The Century of the Self | Adam Curtis

The Century of the Self – 2002 | Adam Curtis

A documentary about the rise of psychoanalysis as a powerful means of persuasion for both governments and corporations. 

Happiness Machines

The first episode of the series introduces us to Edward Bernuys, Sigmund Freud's American nephew, and his groundbreaking ideas on population control. 

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The Engineering of Consent

Episode two looks into the theories of Edward Bernuys and Anna Freud, and how different organizations, CIA and corporate America included, applied them to society. 

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There Is a Policeman Inside All Our Heads: He Must Be Destroyed

Part three addresses how the concepts established by Bernuys were re-assessed during the 1960s, and led to the creation of the “Me” generation in the USA.

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Eight People Sipping Wine in Kettering

The final chapter explains how contemporary politicians on both sides of the Atlantic adopted and applied the ideas and techniques studied in this series.

Source: The Century of the Self (2002) – Complete Documentary All 4 Parts