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Adam Curtis' acclaimed series examines
the rise of the all-consuming self against the backdrop of the Freud dynasty.
To many in both politics and business, the triumph of the self is the ultimate
expression of democracy, where power has finally moved to the people. Certainly
the people may feel they are in charge, but are they really? The Century of the
Self tells the untold and sometimes controversial story of the growth of the
mass-consumer society in Britain and the United States. How was the
all-consuming self created, by whom, and in whose interests?
The Freud dynasty is at the heart of this compelling social history. Sigmund
Freud, founder of psychoanalysis; Edward Bernays, who invented public relations;
Anna Freud, Sigmund's devoted daughter; and present-day PR guru and Sigmund's
great grandson, Matthew Freud.
Sigmund Freud's work into the bubbling and murky world of the subconscious
changed the world. By introducing a technique to probe the unconscious mind,
Freud provided useful tools for understanding the secret desires of the masses.
Unwittingly, his work served as the precursor to a world full of political spin
doctors, marketing moguls, and society's belief that the pursuit of satisfaction
and happiness is man's ultimate goal.
From the BBC
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