In Defense of Advertising: Arguments from Reason, Ethical Egoism, and Laissez-Faire Capitalism (Paperback)

by Jerry Kirkpatrick (Author)
Key Phrases: collectivized rights, measurement omission, informative advertising, New York, Ayn Rand, New American Library (more...)

Editorial Reviews

Review
". . . In Defense of Advertising is a very enjoyable and intellectually stimulating read. Not only does the book provide a number of powerful practical arguments, truly indispensable for anyone trying to take a hard-hitting stand against the opponents of marketing, but it also puts the somewhat neglected discussion of advertising in the very forefront of the battle for a free market economy. . . . [The book] has passed the [test of time] quite successfully." -- Journal of Ayn Rand Studies, Spring 2008

". . . a highly sophisticated theoretical thesis . . . [that] stimulates the reader to reflect on many social, economic, and moral issues." -- Sourthern Business and Economic Journal, October 1995

". . . an important advancement in the theory of advertising and its relationship to society." -- Journal of Consumer Affairs, summer 1995

"A unique, well-crafted, and timely book defending the existence of advertising to its many and varied critics." -- Journal of the Academy of Marketing Science, spring 1995

"I was surprised at how much enlightening content Kirkpatrick was able to pack into a short book . . . In Defense of Advertising gives us, perhaps for the first time, a proper moral not merely `practical' justification for advertising, just as Ayn Rand did for capitalism and egoism . . . This is a book well worth reading--one that fully lives up to its advertised claims." -- The New Individualist, June 2007

"Scholarly . . . easy to read . . . rich with information and supported by numerous references." -- ForeWord Magazine, May-June 2007

Review
“This excellent, thought-provoking book thoroughly debunks popular, hostile misconceptions about consumer advertising, all of which boils down to the notion that advertising is a coercive, offensive, monopolistic force which must be heavily regulated by the government. An important advancement in the theory of advertising and its relationship to society.”–The Journal of Consumer Affairs

“The general reader will benefit from the author's ability to distill the criticisms of advertising and his responses to them to their most fundamental form while the specialist in marketing, economics, and philosophy will gain a working knowledge of the other disciplines as they relate to advertising. The author has a clearer notion of the economics of advertising than many economists. His accurate presentation of economics and the methods and views of schools of economic thought is more than adequate. For those who seek to engage the accusers of capitalism, In Defense of Advertising is worthwhile reading.”–The Freeman --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Paperback: 204 pages
• Publisher: TLJ Books (January 2, 2007)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0978780302
• ISBN-13: 978-0978780302
• Product Dimensions: 9 x 5.8 x 0.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 9.6 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.8 out of 5 stars See all reviews (4 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #746,605 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A Comprehensive and Fundamental Defense of Advertising, January 22, 2007

By	George Reisman (Orange County, California) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

This book constitutes a thoroughgoing philosophic analysis and defense of virtually all aspects of advertising. It traces the criticisms made of advertising to false philosophic and economic doctrines, such as determinism and the theory of pure and perfect competition. It defends advertising against such accusations as that it is coercive and monopolistic, creates artificial needs, and erects barriers to entry. The intellectual foundations of these and practically all other accusations against advertising are laid bare and Prof. Kirkpatrick carefully develops the foundations and substance of the replies to them. In the process, he sets forth the very important positive role of advertising and demonstrates its actual benevolence. This is an essential book for anyone seriously interested in understanding and defending the role of advertising in a free market. It should be of exceptional interest to Objectivists, inasmuch as it is largely inspired by the ideas of Ayn Rand.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Should Be Required Reading For Advertising Professionals, February 27, 2007

By	Reading It All (Orange County, CA USA) - See all my reviews

Mr Kirkpatrick states the case for the role of advertising in a logical, reasonable and intellegent manner. This book should be required reading in every advertising classroom in the country. When I picked up this book I never expected to discover a professional that so passionately defends the importance of the postive role of advertising in a free-market system. Well written and an easy read.

4.0 out of 5 stars A Case For The Virtue of Advertising, April 21, 2007

By	Barry Linetsky (Ontario, Canada) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

In this book, business professor Jerry Kirkpatrick argues that advertising is an effective and necessary method of salesmanship, and that the principles of salesmanship should define the standards and principles of effective advertising. For this reason, advertising is a valid and beneficial tool of entrepreneurs that must be informative and persuasive to be effective. Advertising communications is an important mechanism through which consumers gain information about ways to satisfy and achieve the values they seek, and therefore serves a positive and beneficial role in society.

Kirkpatrick's arguments are not directed towards those who dislike any particular ad for its low-brow qualities, but rather aimed high to refute those who stand against advertising per se, on principle.

The book addresses important key questions such as:
- What is the nature of advertising?
- Is persuasive advertising wasteful or harmful?
- Does advertising benefit consumer interests or is it anti-consumer?
- Should some people determine which products are beneficial to advertise and which are not?
- Does advertising create unnecessary market instability and unwarranted competitive pressures, or are these attributes inherent benefits of market competition?
- Does advertising unnecessarily increase prices thereby `exploiting' workers and consumers, or does it ultimately lower prices by increasing sales and reducing per unit costs, thereby benefiting workers and consumers?

The arguments presented by Kirkpatrick form a basic and fundamental philosophic and economic defense of advertising aimed at refuting those who argue that advertising per se is wasteful, coercive, and generally pernicious. This book is not directed towards practitioners who seek advice on how to improve their advertising. It doesn't provide advice on how to create more effective marketing communications beyond defining the purpose of advertising.

It is unfortunate that it may be difficult for many practitioners of advertising and marketing to understand Kirkpatrick's devastating critique of the various arguments put forth by advertising's enemies. That's because the refutation of such criticisms requires the application of higher level philosophic and economic concepts that are outside of most people's general context of knowledge. Kirkpatrick does a great job explaining the essence of these concepts, but by their nature, they are not easy for the uninitiated to understand, especially when brevity of presentation is maintained.

Perhaps the most prominent criticism of advertising as a medium is that it is inherently coercive and must be addressed by an opposing coercive intervention of government. As such, the critics of advertising qua salesmanship tend to be critics of free-markets, free-speech, and personal freedom in general. Advertising is an outcome of freedom, and Kirpatrick argues that an attack on one is really an attack on the other.

Another major criticism of advertising is that it promotes individual values as against conformity to so-called `higher' values. At base, this critique of advertising rests upon the dispute in ethics between the virtue of self-interest versus social-interest, or egoism versus altruism. Economically and politically, this translates to issues of free-markets versus command economies, or capitalism versus socialism.

Kirkpatrick succeeds in addressing the philosophic attacks against advertising at all levels of the philosophic hierarchy: metaphysics, epistemology, ethics, and politics. He does so by taking a scientific individualistic approach, appealing primarily to philosopher Ayn Rand and economist Ludwig von Mises as his guideposts, hence the subtitle of the book: Arguments from Reason, Ethical Egoism, and Laissez-Faire Capitalism.

The arguments in this book pose a major challenge to those who attack the benefits of advertising and take a liking to business-bashing in general. Those who are serious about understanding the deeper meaning of these attacks and the fallacies they are based on as a means to defend the nobility of the principle of freedom of trade, i.e., capitalism, should find a lot of ammunition in this important book.