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Современное варварство: причины и следствия
The article is devoted to the analysis of the phenomenon
of “barbarism”, which is still relevant today for the public and political
sphere. The authors focus on the so-called “vertical barbarism”. In con-
trast to the “horizontal barbarism”, which is known since the ancient
times, “vertical barbarism” is not associated with the direct clash of peo-
ples, but rather with complex social processes, primarily, powerful verti-
cal mobility and vast expansion of the access of broad social strata to the
achievements of civilization.
The authors believe that the birth of the “vertical barbarism” is asso-
ciated with the phenomenon described as “the revolt of the masses” by Jose
Ortega y Gasset, the Spanish philosopher. This is one of the most important
21 “ПОЛИТИЯ” № 2 (89) 2018
social and cultural shifts in the history of mankind, when the development of
democracy and industrial technologies resulted in a new space for people’s ex-
istence and brought to the forefront of public and political life the “man of the
masses”. “The revolt of the masses” in the first half of the 20 th century en-
tailed a wave of the “vertical barbarism” across Europe, which resulted in the
establishment of fascist, Nazi and right-wing authoritarian regimes in several
European countries. After the end of the World War II, the first wave of the
“vertical barbarism” rolled back, and the consumer society started to develop,
in which a “mass man” turned from an aggressive political subject into a rela-
tively passive political object.
The authors interpret the recent political wakeup of a “mass man” as
a new wave of the “vertical barbarism”. In their opinion, this wave is caused
by the fear and frustration of a “mass man” who failed to adapt to the vast ex-
pansion of the space for her life and the qualitative change in the social sphere
engendered by the development of democracy and the technological revolu-
tion of the late 20 th — early 21 st century. The lack of proper attention from the
political forces and structures to the ongoing shifts aggravates the situation,
making a “mass man” feel “abandoned” by the power and the state, which en-
courages her to rebel against the established order and throw out a challenge to
the modern civilization.
Keywords: barbarism, civilization, the revolt of the masses, vertical invasionThe article is devoted to the analysis of the phenomenon
of “barbarism”, which is still relevant today for the public and political
sphere. The authors focus on the so-called “vertical barbarism”. In con-
trast to the “horizontal barbarism”, which is known since the ancient
times, “vertical barbarism” is not associated with the direct clash of peo-
ples, but rather with complex social processes, primarily, powerful verti-
cal mobility and vast expansion of the access of broad social strata to the
achievements of civilization.
The authors believe that the birth of the “vertical barbarism” is asso-
ciated with the phenomenon described as “the revolt of the masses” by Jose
Ortega y Gasset, the Spanish philosopher. This is one of the most important
social and cultural shifts in the history of mankind, when the development of
democracy and industrial technologies resulted in a new space for people’s ex-
istence and brought to the forefront of public and political life the “man of the
masses”. “The revolt of the masses” in the first half of the 20 th century en-
tailed a wave of the “vertical barbarism” across Europe, which resulted in the
establishment of fascist, Nazi and right-wing authoritarian regimes in several
European countries. After the end of the World War II, the first wave of the
“vertical barbarism” rolled back, and the consumer society started to develop,
in which a “mass man” turned from an aggressive political subject into a rela-
tively passive political object.
The authors interpret the recent political wakeup of a “mass man” as
a new wave of the “vertical barbarism”. In their opinion, this wave is caused
by the fear and frustration of a “mass man” who failed to adapt to the vast ex-
pansion of the space for her life and the qualitative change in the social sphere
engendered by the development of democracy and the technological revolu-
tion of the late 20 th — early 21 st century. The lack of proper attention from the
political forces and structures to the ongoing shifts aggravates the situation,
making a “mass man” feel “abandoned” by the power and the state, which en-
courages her to rebel against the established order and throw out a challenge to
the modern civilization.