Propaganda as Technique: Ellul On the Technique Society and Propaganda

BI Xiaomei

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Chinese Journal of Journalism & Communication ›› 2022, Vol. 44 ›› Issue (5) : 71-87.

Specific Topic/Intellectual History of Journalism and Communication

Propaganda as Technique: Ellul On the Technique Society and Propaganda

BI Xiaomei

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Abstract

Ellul played a key role in the transformation of western propaganda study, meanwhile he was also a famous philosopher of technology. His propaganda research is based on the philosophy of technique. From the perspective of philosophy and sociology, Ellul explored the logic of the technological society, and reflected on propaganda as a technique and the western democratic illusion caused by technique and propaganda with the logic of the technological society. He goes beyond the relativism determined by the propagandist's intention, and also different from the positivism to investigate the publicity effect, pointing directly to the essence of propaganda. His contribution to communication is far more than propaganda research. He actually provides a set of grand narratives about media, individuals and society. Nowadays, media technology has widely penetrated into human society. Ellul’s social philosophical interpretation of propaganda may inspire the technicism research paradigm of communication. In terms of investigating and paying attention to the form of media phenomenon as a whole, Ellul and McLuhan have something in common, but he insists on technique as a whole metaphor more thoroughly, and different from McLuhan’s literary background, his theoretical orientation of propaganda research originates from the sociology of Karl Marx and Max Weber.

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technique / technological society / propaganda

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BI Xiaomei. Propaganda as Technique: Ellul On the Technique Society and Propaganda[J]. Chinese Journal of Journalism & Communication. 2022, 44(5): 71-87

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