The Century of The Self

A hundred years ago, Sigmund Freud put forward a new theory about human nature. He said that he had discovered “primitive sexual and aggressive forces hidden deep in the consciousness of all humanity.” Forces that, if left unchecked, lead people and society to chaos and destruction. This series of films explores how ruling elites used Freud’s theories to control dangerous mobs in an era of universal democracy.

This series is about Freud’s American nephew, Edward Bernays. Today Bernays is completely unknown, but his influence on the 20th century was almost as significant as that of his uncles. Because Bernays was the first to take Freud’s ideas about people and use them to manipulate the masses.

He showed American corporations for the first time how they could make people want things they didn’t need by linking the mass production of goods to subconscious desires. From this, a new political idea emerged on how to control the masses of people. By satisfying human inner selfish desires, they were made happy. This was the beginning of the all-consuming selfishness that now dominates our world.