The revolt of the masses
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Question
The 'revolt of the masses'?
Answer
The mass man taking over the centre of public life and imposing average tastes everywhere, without deferring to anyone.
Question
Is the revolt a violent uprising?
Answer
No — it's a quiet takeover of who sets the tone of a society, not a riot.
Question
The core change in the revolt?
Answer
The mass man stops deferring to expertise and assumes his own untrained opinion is as good as the expert's.
Question
What is 'deference' for Ortega?
Answer
Willingly accepting the lead of those with greater skill or knowledge — which the mass has abandoned.
Question
The result of the revolt?
Answer
Average taste becomes the measure of everything — in politics, art and science alike.
Question
One reason Ortega has a point?
Answer
Some questions really do need expertise (you want a trained surgeon, not a vote), and confident ignorance is a real danger.
Question
One reason Ortega sounds like a snob?
Answer
'Ordinary people should defer' can prop up unfair elites, and distrust of experts is sometimes healthy.
Question
The tension with democracy?
Answer
Ortega isn't against voting, but 'the masses should defer' can slide into contempt for equal say — separate his good point from that.
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Topic 10.7 hub
The Revolt of the Masses — Ortega y Gasset
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