The Revolt of the Masses (La rebelión de las masas) is awork of philosophy written by Spanish writer, philosopher and essayist José Ortega y Gasset in 1929. It deals with the problem of mass education and the development of technology that is available to everybody which leads to equalization of social classes and to individualism. This process creates the mass man, who benefits from the technological progress and has access to education. The mass man becomes the key figure in shaping modern society. He believes that he is entitled to all these amenities but does not put in efforts into his self-improvement or the betterment of others. According to Ortega y Gasset, if a society lacks hierarchical systems that require differentiation and selection, then society as a whole decays.
Ortega y Gasset defines social elites in this book, which are people who have achieved personal excellence through work, ambition, and dedication. However, he warns about the dangers of the average person taking over, as it leads to the loss of individuality and creativity. He suggests that mass culture devalues intellectual and creative values and creates a homogenous society. This process has the potential to threaten liberal democracy if the masses impose their lower standards on the elites. The Revolt of the Masses calls for an increase in educational standards and emphasizes the importance of personal improvement. It also points out that technological progress is often associated with cultural regression, and that a lack of selection leads to the rise of average individuals who do not contribute anything to society. In conclusion, this book is a warning against mass culture and the need for a new system of values in modern society. The Revolt of the Masses has had great influence on the study of sociology and other social sciences. It has also inspired numerous thinkers, including thinkers like Karl Popper, who developed the theory of methodological individualism and the Open Society as a response to it. Today, this book remains relevant due to the continuing debate over mass culture (mass communication, popular culture) and mass education in Western societies, as technology and globalization continue to shape our world.
