Page:Propaganda by Edward Bernays.pdf/21

 priests. Hence, in later years the word came to be applied to any institution or scheme for propagating a doctrine or system.

"Judged by this definition, we can see that in its true sense propaganda is a perfectly legitimate form of human activity. Any society, whether it be social, religious or political, which is possessed of certain beliefs, and sets out to make them known, either by the spoken or written words, is practicing propaganda.

"Truth is mighty and must prevail, and if any body of men believe that they have disccovered a valuable truth, it is not merely their privilege but their duty to disseminate that truth. If they realize, as they quickly must, that this spreading of the truth can be done upon a large scale and effectively only by organized effort, they will make use of the press and the platform as the best means to give it wide circulation. Propaganda becomes vicious and [sic]reprehensive only when its authors consciously and deliberately disseminate what they know to know to be lies, or whrn they aim at effects which they know to be prejudicial to the common good.

Propaganda' in its proper meaning is a perfectly wholesome word, of honest parentage, and with an honorable history. The fact that it should be carrying a sinister meaning merely shows how much of the child remains in the average adult. A group of citizens writes and talks in favor of a certain