Ortega’s ‘The Revolt of the Masses’

Sound Bite

In this brief history of philosophy Gonzalez demonstrates the genius of Ortega y Gasset and the relevance of his work, The Revolt of the Masses, and the social/political categories he articulates, in light of today’s moral, spiritual and intellectual bankruptcy.

About the Book

This book is first and foremost a detailed and meticulous study of Ortega y Gasset's The Revolt of the Masses (1930). No other relevant, up-to-date books explore this thinker and his great work. Most importantly, the author demonstrates the relevance and importance of Ortega y Gasset's thought and his The Revolt of the Masses for today's world, showing, for instance, how Ortega's categories like "mass man" and "decadence" have been vindicated by today's spiritual, moral and cultural decay.

What Ortega argues for in his brief history of philosophy is something that he has otherwise made explicit throughout his work, mainly his conviction that, strictly speaking, philosophy as an activity or manner of thinking that faces naked reality, holistically, ended long ago with the ancient Greeks.

All subsequent philosophical endeavors have been merely a rehashing or an academic commentary on the pre-existing philosophical canon. This latter activity he saw as pertaining to the history of philosophy, but he did not regard it as philosophy. Philosophy, as a vital and life-forging way of life, he argued, had played out its originality, and thus had run its course, long ago.With a glossary of special terms as used by Ortega, and with references to Albert Camus, Gabriel Marcel, C.S. Lewis, Friedrich Nietzsche, Josef Pieper, and others, this work is a fundamental tool for any student of Ortega, of existentialism, and 20th-century European philosophy.

Glossary

Footnotes

Bibliography

Index

Introduction

T. S. Eliot begins his introduction to Josef Pieper's seminal work Leisure: The Basis of Culture by invoking the contemporary state of philosophy. Eliot, who is hardly a new comer to the discipline, frames the question in a manner that takes into consideration technical matters and where this venerable discipline found itself during the middle of the twentieth century. But more importantly, Eliot addresses the fundamental question of temperament and philosophical vocation. He looks to an ideal time when the day will dawn again when a philosopher will come forth 'whose writings, lectures and personality will arouse the imagination.' But even more relevant to our present condition, Eliot explains, is that philosophy must begin again to exercise its former, more meaningful etymology ' 'the need for new authority to express insight and wisdom.' It was not many years later that several such figures would begin to make headway in at least some of Eliot's prescribed categories: Sartre, Camus, Marcel and Jaspers come to mind as embodying aspects of the aforementioned philosophic qualities. With the notable exception of Sartre, history has vindicated these other figures for their insight and wisdom. Ostensibly, Eliot goes on to say that at the end of any philosophical process what remains ' in fact, what allows for insight and wisdom ' is what makes philosophy indispensable to reality: common sense. Thus, a restoration of the philosophical discipline must contain enough respect for the dignity of man ' individual subjects ' to garner other possible alternatives beyond the currently destructive 'biological entity' and the unprecedented surge in anti-humanism. A fine start to the restoration of philosophy as well as the humanities is a renewed concept of man as an end in itself. Man cannot continue to be subservient to utility. Pieper cites the august Goethe: 'I have never bothered or asked in what way I was useful to society as a whole; I contented myself with expressing what I recognized as good and true. That has certainly been useful in a wide circle; but that was not the aim; it was the necessary result.' When Pieper writes, 'leisure, it must be remembered, is not a Sunday afternoon idyll, but the preserve of freedom, of education and culture, and of that undiminished humanity which views the world as a whole.' This recalls Jos© Ortega y Gasset's exaltation of the self in his description of the aforementioned in Meditations On Quixote. In that work the reader is summoned to listen to the 'pounding of his own heart.' Here the emphasis is on reflective silence. What Ortega sets out to describe in Meditations On Quixote is nothing short of a phenomenological analysis of the self. This task, however, like most phenomenological/existential approaches to life, proved to be short-circuited by the very weight of the words used to describe it. Initially, we are shocked to notice the silence of the forest. Yet what we notice is not so much silence but the absence of sound. Reality, in this sense, is encountered as a negation of the ever-present bustle, the clamorous daily world of man. This absence of environmental impetus forces us to experience not an absolute silence, for Ortega argues that this can never be achieved, but rather a form of silence that directs a reflective gaze to itself. What initially seems like an occasion for reflection, in many cases, Ortega goes on to argue, becomes an uneasy, even an existentially heavy burden. When the external noise gives way to such a surprising and challenging silence, 'all this is disturbing because it has too concrete a meaning.'Yet this concreteness is not encompassed by 'theory.' It is instead a lived vitality. What is encountered in this silence is the fragile and radical strain of the self stripped of all societal trappings. This is not man as homo faber, but rather as an entity that does not readily know how to react to this naked existence ' and who consequently knows not what to do. A possible antidote Ortega suggests for this often frightening experience is to bargain for a form of silence that is 'purely decorative,' where 'unidentifiable sounds are heard.' To fill this silence we must cross back into the clamor and noise of preoccupation with the social, that is, with external reality ' we must lose ourselves in things. This might be regrettable, Ortega argues, but this signifies the common way of life for most people.

Meditations on Quixote achieves precisely what it sets out to achieve: a meditation. The book is a meditation on the nature of human reality and how this is appropriated by man. But if Ortega argues that man is a social entity, he also establishes the conditions for this social interchange to take place. What is important, however, in this social friction, if not fracture, is equanimity. The corresponding pole of man's social (or what amounts to his external) condition is garnered by the interiority that he recognizes in himself. It is the latter that is encountered when external worldly clamor is refused its sensual stranglehold on man.

What is gained instead, after the temptation of popular noise has been effaced, is nothing less than existential human autonomy. Ortega explains autonomy as the possession of an inward sense of life. This inward turn where the seemingly biological and external public persona becomes self-aware is the true starting point of all philosophical activity.

Yet philosophy, Ortega is quick to point out, is not just a process that seeks to uncover the profound, but also one that is equally concerned with the spurious or superficial aspects of the human condition. When he refers to seeing he does suggest that it is merely a sensorial function. The eye only 'intends' and in doing so it removes the object out of what is up to that point an undistinguishable multiplicity. Thus to casually glance over things negates the inward, three-dimensional quality of reality.

 

But equally damaging to the inherent structure of reality is its careless dismembering, where what is left is a vacuous transparency. Ortega explains: And if we succeed in obtaining layers so thin that our eyes can see through them, then we do not see either the depth or the surface, but a perfect transparency, or what is the same thing, nothing. For just as depth needs a surface beneath which to be concealed, the surface or outer cover, in order to be that, needs something over which to spread, to cover.

Ortega, like Pieper, recognizes the objectifying nature of work. The concern is not with the value of work itself, because this much Ortega views as a positive having-to-do that safeguards most people from the devastating effects of idleness and boredom. Instead, the objectifying aspect of work has to do with its ability to remove us from ourselves, as it were. He makes this clear in The Modern Theme, where he views modernity as a form of ushering man out of himself and displacing his vital grace with artificiality....

Table content

By Way of an Introduction

Philosophy in the First Half of the Twentieth Century

Chapter 1. Revisiting The Revolt of the Masses

And Just Who Is the New Man?

The Effort Toward Perfection

Chapter 2. Ortega's Notion of Mass Man and Noble Man

Life Presents Itself to the New Man as Exempt from Restrictions

The Spirit of Self-Sacrifice

Chapter 3. Subjectivity and Mass Culture

In Search of Goethe from Within

Life as Reflective Task

The Heroic Stance

Vacations from the Human Condition

The Nay-Saying Naturmensch

Chapter 4. Toward a Celebration of Man's Achievements

Ortega's Ideas about Science

Chapter 5. Toward an Aesthetics of Life

Chapter 6. Nihilism and Collective Banality

Chapter 7. Authenticity and Borrowed Opinions: The Bloated Ship of State

'The Whole World is Demoralized 

Chapter 8. Mass Man: The Triumph of the New Man?

We Arrive at the Real Question

Chapter 9. The New Man: Parody of Genuine Individualism

A Dearth of Sincere Sentiment

Existential Freedom is a Tenuous Thing

Pure Reason and Vital Life: A Case of Socratic Irony

Irrationalism, Sensualism and the Triumph of Despotic Political Correctness

Chapter 10. Mass Man's Existential Revolt and the Future of Human Freedom

The Flight from Human Reality

Embracing 'Post-Intelligibility,' Contradictions and Incoherence

A Surplus of Entertainment and Phantom Leisure

Glossary of Terms in Ortega's The Revolt of the Masses

Bibliography

Information

Pedro Blas Gonzalez demonstrates the genius of Spanish philosopher Ortega y Gasset, and the relevance of his seminal work The Revolt of the Masses and the social/political categories he articulates, in light of today’s moral, spiritual and intellectual bankruptcy.

Reinterpreting a Masterpiece for the Modern Age

Ortega, a 20th-century philosopher and humanist, was a driving force in Spain’s cultural and literary renaissance. Prof. Gonzalez offers fresh insights into Ortega’s critique of mass society and highlights the relevance of this outstanding work to contemporary life. Written in a context where Spain was being buffeted from monarchism to republicanism to dictatorship, themes include Ortega’s Mass Man and Noble Man; nihilism and collective banality; logic, reason and truth versus mass man’s penchant for violent and irrational irreverence; and barbarism versus the trend of civilization.

By expanding upon Ortega’s ideas, Gonzalez introduces the concept of “the New Man” as a counterpoint to the conformist tendencies of modern mass culture, providing readers with a vision of individuality and intellectual renewal.

The Danger of Mass Conformity

Ortega's original critique warned against the rise of mass society—a world dominated by mediocrity, a sense of entitlement, and the decline of personal responsibility. These themes, which Ortega articulated early in the 20th century, are now deeply ingrained in our cultural and technological landscape. From social media’s influence on thought to the erosion of critical reasoning, Prof. Gonzalez (Philosophy, Barry University) brings Ortega’s ideas into the 21st century with thought-provoking clarity.

The Vision of the New Man

Gonzalez’s addition to Ortega’s framework is the concept of the New Man, an ideal rooted in self-awareness, creativity, and the pursuit of intellectual and moral excellence. The New Man seeks to transcend the shallow values of mass culture by cultivating individuality and living a life guided by purpose. Gonzalez paints a vivid picture of this archetype, offering inspiration for readers looking to reclaim their intellectual and personal freedom.

A Call to Rediscover Individuality

Gonzalez critiques the pervasive groupthink, materialism, and passive consumption that define much of modern society. His analysis urges readers to challenge these norms and embrace a path of intellectual and philosophical growth. He positions the New Man as a response to the conformity of the masses, embodying the values of reason, authenticity, and self-determination.

Timeless Lessons for a Changing World

Ortega's "The Revolt of the Masses" and the Triumph of the New Man bridges the philosophical insights of the past with the challenges of the present. Gonzalez’s thoughtful interpretation and accessible style make this book a vital resource for students of philosophy, cultural critics, and anyone seeking a deeper understanding of the forces shaping modern society.

A Guiding Star for Thinkers and Seekers

Whether you are familiar with Ortega’s work or discovering his ideas for the first time, Gonzalez’s analysis offers profound lessons for navigating the complexities of the modern world. With a glossary of special terms as used by Ortega, and with references to Albert Camus, T. S. Eliot, Gabriel Marcel, C.S. Lewis, Friedrich Nietzsche, Josef Pieper, and others, this work is a fundamental tool for any student of Ortega, of existentialism, and 20th-century European philosophy.

This book challenges readers to reject mediocrity, embrace individuality, and strive for a life of intellectual and moral integrity.