prominent physicians to assert that a hearty breakfast was healthier. He disseminated media stories linking coffee with bacon, significantly increasing the consumption of the products he promoted. He contributed to the work of the government’s information committee and the “Four Minute Men” program, in which thousands of volunteers delivered short speeches to mobilize public opinion against Germany and promote the sale of war bonds.

This resulted in increased donations to help cover the costs of the war. His propaganda contributed to the overthrow of the Guatemalan government in 1954 through the United Fruit Company, a U.S. monopoly, by discrediting President Arbenz and labeling him a communist. This led to a coup against him, supported by the U.S. government. Bernays’s work demonstrated the power of political and commercial propaganda, and he successfully transformed his book from a mere public relations guide into a strategic science based on psychology for shaping public opinion and collective behavior. This contributed to the emergence of the public relations consultant class as an ethical tool for managing complex democratic societies by influencing the subconscious. He introduced the use of surveys and behavioral studies to understand unconscious desires, forming the basis of many modern campaigns, such as digital marketing on social media and the transformation of consumer culture by turning products into social symbols, as seen in his tobacco campaigns.

This is what we see today in the emotional marketing strategies used by brands. His approach to election campaigns, through the use of celebrities and experts, influenced the direction of elections and political propaganda. The book raised serious concerns about the mass manipulation of people’s opinions and emotions. However, it also established ethical standards in public relations, even though it applied Freud’s concept of the id, which represents basic instincts such as hunger and sex. He sought to emphasize that the masses are driven by unconscious and irrational desires and must therefore be programmed through emotional symbols rather than logical arguments. He focused primarily on life instincts and libido to market consumer desires and employ emotional manipulation. Lobbyists, such as AIPAC, have exploited Bernays’ theories for many years to influence American voters.

Ahmad alsarraf
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