Arthur Ponsonby and the Abolition of Propaganda

The relevance of propaganda research is beyond doubt in connection with current events, but the importance of work on critical analysis of propaganda in post-war time seems even more significant. In this regard, the book “Falsehood in War-time” (1929) by the British politician, writer, and social activist Arthur Ponsonby is of great interest. He extensively catalogs types of lies and constructs a phenomenology of lies during World War I. The article analyzes the influence of the political views of the book’s author on the critical stance toward propaganda. Ponsonby, a pacifist, consistently advocated for Britain’s non-intervention policy from the war’s onset. Special attention is paid to the harm caused by propaganda – from the defilement of the human soul in the interpretation of Ponsonby to the emergence of psychiatric disorders such as paranoia and schizophrenia, as noted by Jacques Ellul. It is emphasized that the excessive propaganda can negatively impact the quality of human capital from a public administration perspective. The article also provides a detailed analysis of the criticism of Ponsonby’s ideas, particularly in modern times. Critics have labeled him a lot with various terms – “pacifist”, “Germanophile”, “Kaiser supporter”, etc., accusing his work of perpetuating “historiographical legends” about British propaganda. However, in reality, rather than exposing lies, Ponsonby’s work often created them based on contradictory interpretations and fabrications. The article compares the book “Falsehood in War-time” with other key works of those years – “Propaganda Technique in the World War” by Harold Lasswell and “Propaganda” by Edward Bernays. It also juxtaposes Arthur Ponsonby’s strategies for abolishing propaganda with those of Noam Chomsky, one of the most famous followers of the critical trend in propaganda research. It is concluded that propaganda should be pragmatic, considering its implications in the post-war period and have some kind of an exit strategy. 

Keywords: World War I, propaganda, manipulation, public opinion, discredit,cancel culture, negative human capital