Omer Case

By using the word masses, Ortega y Gasset means some people and not the majority. Ideally, he uses the term because he generalizes those he feels are of no good to a society. He perceives that the accession of such individuals to social power has meant the suffering of the majority. In addition, Ortega y Gasset uses the term mass man to refer to the product of the success. As a matter of fact, this is a person who is born into a highly refined and complex civilization. Basically, mass man is a primitive who assumes the historical struggles that have contributed to the realization of modern age. Thus, the mass man manipulates the instruments of modern age as is they are magical wands. All in all, he is delighted with himself and presents self-satisfaction.

He considers that the period of history in which he is living is careless and sloppy. As a matter of fact, the human type that is living during his period of history is composed of such traits as freeness of constraints and hardship or self-satisfaction. According to him, these are ills that were not frequent before. As a result, he feels that he is in living in an era of decadence because the masses have decided to move to the foreground of the social life. Furthermore, they have occupied the places, enjoyed the pleasures up till then reserved to the few, and used the instruments. For instance, he claims, there are places that were never meant for the multitude but which the crowd is endlessly overflowing. According to him, this is a manifestation to human's eyes in the clearest manner of the new phenomenon. People living in his period of history are clearly enjoying more than before. All together, he believes to be living in age decadence.

According to him, the great danger for civilization of the cultural, social and political dominance of the masses is the eventual crisis that emanate from the accession of masses to absolute social power. The accession is of no good to the achievements and success of civilization. Indeed, towns and other places are continually filling up with mass man. In addition, the multitude is claiming possession of instruments as well as the places created by civilization. So, according to him, this represents a great danger because such persons do not benefit the society in any way.

Totally, I agree with his comprehension of civilization. Throughout the today's world, liberal democracy as well as scientific-technological advances has generated a new type of personality. This personality does not care about the achievements made so far but continue to enjoy the things the civilization develops. Thus, civilization has contributed to sloppiness that characterizes the new type of personality, and this is a danger fir the new power. In addition, civilization has contributed to overcrowding of certain regions while others remain sparsely occupied. Thus, some areas appear to become visible as people occupy preferential positions in society.

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