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3.31 AVERAGE
3.31 AVERAGE
informative
reflective
What did I just read? My university professor recommended this book for a class, and I am now questioning every other recommendation. First of all, the racism. Le Bon thinks only French and British people are "civilized", while others are less developed. Next, all of the criticism of socialism, because he thinks only privileged people should have benefits and influence, especially criticizing mass education as a mean to aid people escape poverty and their social class. Ok, I understand the social and historical context of his writings, but it still doesn't sit well with me. Awful.
I was very excited to read this book because the title promises a thorough investigation into the psychology of a crowd. It’s a topic I am very invested and interested it. Yet, the book delivers nothing on that promise.
Its key points are:
1. Masses are mainly a dumb blob of people willing to do anything when addressed appropriately.
2. Masses are mobilised not by a speech full of truth and facts, but by emotion and emotion alone. Duh.
These points are talked about a lot but le Bon doesn’t go into any psychological or sociological depths worth mentioning. I learnt absolutely nothing new from this book.
I have read a few of the older key philosophical works (Montesquieu, Rousseau, Locke, Adam Smith) and usually I enjoy their universal approach to their topic, mixing philosophy, history, mythology, economics etc. Le Bon does so as well, but it adds no valuable extra information regarding the key topic. To finish it all of, I have never read any historical book with so much racism and sexism (I know, I know, it was the general view of the time, but then at least tell me something new and interesting, old white man).
Its key points are:
1. Masses are mainly a dumb blob of people willing to do anything when addressed appropriately.
2. Masses are mobilised not by a speech full of truth and facts, but by emotion and emotion alone. Duh.
These points are talked about a lot but le Bon doesn’t go into any psychological or sociological depths worth mentioning. I learnt absolutely nothing new from this book.
I have read a few of the older key philosophical works (Montesquieu, Rousseau, Locke, Adam Smith) and usually I enjoy their universal approach to their topic, mixing philosophy, history, mythology, economics etc. Le Bon does so as well, but it adds no valuable extra information regarding the key topic. To finish it all of, I have never read any historical book with so much racism and sexism (I know, I know, it was the general view of the time, but then at least tell me something new and interesting, old white man).