The "mass man"
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Flip to reveal answersOrtega's 'mass man' — class or type?
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Question
Ortega's 'mass man' — class or type?
Answer
A TYPE of person, not a social class; an attitude found in any rank — a duke can be 'mass', a mechanic 'select'.
Question
The three marks of the mass man?
Answer
Self-satisfied, makes no demands on himself, and happy to feel 'just like everybody'.
Question
Ortega's 'spoilt child' image?
Answer
The mass man enjoys civilization's comforts as if they came free — no gratitude for the effort that built them, no duty to keep them up.
Question
What is 'self-satisfied' in the mass man?
Answer
He's pleased with himself exactly as he is — feels he's missing nothing and has nowhere to grow.
Question
Why is 'makes no demands on himself' central?
Answer
He sets himself no discipline or standard to live up to; life just drifts along easily.
Question
Ortega's real worry about the mass man?
Answer
Complacency — being so satisfied that he stops questioning, learning and being open to correction.
Question
How is the 'select' person different?
Answer
He's never quite satisfied — he keeps demanding more of himself and stays open to being wrong.
Question
One objection to Ortega's mass man?
Answer
He may just smuggle his own restless, striving values into the definition of a proper human — maybe a calm, contented life is fine.
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Full study notes for The "mass man"
Topic 10.7 hub
The Revolt of the Masses — Ortega y Gasset
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