| This thesis examines the influence of classical pragmatists, such as George Herbert Mead and John Dewey, on the development of American propaganda and propaganda theory. The introduction begins with a brief discussion of the nature of propaganda and the parameters of this study. I then examine the standard readings of pragmatism's influences upon propaganda theory. This is followed by a discussion of the role John Dewey and the editors of the New Republic played in manufacturing consent for the American entry into the First World War, thus providing a concrete example of the involvement of pragmatists in propaganda. Chapter One discusses Walter Lippmann's advocation of a society of experts who control public opinion through propaganda, and John Dewey's critique of Lippmann in The Public and its Problems. The second chapter examines the work of propaganda theorist Harold Lasswell, drawing connections between Lasswell's work and that of George Herbert Mead. Lasswell and Mead share a similar conception of the social self, based upon Mead's concept of the generalized other, a conception which Lasswell used in his studies of American propaganda. Chapter Three attempts to use Mead's theoretical tools to confront propaganda, arguing that the insights into the self Lasswell found so useful in developing successful propaganda can be used against propaganda. Finally, I end by advocating that intellectuals make use of these insights to assist the public in expanding its sets of generalized others, thus making the public less susceptible to propaganda. |
