The Revolt of the Masses

Name: The Revolt of the Masses
ISBN: 9787569934069

何塞·奥尔特加·加塞特 / 马楠Beijing Times Chinese Press · ChinaJun 2020

4.5

Word count: 102K words
Chapters: 17
ISBN: 9787569934069

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Summary

Hailed by Camus as "the greatest European writer after Nietzsche" and a pioneer of mass society theory, Ortega y Gasset's classic work of sociology offers a profound insight: the silent, mediocre masses who once accepted their social station have, thanks to the dividends of democracy and technocracy, strode into the spotlight and now seek to rule civilized society. Are the masses qualified for such a role? Should there be a restraining force? The author addresses these questions comprehensively. From the thesis of the revolt of the masses, he also draws out subsidiary arguments—such as why this era produces no great scholars—with singularly original reflection.

Editor's review

Published in 1930 by the Spanish thinker Ortega y Gasset, The Revolt of the Masses is a landmark work rated 8.8 on Douban. Its central concern is the rise of "the masses" in the early twentieth century and their seizure of social dominance. Ortega's "mass man" is not a class category but a state of mind: lacking self-awareness, content with mediocrity, and rejecting standards of excellence. From a philosophy-of-history perspective he diagnoses the crisis of modern civilization, arguing that the masses' direct intervention in public life and displacement of the cultural leadership of a minority elite plunges society into a barbaric "hyperdemocracy" that ultimately corrodes the value standards of civilization itself. The masses, he contends, demand rights beyond their due while ignoring corresponding responsibilities and sacrifices—an imbalance that is the deep driver of modern political upheaval. The book transcends the political analysis of its particular era to touch on an enduring dilemma inherent in democratic society: how to sustain the tension between demands for equality and elite guidance. Ortega's argument offers both prophetic warning and deep anxiety about the future of European civilization, and his thought retains its penetrating power for understanding the populist surges and cultural leveling of the contemporary internet age. Readers should note that the paired concepts of "masses" and "minority elite" are embedded in a specific historical and cultural context; they are not simple value judgments but diagnostic tools for shifts in the spiritual structure of society.

Who it's for

A good fit for

Deep readers interested in political philosophy and social theory
Thinkers seeking to understand the inherent dilemmas of modern democratic society
Cultural researchers concerned with the tension between mass culture and elite culture
Students of literature and history exploring the intellectual currents of the twentieth century

Not a good fit for

Casual readers expecting light, accessible fare
Readers impatient with abstract theoretical argument

Reading tips

Readers may first consult a biography of the author or background on Spanish intellectual history to grasp the book's historical context
Read in dialogue with Le Bon's The Crowd and Arendt's The Origins of Totalitarianism
Take notes to map the author's core concepts—"the masses," "hyperdemocracy," "barbarism"—and understand his distinctive definitions

About the publisher

Beijing Times Chinese Press China · Founded in 2011

Beijing Times Chinese Press takes classic works and prose miscellanies as an important publishing direction, along with foreign literature, social novels, Eastern philosophy and art books. Its catalogue includes such Chinese classics as Lu Xun's Call to Arms and Wandering, Xiao Hong's The Field of Life and Death, Zhang Dai's Reminiscences of Tao'an, Yuan Mei's Recipes from the Sui Garden and Hong Yingming's Caigentan, as well as foreign classics such as Ryunosuke Akutagawa's Rashomon. Among its translator resources is Wen Jieruo, whose translations provide reliable support for bringing foreign literary works into the Chinese-speaking world. While organizing traditional texts and reissuing classics, the press pays attention to readability and accessibility of editions, enabling ancient prose, notes and philosophical works to reach contemporary readers. Public information is limited; the above is only a brief account of the publishing directions reflected in the books held in the database.

版权信息
前言
第一章大众降临
第二章历史水平面上升
第三章时代的高度
第四章生命潜力的提升
第五章一项统计学真相
第六章大众人研究报告
第七章贵族生活和大众生活，或勤力与惰性
第八章大众干预一切，并且为何暴力是其唯一的手段
第九章原始与技术
第十章原始主义和历史
第十一章妄自尊大的时代
第十二章 “专业化”的野蛮主义
第十三章国家：最大的危险
第十四章谁统治着世界？
第十五章直面真正的问题

FAQ

How does Ortega's concept of "the masses" differ from the Marxist "masses of the people"?

Ortega's "mass man" denotes a personality type content with mediocrity and lacking self-demand, defined by spiritual state rather than economic class; the Marxist "masses of the people" mainly refers to the oppressed producing class, emphasizing its historical progressiveness. The two operate on different analytical dimensions.

Does this book help in understanding group phenomena in the age of social media?

It is highly illuminating. Ortega's critique of the masses' direct intervention in the public sphere and erosion of professional thresholds parallels today's online populism and anti-intellectualism. His warning about "barbarism"—civilized standards drowned by sheer numbers—is worth pondering in the digital age.

Why is this book said to transcend its specific historical context?

Because Ortega grasps an enduring paradox of democratic society: if demands for equality expand without limit, they may erode the standards of excellence and ethic of responsibility that sustain civilization. This vigilance against "excessive democracy" retains reflective value in any era when the masses gain the right to expression.

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About the author

何塞·奥尔特加·加塞特 Author

José Ortega y Gasset is a Spanish thinker. The Revolt of the Masses is his most representative work and, at present, the only one of his books included on this site. The book is classified as political writing. It addresses the problems that public life faces after the rise of mass society, with discussion extending to social structure and political order. Its prose shows a clear philosophical and speculative character, excelling in conceptual analysis and overall judgment rather than in the accumulation of materials. As far as publicly available Chinese-language sources are concerned, records of his life and education are quite limited, so no details are added here. What can be affirmed is that The Revolt of the Masses has long been regarded as one of the frequently cited works in twentieth-century political thought, and its discussion of the relationship between the masses and politics still offers reference value for understanding public issues in modern society.

马楠 Author

Ma Nan, about whom limited public information is available, focuses on practical fields such as politics, finance and economics, management, examinations and construction, with five works held in the collection. Representative titles include The Revolt of the Masses, together with a series of practical books on construction cost and engineering procurement contracting pricing, such as the Application Guide to the Pricing Code for Engineering Procurement Contracting of Construction Projects, the Exam Guide and Mock Questions for Construction Measurement and Pricing Practice (Civil Engineering and Building Construction), and the Exam Guide and Mock Questions for Fundamentals of Construction Cost Management. Ma Nan also contributed to Market Research and Analysis (2nd Edition). The works combine theoretical reflection with industry practice, addressing social and political issues while serving professional study and vocational examinations in construction cost and market research, showing a cross-disciplinary, practice-oriented approach.