The Philosophy Behind Mass Societies

“Subway People” by Alexander Baxevanis is licensed under CC BY 4.0

In today’s society, there is the idea that lying is common. A culture of mistrust has been created, whether with the other or with salespeople and, most commonly, with politicians. In light of Mearsheimer’s offensive realism, lying is understood as a strategic tool of state power, being more common in political maneuvers. Hannah Arendt wrote, “Lies have always been regarded as necessary and legitimate, not only in the profession of politician or demagogue but also in that of a man of the state.” These kinds of lies result in a society lacking order and organization, that doesn’t know that it’s being deceived by its “superiors”. This is called “Mass Society“. It is a group of people who, even with their differences, are a homogeneous, undifferentiated group, erased from the diversities that compose it: a set of empty minds, ready to accept any lie told to come to them.

The Mass Society 

The mass society is a social structure generated by the capitalist mode of production. It is a consequence of progressive industrialization. It is dominated by a negative image: a group of amorphous, uninformed, and apathetic individuals becoming a homogeneous and undifferentiated group of empty minds. It is composed of a set of unknown people where there are no rules of behavior. Within this society, the lack of social ties and the isolation of the individual predominate, thus causing the loss of collective solidarity and participation of the society.

Clarifying, the mass society is like the ingredients of a cake. All individuals are different in their own way, but by putting them in a certain environment they all become the same mass. In this manner, they leave their individuality behind, becoming a homogeneous cake.

Plato’s cave

A perfect example to describe the concept of mass society is the allegory of Plato’s cave. Known internationally, the allegory of the cave places humans in a cave, from which they have never left. Chained, the only thing they can see is the wall they face, where objects are projected. The only world they know is what they are shown, being completely submissive to their ‘superiors’. If they can get out, they’ll see the truth, that the world isn’t just what they’ve been led to believe. This example fits perfectly into the concept of mass society as they are dominated and manipulated by leaders who tend to hide the truth and often lie in order to control the population.
After setting this definition, let’s talk about Hannah Arendt.

Hannah Arendt

Hannah Arendt was a German political philosopher of Jewish origins. Born on October 14, 1906 in Hannover, Germany, daughter of a non-practicing Jewish family. However, in the future she would have more contact with the Jewish culture, due to the rise of antisemitism (a form of prejudice against Semitic peoples, especially Jews) in Europe.
Marked by Nazi persecution, suffering from anti-Semitism, and statelessness, Arendt felt morally obliged to fight politically in defense of what she believed in, In addition, she did the same to study and try to understand totalitarianism, political and human rights, and the motives that led humanity to take such dark paths in the twentieth century.

Her publications and “Eichmann in Jerusalem”

Her career as a political philosopher was marked by the release of her best-known books: “The Origin of Totalitarianism”, “Eichmann in Jerusalem”, “The Human Condition”, “Truth and Politics”, among others.
In her book “Eichmann in Jerusalem“, she presented the concept of the Banality of Evil, a theory somewhat controversial, and still misunderstood.
As a reporter for The New Yorker magazine, Arendt was present at the trial of Adolf Eichmann, who had been kidnapped by Argentine Israeli intelligence in 1960, and later found guilty of war crimes and hanged. Contrary to what she thought she would find, Arendt concluded that Eichmann was simply a man, not a monster nor a demon, but a man who didn’t think.
In this book, a result of articles she had written for The New Yorker. The philosopher argued that, as a result of mass society, a population, unable to make moral judgments, was created. This being the reason why orders are accepted without being questioned.
Eichmann was a Lieutenant Colonel of Nazi Germany. In this context, he, responsible for the deportation of Jews to the concentration camps, is not seen as a monster, but rather as an applied official who was unable to resist the orders he received.
This thought generated immense controversy, having been confused with the defension of the Nazi movement. Not least because, in this book, Arendt also gave examples of Jewish institutions that submitted to the Nazis or complied with their rules without questioning them.

Conclusions 

Making Hannah Arendt’s words my own, although lying is quite common today, how right is it to lie to someone? In the eyes of the ruler, we are nothing but a Mass Society: a flock of sheep ready to follow their orders without hesitation, without questioning them. “Lies have always been regarded as necessary and legitimate, not only in the profession of politician or demagogue but also in that of a man of the state. Why is it like this? And what does that mean with regard to the nature and dignity of political dominance, on one hand, and the nature and dignity of truth on the other? Is it the very essence of truth to be powerless and the very essence of power to deceive?”