A critique of the culture of the masses in Ortega y Gasset’s philosophy

Abstract

The aim of the article is to reveal the fundamental propositions of a critique of the culture of the masses developed in the philosophy of a prominent Spanish thinker José Ortega y Gasset, to explore the main tendencies, features and ethical principles of the coming of the masses in the 20th century. The article consists of four parts. The first two parts explore the sources and manifestations of cultural crisis in society which are disclosed through a critique of the mass-man’s worldview. It is argued that cultural crisis is caused by the accession of the masses and their growing influence in social life, which, in essence, undermines the foundations of authentic culture and spiritual values. From the perspective of this thinker’s cultural philosophy, an attempt is made to assess the present state of Western culture in the context of mass consumer society. At the end of the article an emphasis is laid on a link between culture and man’s life as well as culture and creative activity, which helps define the conception of elite culture in Ortega’s philosophy. The conclusion is made that through the commodification of cultural symbols and values mass culture disseminates anti-cultural, anti-religious, and anti-life ideas which are detrimental to a man’s spiritual development, social ethics, and the development of the history of civilization.