The Revolt of the Masses

Ortega y Gasset's diagnosis of modern mass society — arguing that the triumph of the 'mass man' (technically capable but culturally barbaric) threatens civilizational standards.

The mass man diagnosis: Ortega distinguishes between the 'noble man' (who demands much of himself, sets himself high standards) and the 'mass man' (who makes no demands on himself, is satisfied with what he is, and demands rights without accepting responsibilities). The mass man's rise to political power — enabled by democracy, technology, and material abundance — degrades standards across every domain. Not an argument against democracy per se but against the cultural conditions that produce mass men. Still one of the best diagnoses of how expertise in one domain can coexist with barbarism in others.