Jacques Ellul, Propaganda, and the Possibility for Changing the Peace Articles of the Japanese Constitution

Abstract

This paper applies the theoretical perspective of Jacques Ellul, as set out in Propaganda: The Formation of Men＇s Attitudes (1965/1962), to examine why the Liberal Democratic Party (LDP), despite years of effort, has had little success in shifting public opinion regarding constitutional reform, particularly in regards to changes to the Article 9 provisions. Ellul argues that propaganda is the use of media to transmit an ideological position and transform this ideology into a societal myth. Ellul rejects association of myth with falsehood and, instead, considers the term closer to the Greek origin as denoting narrative. Ellul＇s theoretical model provides a way to understand why the efforts of subsequent LDP governments have made scant progress in swaying public opinion.