Author Information

Jason Stanley is the Jacob Urowsky Professor of Philosophy at Yale University. He is the author of "Knowledge and Practical Interests," "Language in Context," and "Know How."

Book Description

Our democracy today is shaped by political campaigns, lobbyists, liberal media, and commentators from Fox News, all of whom use language to influence our thinking and reasoning on public issues. Yet many of us believe that propaganda and manipulation are not problems for us—unlike in the totalitarian societies of the mid-20th century. In "How Propaganda Works," Jason Stanley argues that this issue deserves more attention. He examines how propaganda operates subtly, how it undermines democracy—particularly the ideals of democratic deliberation and equality—and how it has harmed past democracies. "How Propaganda Works.".