Introduction

The social science studies and literature on various manifestations of propaganda as an integral part of any social and psychological reality are voluminous. With the evolution of cognitive science, research on propaganda has shifted into a domain of human cognition active in virtually all spheres of lives, collective and individual. Since the International Military Tribunal at Nuremberg in 1945–1946, various forms of propaganda have formed some of the strongest underlying evidentiary currents in all international criminal trials. It can be argued that, historically speaking, no inter-ethnic or inter-national armed conflict could have taken place without the systemic utilization of propaganda before, during, and sometimes after a conflict. Various manifestations of propaganda can be identified as separate forms of culpable conduct. Initially, a conceptual distinction needs to be made between hate speech and fear speech, both likely components of a corresponding but distinct propagandistic conduct. The chapter also presents an overview of the key concepts discussed in this book.