Ellul Propaganda Quotes & Sayings

Those who read the press of their group and listen to the radio of their group are constantly reinforced in their allegiance. They learn more and more that their group is right, that its actions are justified; thus their beliefs are strengthened. At the same time, such propaganda contains elements of criticism and refutation of other groups, which will never be read or heard by a member of another group...Thus we see before our eyes how a world of closed minds establishes itself, a world in which everybody talks to himself, everybody constantly views his own certainty about himself and the wrongs done him by the Others - a world in which nobody listens to anybody else. — Jacques Ellul

The goal of modern propaganda is no longer to transform opinion but to arouse an active and mythical belief. — Jacques Ellul

The propagandist naturally cannot reveal the true intentions of the principal for whom he acts ... That would be to submit the projects to public discussion, to the scrutiny of public opinion, and thus to prevent their success ... Propaganda must serve instead as a veil for such projects, masking true intentions. — Jacques Ellul

Propaganda's content increasingly resembles information. It has even clearly been proved that a violent, excessive, shock-provoking propaganda texts leads ultimately to less conviction and participation. The listeners critical powers decrease if the propaganda message is more rational and less violent. — Jacques Ellul

The aim of modern propaganda is no longer to modify ideas, but to provoke action. — Jacques Ellul

Propaganda does not aim to elevate man, but to make him serve . — Jacques Ellul

The most favorable moment to seize a man and influence him is when he is alone in the mass. It is at this point that propaganda can be most effective. — Jacques Ellul

Propaganda tries first of all to create conditioned reflexes in the individual so that certain words, signs, or symbols, even certain persons or facts, provoke unfailing reactions ... The important thing is that when the time is ripe, the individual can be thrown into action by the utilization of the psychological levers that have been set up ... — Jacques Ellul

Again I want to emphasize that the study of propaganda must be conducted within the context of a technological society. Propaganda is called upon to solve problems created by technology, to play on maladjustments, and to integrate the individual into a technological world. — Jacques Ellul

Propaganda must not concern itself with what is best in man - the highest goals humanity sets for itself, its noblest and most precious feelings. Propaganda does not aim to elevate man, but to make him serve. It must therefore utilize the most common feelings, the most widespread ideas, the crudest patterns, and in so doing place itself on a very low level with regard to what it wants man to do and to what end. Hate, hunger, and pride make better levers of propaganda than do love or impartiality. — Jacques Ellul

The only communications truly without influence are those that one learns to ignore or never hears at all; this is why Jacques Ellul argued that it is only the disconnected - rural dwellers or the urban poor - who are truly immune to propaganda, while intellectuals, who read everything, insist on having opinions, and think themselves immune to propaganda are, in fact, easy to manipulate. — Tim Wu

Having analyzed these traits, we can now advance a definition of propaganda not an exhaustive definition, unique and exclusive of all others, but at least a partial one: Propaganda is a set of methods employed by an organized group that wants to bring about the active or passive participation in its actions of a mass of individuals, psychologically unified through psychological manipulations and incorporated in an organization. — Jacques Ellul

When there is propaganda, we are no longer able to evaluate certain questions, or even to discuss them — Jacques Ellul

...modern man does not think about current problems; he feels them. He reacts, but he does not understand them any more than he takes responsibility for them. He is even less capable of spotting any inconsistency between successive facts; man's capacity to forget is unlimited. This is one of the most important and useful points for the propagandist, who can always be sure that a particular propaganda theme, statement, or event will be forgotten within a few weeks. — Jacques Ellul

The orchestration of press, radio and television to create a continuous, lasting and total environment renders the influence of propaganda virtually unnoticed precisely because it creates a constant environment. — Jacques Ellul

The person who imagined that he could not be the victim of propaganda because he could distinguish truth from falsehood, is extremely susceptible to propaganda, because when propaganda does tell the truth, he is then convinced that it is no longer propaganda: moreover, his self-confidence makes him all the more vulnerable to attacks of which he is unaware. — Jacques Ellul

Propaganda ceases where simple dialogue begins. — Jacques Ellul

It is the emergence of mass media which makes possible the use of propaganda techniques on a societal scale. — Jacques Ellul

Almost always, it is the conviction that 'I am right' or 'my cause is the cause of justice' that triggers violence. That is, ... the moment propaganda does its work, violence is unleashed. And violence can be reduced by countering this propaganda. — Jacques Ellul

Propaganda begins when dialogue ends. (Quoted by Marshall McLuhan in McLuhan Hot & Cool) — Jacques Ellul

The propagandist must utilize all of the technical means at his disposal - the press, radio, TV, movies, posters, meetings, door-to-door canvassing ... There is no propaganda as long as one makes use, in a sporadic fashion and at random, of a newspaper article here, a poster or radio program there. — Jacques Ellul

(Propaganda) proceeds by psychological manipulations, character modifications, by creation of stereotypes useful when the time comes - The two great routes that this sub-propaganda takes are the conditioned reflex and the myth — Jacques Ellul

What is needed, then, is continuous agitation produced artificially even when nothing in the events of the day justifies or arouses excitement. Therefore, continuing propaganda must slowly create a climate first, and then prevent the individual from noticing a particular propaganda operation in contrast to ordinary daily events. — Jacques Ellul