第18章 権力を手懐けること, n.33 - 雄弁に対する免疫を獲得することⅣ
現代の宣伝家たちは広告業者(advertiser 広告主)から学んできており,広告業者は非合理的な信念を生みだす技術において先頭に立ってきた。教育は,教育のない人々の生来の信じやすさ(軽信性)及び生来の疑い深さを中和するように意図されるべきである。(即ち)理由(根拠)なしに強く主張されることを信じる習慣と,最上の理由が伴っている時でさえ弱々しく言われたことは信じようとしない習慣を中和するように意図されなければならない。私ならば,まず幼稚園では,二種類のお菓子を幼児に与えて選ばせることから始めるであろう。一方はとても美味なものを,そのお菓子の成分について冷静かつ正確な説明をつけて勧め,もう一方はとても食べにくいものを最良の広告主の最上級の宣伝技術を使ってこれを勧める(こととする)。しばらくしてから,彼らに国の祭日に行くべき場所を二つ与えて選択させたい。良い場所の方は,等高線地図(込み入った地図)で薦め,良くない方の場所は,立派なポスターで薦めたい。 |
Chapter 18: The taming of Power, n.33IVIf I had control of education, I should expose children to the most vehement and eloquent advocates on all sides of every topical question, who should speak to the schools from the BBC. The teacher should afterwards invite the children to summarize the arguments used, and should gently insinuate the view that eloquence is inversely proportional to solid reason. To acquire immunity to eloquence is of the utmost importance to the citizens of a democracy.Modern propagandists have learnt from advertisers, who led the way in the technique of producing irrational belief. Education should be designed to counteract the natural credulity and the natural incredulity of the uneducated : the habit of believing an emphatic statement without reasons, and of disbelieving an unemphatic statement even when accompanied by the best of reasons. I should begin in the infant school, with two classes of sweets between which the children should choose: one very nice, recommended by a coldly accurate statement as to its ingredients ; the other very nasty, recommended by the utmost skill of the best advertisers. A little later I should give them a choice of two places for a country holiday: a nice place recommended by a contour map, and an ugly place recommended by magnificent posters. |