Demagogue

Demagogy (Greek δῆμος, demos, "people", and ἄγειν, agein, " lead ", also: People's seduction ) is in the pejorative sense ideological propaganda, particularly in the political sphere.

Historical

Originally the term was filled usually positive. The ancient demagogue was a respected speaker and leader of the people in political decisions. For Pericles, it was an honorary title, the term of Thucydides on Cleon, however, was used pejoratively.

In the era of absolutism demagogy was within the meaning of incitement of the people as a threat to the stability of the state: A ban on the positive coverage of the English Revolution and Oliver Cromwell, which decided the German princes 1653/54, was on the grounds that they " can use to demagogis "and" hinaußlaufe a vitiosam Democratiam or even Anarchiam ".

At the beginning of the 19th century experienced gifted orator appreciation as a " demagogue ". However, the Carlsbad Decrees 1819 brought the enforcement of a Demagogiebegriffs having significantly negative connotation. The policy response denounced their opponents as demagogues and directed numerous coercive measures ( censorship, bans teaching etc. ) against them. Under the name Demagogenverfolgung went before representatives of the German against German - national and liberal groups and individuals who were accused of subversion and sedition. After the July Revolution of 1830, the measures which have been renewed " demagogic machinations " and met especially the fraternity, for example, Fritz Reuter.

In the 20th century, the demagoguery learned as a means of ideology of the masses, the most widely used, with the progress in the media played a significant role. At the same time, the concept of demagogy was completely Negating. The adjective demagogic belonged now to the pejorative vocabulary. Today, the term demagogic describes a method to eventually win by stirring up popular emotions and prejudices even power.

Ideologues of fascism and Nazism called their method of political propaganda, socialist or communist ideologies representatives they called mainly agitation. In particular, they accused each other of demagoguery.

Today's definition

Demagogy is defined today, among other things as:

" Demagogy operates, who publicly advertises in favorable occasion for a political objective by flattering the crowd, appealing to their emotions, instincts and prejudices, and also makes the propaganda and lies guilty is truth simplifies exaggerated or coarse, the thing that he wants to push through, the cause of all good men outputs, and the way how he penetrated or enforce proposes as the only possible hinstellt. "

With all remains demagogy rather historical and political- moral or theoretical category. In the criminal form of sedition, it is regarded as a criminal offense.