Dear Jimbo and F,
The link below provides a pdf of Ortega y Gasset's "The Revolt of The Masses."
The link below provides a pdf of Ortega y Gasset's "The Revolt of The Masses."
Pax on both houses: "The Revolt Of The Masses": Is Ortega y Gasset ...
However, before reading the text, it is useful to explore my three posts about this notable Spanish philosopher.
However, before reading the text, it is useful to explore my three posts about this notable Spanish philosopher.
Jose Ortega Y Gasset's "Rebellion Of The Masses" - Pax on both houses
The Revolt of the Masses - Wikipedia
José Ortega y Gasset - Wikipedia
In his prefatory note to "La Rebelión De Las Masas," Ortega y Gasset says: "My purpose now is to collect and complete what I have already said, so as to produce an organic doctrine concerning the most important fact of our time."
Although I cannot confirm Ortega's absolute accuracy identifying "the most important fact of our time," the "revolt of the masses" is a leading contender, and - in my mind - his analysis is precisely predictive of the social (or shall I say anti-social) political milieu that has resulted in the ascendancy of Trump with his boorishness, ignorance, contempt-for-knowledge and gleeful cruelty.
In his prefatory note to "La Rebelión De Las Masas," Ortega y Gasset says: "My purpose now is to collect and complete what I have already said, so as to produce an organic doctrine concerning the most important fact of our time."
Although I cannot confirm Ortega's absolute accuracy identifying "the most important fact of our time," the "revolt of the masses" is a leading contender, and - in my mind - his analysis is precisely predictive of the social (or shall I say anti-social) political milieu that has resulted in the ascendancy of Trump with his boorishness, ignorance, contempt-for-knowledge and gleeful cruelty.
It's Time To Replace The Phrase "American Conservative" With "American Cruelist"
In a nutshell, "the masses" - starting in the late 19th century - became unconsciously contemptuous of cultured people, people who actually "knew things," people who used their well-of-knowledge to create the material advancements craved by the uneducated "masses."
Newly-inebriated by the discovery that they could sell their labor to the highest industrial bidder, the masses were, for the first time in history, able "to take care of themselves" without a workplace patron, and soon disregarded the previous social hierarchy.
Too poorly educated to understand the depth, breadth and critical importance of trans-generational culture, the uneducated have come to threaten "ordered society itself" through inordinate focus on purchaseable pleasures without any overarching sense of cultural or historical meaning.
Increasingly skewed by a way of life intent on material gratification, the "social" citizens of yesteryear morphed into isolated "consumer units" dedicated to continual enhancement of their personal "pleasure domes."
Welcome to Xanadu.
"Education" And "Instruction" Are Antipodal Enterprises
http://paxonbothhouses.blogspo
Not only were "the masses" devoid of intellectual accomplishment and intellectual rigor, they quickly became hubristically proud of their ability to be self-provident and, as a corollary of their single-minded focus on - and pride in - their ability to provide for themselves, they became implicitly (and sometimes explicitly) contemptuous of any social order that pretended to know better than they did.
The upshot has been the ongoing decline and threatening collapse of the social order.
'Bring on the six gun" and laud every man or woman "courageous" enough to "stand his ground" - even if mostly dark-skinned people end up dead.
Who can argue with the dimwitted proposition that "common sense" demands self-interest to the exclusion of The Common Good, The General Welfare and a Social Contract?
According to "the masses," it is not necessary to study, to acquire factual information, or to think things through in light of learning.
Similarly, there is no longer need to understand human life in light of paradox, irony and historical perpective.
"Default myopia" is enough.
It's "just common sense."
Enter any populist or fascist capable of muttering these three "magic words" and intelligence itself ends up on the trash heap of history.
In the absence of education, bluster, bombast and bigotry win the day.
I hope my rough summary does not do grave injustice to Ortega y Gasset.
Pax vobiscum
Alan
In a nutshell, "the masses" - starting in the late 19th century - became unconsciously contemptuous of cultured people, people who actually "knew things," people who used their well-of-knowledge to create the material advancements craved by the uneducated "masses."
Newly-inebriated by the discovery that they could sell their labor to the highest industrial bidder, the masses were, for the first time in history, able "to take care of themselves" without a workplace patron, and soon disregarded the previous social hierarchy.
Too poorly educated to understand the depth, breadth and critical importance of trans-generational culture, the uneducated have come to threaten "ordered society itself" through inordinate focus on purchaseable pleasures without any overarching sense of cultural or historical meaning.
Increasingly skewed by a way of life intent on material gratification, the "social" citizens of yesteryear morphed into isolated "consumer units" dedicated to continual enhancement of their personal "pleasure domes."
Welcome to Xanadu.
"Education" And "Instruction" Are Antipodal Enterprises
http://paxonbothhouses.blogspo
http://paxonbothhouses.blogspo
Not only were "the masses" devoid of intellectual accomplishment and intellectual rigor, they quickly became hubristically proud of their ability to be self-provident and, as a corollary of their single-minded focus on - and pride in - their ability to provide for themselves, they became implicitly (and sometimes explicitly) contemptuous of any social order that pretended to know better than they did.
The upshot has been the ongoing decline and threatening collapse of the social order.
'Bring on the six gun" and laud every man or woman "courageous" enough to "stand his ground" - even if mostly dark-skinned people end up dead.
'Bring on the six gun" and laud every man or woman "courageous" enough to "stand his ground" - even if mostly dark-skinned people end up dead.
Who can argue with the dimwitted proposition that "common sense" demands self-interest to the exclusion of The Common Good, The General Welfare and a Social Contract?
According to "the masses," it is not necessary to study, to acquire factual information, or to think things through in light of learning.
According to "the masses," it is not necessary to study, to acquire factual information, or to think things through in light of learning.
Similarly, there is no longer need to understand human life in light of paradox, irony and historical perpective.
"Default myopia" is enough.
It's "just common sense."
Enter any populist or fascist capable of muttering these three "magic words" and intelligence itself ends up on the trash heap of history.
In the absence of education, bluster, bombast and bigotry win the day.
In the absence of education, bluster, bombast and bigotry win the day.
I hope my rough summary does not do grave injustice to Ortega y Gasset.
Pax vobiscum
Alan
Pax vobiscum
Alan
No comments:
Post a Comment