Rating: 
Summary: Maybe the best book of this century
Review: I think many of the reveiwers miss the point of this book almost entirely. Its reaction to communism/fascism is a small part of the book, not the central feature at all. This book is a brilliantly written indictment of modern European (and that includes North American) civilization. According to the author we have always been plagued by the fact that most people are mediocre at best. The problem now is that these mediocre people are PROUD that they are as they are and refuse to recongize, in fact they revile, the excellent among us. The author makes no goofy theories as to who is excellent (like Neitshze did by awarding that prize to the decadent artistocrats of his day) except to say they are those who push themselves towards excellence. So readers of John Grisham and viewers of Friends need not apply...
Rating:
Summary: The Menace of the Herd.
Review: In _The Revolt of the Masses_, Ortega y Gasset offers us a powerful diagnosis of the modern European political arena - the rise of the mass-man. Ortega y Gasset refers to a kind of "hyper-democracy" in which the mass-man has risen to such a degree that he now takes upon himself the cutural areas formerly reserved only for the nobility. Rather than believing that he is granted certain rights, the mass-man now assumes that he is entitled to those rights as a given. This has led to an overwhelming mediocricy among leaders. Furthermore, a reign of specialization, with an increasing number of men ("specialists") who know more and more about less and less, has brought us to a dangerous point in world history. Ortega y Gasset contends that the masses intervene in everything and that their form of intervention is solely by means of violence. He suggests that a new form of primitivism exists in which civilization is just assumed as there, in a similar way to which nature is taken as given for the primitive. He also points out the dangers of technicism and statism, which both are the direct consequence of the rise of the mass-man. Europe no longer can hold its position of world dominance, but according to Gasset this is lamentable only because nothing has arisen to take its place. Ortega y Gasset discusses and finds problematic both Bolshevism and Fascism. The idea of what constitutes nation is discussed, and Gasset concludes that it is not solely ethnic, cultural, or linguistic in nature. Ortega y Gasset concludes that European culture suffers from certain "defects" and that it is in these defects that the root of this phenomenon of the mass culture can be found. By determining exactly what these are and finding a moral code for Europe, this difficulty can be overcome. This book provides much food for thought, especially for those troubled by the ever-growing difficulties associated with over-crowding, specialization, and the decline of high culture.
Rating:
Summary: The Menace of the Herd.
Review: In _The Revolt of the Masses_, Ortega y Gasset offers us a powerful diagnosis of the modern European political arena - the rise of the mass-man. Ortega y Gasset refers to a kind of "hyper-democracy" in which the mass-man has risen to such a degree that he now takes upon himself the cutural areas formerly reserved only for the nobility. Rather than believing that he is granted certain rights, the mass-man now assumes that he is entitled to those rights as a given. This has led to an overwhelming mediocricy among leaders. Furthermore, a reign of specialization, with an increasing number of men ("specialists") who know more and more about less and less, has brought us to a dangerous point in world history. Ortega y Gasset contends that the masses intervene in everything and that their form of intervention is solely by means of violence. He suggests that a new form of primitivism exists in which civilization is just assumed as there, in a similar way to which nature is taken as given for the primitive. He also points out the dangers of technicism and statism, which both are the direct consequence of the rise of the mass-man. Europe no longer can hold its position of world dominance, but according to Gasset this is lamentable only because nothing has arisen to take its place. Ortega y Gasset discusses and finds problematic both Bolshevism and Fascism. The idea of what constitutes nation is discussed, and Gasset concludes that it is not solely ethnic, cultural, or linguistic in nature. Ortega y Gasset concludes that European culture suffers from certain "defects" and that it is in these defects that the root of this phenomenon of the mass culture can be found. By determining exactly what these are and finding a moral code for Europe, this difficulty can be overcome. This book provides much food for thought, especially for those troubled by the ever-growing difficulties associated with over-crowding, specialization, and the decline of high culture.
Rating:
Summary: Uniformity is good, all else should be suppressed ????
Review: José Ortega y Gasset (1883-1955) was a well-known Spanish philosopher, and this is one of his best books. He wrote "The revolt of the masses" in 1930, but that book is still very useful to analyze reality in many countries, despite the fact that the author intended to study only the situation in Europe...What is the subject of this book?. Well, the subject is the advent to power in Europe of what he calls the mass-men, who, according to him, are characterized by being just like everybody else. The mass-men have always existed, but whereas in the past they allowed the men of excellence to direct society, now they claim all the power. Ortega y Gasset says that what is new is that "the commonplace mind, knowing itself to be commonplace, has the assurance to proclaim the rights of the commonplace and to impose them wherever it will". Thus, the mass-men claim that everything that is different needs to be crushed: uniformity is good, all else should be suppressed. But are the mass-men capable of leading society?. According to the author, they aren't. He displays an enormous amount of elitism when he affirms that the culture of the mass-man isn't true culture, because there isn't culture where there are no standards to which anybody can make an appeal. He gives an example of the modern mass-man when he points out what was happening then under Fascism, due to the fact that "there appears for the first time in Europe a type of man who does not want to give reasons or to be right, but simply shows himself resolved to impose his opinions". Ortega says that the way the mass-man behaves in public life arises from his psychological structure. Each mass-man considers "his moral and intellectual endowment as excellent, complete". As a result, he doesn't listen to others, because his "intimate feeling of power urges him always to exercise predominance. He will act then as if he and his like were the only beings existing in the world" and will try to impose his point of view on everything. Does that sound familiar to you?. Ortega was talking about something that was happening in the 1930's, but...couldn't what he said also be applied to some of the things that happen nowadays?. I really liked this book, despite the fact that I certainly don't agree with everything that the author wrote. For example, I think that everybody can learn if they want to do so, and that elitism isn't the way to change things. However, I think that Ortega noticed a danger that was present in his society, and that we still have in ours: lack of communication, and a tendence to impose opinions on others. In this review I have only made a few remarks regarding some of the points Ortega y Gasset discusses in "The revolt of the masses". Notwithstanding that, you will find that he talks about much more. All in all, I highly recommend "The revolt of the masses"... You might not agree with the author, but you need to read the book :) Belen Alcat
Rating:
Summary: Uniformity is good, all else should be suppressed ????
Review: José Ortega y Gasset (1883-1955) was a well-known Spanish philosopher, and this is one of his best books. He wrote "The revolt of the masses" in 1930, but that book is still very useful to analyze reality in many countries, despite the fact that the author intended to study only the situation in Europe... What is the subject of this book?. Well, the subject is the advent to power in Europe of what he calls the mass-men, who, according to him, are characterized by being just like everybody else. The mass-men have always existed, but whereas in the past they allowed the men of excellence to direct society, now they claim all the power. Ortega y Gasset says that what is new is that "the commonplace mind, knowing itself to be commonplace, has the assurance to proclaim the rights of the commonplace and to impose them wherever it will". Thus, the mass-men claim that everything that is different needs to be crushed: uniformity is good, all else should be suppressed. But are the mass-men capable of leading society?. According to the author, they aren't. He displays an enormous amount of elitism when he affirms that the culture of the mass-man isn't true culture, because there isn't culture where there are no standards to which anybody can make an appeal. He gives an example of the modern mass-man when he points out what was happening then under Fascism, due to the fact that "there appears for the first time in Europe a type of man who does not want to give reasons or to be right, but simply shows himself resolved to impose his opinions". Ortega says that the way the mass-man behaves in public life arises from his psychological structure. Each mass-man considers "his moral and intellectual endowment as excellent, complete". As a result, he doesn't listen to others, because his "intimate feeling of power urges him always to exercise predominance. He will act then as if he and his like were the only beings existing in the world" and will try to impose his point of view on everything. Does that sound familiar to you?. Ortega was talking about something that was happening in the 1930's, but...couldn't what he said also be applied to some of the things that happen nowadays?. I really liked this book, despite the fact that I certainly don't agree with everything that the author wrote. For example, I think that everybody can learn if they want to do so, and that elitism isn't the way to change things. However, I think that Ortega noticed a danger that was present in his society, and that we still have in ours: lack of communication, and a tendence to impose opinions on others. In this review I have only made a few remarks regarding some of the points Ortega y Gasset discusses in "The revolt of the masses". Notwithstanding that, you will find that he talks about much more. All in all, I highly recommend "The revolt of the masses"... You might not agree with the author, but you need to read the book :) Belen Alcat
Rating:
Summary: Uniformity is good, all else should be suppressed ????
Review: Jose Ortega y Gasset (1883-1955) was a well-known Spanish philosopher, and this is one of his best books. He wrote "The revolt of the masses" in 1930, but that book is still very useful to analyze reality in many countries, despite the fact that the author intended to study only the situation in Europe...
What is the subject of this book?. Well, the subject is the advent to power in Europe of what he calls the mass-men, who, according to him, are characterized by being just like everybody else. The mass-men have always existed, but whereas in the past they allowed the men of excellence to direct society, now they claim all the power. Ortega y Gasset says that what is new is that "the commonplace mind, knowing itself to be commonplace, has the assurance to proclaim the rights of the commonplace and to impose them wherever it will". Thus, the mass-men claim that everything that is different needs to be crushed: uniformity is good, all else should be suppressed.
But are the mass-men capable of leading society?. According to the author, they are not. He displays an enormous amount of elitism when he affirms that the culture of the mass-man isn?t true culture, because there isn?t culture where there are no standards to which anybody can make an appeal. He gives an example of the modern mass-man when he points out what was happening then under Fascism, due to the fact that "there appears for the first time in Europe a type of man who does not want to give reasons or to be right, but simply shows himself resolved to impose his opinions".
Ortega says that the way the mass-man behaves in public life arises from his psychological structure. Each mass-man considers "his moral and intellectual endowment as excellent, complete". As a result, he doesn?t listen to others, and will try to impose his point of view on everything. Does that sound familiar to you?. Ortega was talking about something that was happening in the 1930?s, but...couldn?t what he said also be applied to some of the things that happen nowadays?.
I really liked this book, despite the fact that I certainly do not agree with everything that the author wrote. For example, I think that everybody can learn if they want to do so, and that elitism isn?t the way to change things. However, I think that Ortega noticed a danger that was present in his society, and that we still have in ours: lack of communication, and a tendence to impose opinions on others. In this review I have only made a few remarks regarding some of the points Ortega y Gasset discusses in "The revolt of the masses". Notwithstanding that, you will find that he talks about much more.
All in all, I highly recommend "The revolt of the masses"... You might not agree with the author, but you need to read the book :)
Belen Alcat
Rating: 
Summary: Mass Man Missive
Review: Most reviewers seem to see this book as a reaction to the rise of fascistic and nationalistic tyrannies of Mr. Ortega y Gasset's day. Fascism is a tyranny of the bourgeois. And though a tyranny is a tyranny is a tyranny, the bourgeois were the minority whom the author claimed were the progenitors and preservers of European civilization. (And for those who feel that Revolt of the Masses is Euro-centric, well you are right. That was his target audience; just read the second to last paragraph. But so what. That complaint is like denouncing the Bible as being biased towards Christians.) Additionally, the fascists, though thuggish and violent in their actions, at least made a pretense to their past and heritage (a la Rome). A far greater representation of mass man is found in the socialistic and communistic nations, then and now. Communism makes no appeal to the heritage of civilization but instead seeks to separate itself via Revolution. Additionally, communism is not a revolution of the bourgeoisie, but against it. What could be more mass man than that? In this I wish to make no defence of fascism, not in the least. But rather to form a distinction between the two and to note, sadly and a little fearfully, that though 99% of us agree that fascism is a dangerous counter to civilization, there are far too many proponents of communism still swaying the opinions of mass man for us to feel comfortable. All in all this book is a good warning to the defenders and partakers of Western Civilization and has not, in any way, become dated by the passing of the fascistic states of Europe. Danger still abounds.
Rating:
Summary: Ortega was a true sage
Review: Of any of the political texts that I have read, none comes closer to predicting what the future would be. Written in the early part of the century, Ortega presents what are (will be) the failings of mass government. From the coming of war to the prevalence of the "self-satisfied" man, the author tells of a grim future for mankind.
Rating:
Summary: Simply put: one of the best books I've ever read
Review: Ortega y Gasset had an uncanny understanding of the origins and dangers of modern mass movements. As some other reviewers have noted, this book was written in the early 30's in response to the fascist movements in Europe at the time. What is truly chilling is that, beyond predicting the unfortunate results of those fascist movements, the picture Ortega y Gasset paints of the "mass man" and how he is manipulated is still applicable to modern American marketing of both politicians and products. Like I said, one of the best books I've ever read.
Rating:
Summary: ULTRA WISE
Review: Read this book; it applies to America in the 21st century even more than it did to Europe in 1932, when it was first published. Ortega told both the commies and the fascists where to stick it way back then and showed the right path for civilization to follow, but no one listened. Above all, every person that feels misunderstood or underappreciated should read this book and find out why. They're most probably unwitting victims of the 'mass man.' Ortega isn't just any writer, the guy's a master philosopher who provides reasoned, unassailable arguments for everything he asserts--so be forewarned: this book will CHANGE YOUR LIFE and MESS WITH YOUR HEAD. Don't come with any preconceived ideas expecting to keep them, you won't be able to, not if you consider rationality a virtue.
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