The missing revolt of the masses

In 1929, the Spanish philosopher José Ortega y Gasset published "The Revolt of the Masses", a book where he described the behavior of a new class of citizens, the mass-people (he used the term mass-men, but I have taken the liberty of updating the nomenclature to the 21st century), who, satisfied with the degree of happiness that the society has provided, find themselves empty of any belief or challenge and devote their attention to the aimless consumption of their own well being. Ortega was mostly warning against the moral weakness that the widespread access to leisure could instill in society, but the book lends itself to a surprisingly actual reading if we replace the restaurants, theaters and parks with the mass media and, in particular, the social networks.

Ortega is undoubtedly an heir to a long tradition of illustrated thinkers who are painfully aware of the malleability of the masses, to the point of defending the elitism of a well-educated minority which is much better prepared to rule the destiny of any nation much better that the uneducated masses. Although it is not frequently pointed out, he made it very clear that the division is not on the bases of social class, because also among the prosperous bourgeois there are many who are content with living the life of comfort they have earned for themselves (or inherited), while completely disregarding the social reality around them. Conversely, there are also people who, even if they lack formal education, have instructed themselves over time and become fully competent in the tasks of government.

Photo: Alberto Mari

The current design of the social networks, working as echo chambers thanks to their filter bubbles, contributes to the creation of these mass-people by feeding them precisely the information they are looking for, reinforcing their beliefs and suppressing their need to evolve. We have reached more diversity than ever, but we are not aware of it because the networks have segmented us into ever smaller groups of people with unbelievable similarities in their ideas and tastes.

In the past, the ruling elite was troubled by the variety of opinions among the citizens and tried to coerce them into their view by pushing the idea of erudition as determinant of one's ability to exercise power. The mass media, particularly the newspapers in Ortega's time, were used to inform the public about what was the "right" opinion. Nowadays, the ruling elite does not even bother to try to convince us. Instead, they operate largely in the dark and with extensive use of propaganda, with the main goal to avoid the control of the citizens.

And while all this happens in the centers of power, the people just entertain themselves in ways that are bound to become cruder and cruder in time before they turn up. When the key to the printing presses was in the hands of a few publishers or newspaper editors it was possible to hold to certain standards. It did not mean at all that everything good got published or that nothing unworthy did, and the political agendas played a huge role in the decision making, but it was certainly not in everybody's hand to get a book published. Back in the 20th century, when the restaurants and cafés were finally accessible to everyone there was a period of turmoil where the clientele and the services provided did not align properly: some new patrons were not in a position to appreciate the fine dining and therefore they were upset when they saw the bill. But eventually the industry sorted itself out and produce a range of services from the least to most demanding palates. It is true that a fast food joint might sound vulgar to the sybarite, but it not intended for their patronage either.

In the same way, the internet will eventually segment itself, with certain sites curating the quality of their offerings to please the most selective readers, while others will provide free rein to anyone willing to dump their thoughts or just a hasty rant. And, if the past is any indication of the future, there will probably be a public to pay attention to all these segments (or at least for some of them, while the least successful ones will eventually die out). I am fully aware that this blog is not exactly an example of popular success, but it was never meant to be. It probably belongs to the second class, the group of products that elicit little to no interest in the public at large, but as long as I am not forced to actually pay for the publication I will continue to bring it on a regular basis at least to unload my mind. Have a nice evening.