The Mentality of Crowds and Hitler.
In Gustav LeBon’s article on the mentalities present in crowds, he mentions the difference between the ordinary sense of a crowd – a gathering of individuals – and the psychological point of view of a crowd – "an agglomeration of men [that] presents new characteristics very different from those of the individuals composing it" (Sévigny 2006).
There is an almost similar article as to what we have read however it has some more details at http://spartan.ac.brocku.ca/~lward/LeBon/LeBon_1895/LeBon_1895_00.html. There you actually take a look at the entire book that LeBon devoted to his study of crowds. It has been said that Hitler read this book and many of us can guess what he used LeBon’s ideas for.
This video is from a movie portraying Hitler’s rise to power. In this clip it is evident how individually the left side of the audience disagreed with what Hitler was saying, however, when something such as an anthem – which to many brings to mind images of flags, of heroism, and of cultural identity – was sung, they all began to sing along. Even though it took some time, especially for the chancellor, everyone sitting in the room began to come together over something that took place in a situation of which they did not individually agree with.
The individual will was lost. This was one of LeBon’s main ideas in his article. However, a crowd does not have to all be in one place to be effective. An example of that is shown through activists against sending our troops to Afghanistan all protesting throughout the major cities of Ontario this past Saturday (the 28th).
So the only concern that presented itself to me from LeBon’s extensive research on the mentalities of crowds is: What do we do now? Every single person is part of some crowd or the other. Whether it be against child labor with UNICEF or whether it be part of the Marxist ideology, it is inevitable that we are part of a group. So my question to you would be: Can humans survive without belonging to a group that shares a belief or ideology? Can you imagine yourself not being part of a group?
References:
LeBon, Gustav. “General Characteristics of Crowds – Psychological Law of Their Mental Utility." Introduction to Communication. Alexandre Sévigny. Iowa: Kendall/Hunt Publishing Company, 2006. 121-125.
“Gustav Le Bon: The Crowd: Preface.” 2004. The Mead Project, Brock University. 29 October 2006. < http://spartan.ac.brocku.ca/~lward/LeBon/LeBon_1895/LeBon_1895_00.html>.
In Gustav LeBon’s article on the mentalities present in crowds, he mentions the difference between the ordinary sense of a crowd – a gathering of individuals – and the psychological point of view of a crowd – "an agglomeration of men [that] presents new characteristics very different from those of the individuals composing it" (Sévigny 2006).
There is an almost similar article as to what we have read however it has some more details at http://spartan.ac.brocku.ca/~lward/LeBon/LeBon_1895/LeBon_1895_00.html. There you actually take a look at the entire book that LeBon devoted to his study of crowds. It has been said that Hitler read this book and many of us can guess what he used LeBon’s ideas for.
This video is from a movie portraying Hitler’s rise to power. In this clip it is evident how individually the left side of the audience disagreed with what Hitler was saying, however, when something such as an anthem – which to many brings to mind images of flags, of heroism, and of cultural identity – was sung, they all began to sing along. Even though it took some time, especially for the chancellor, everyone sitting in the room began to come together over something that took place in a situation of which they did not individually agree with.
The individual will was lost. This was one of LeBon’s main ideas in his article. However, a crowd does not have to all be in one place to be effective. An example of that is shown through activists against sending our troops to Afghanistan all protesting throughout the major cities of Ontario this past Saturday (the 28th).
So the only concern that presented itself to me from LeBon’s extensive research on the mentalities of crowds is: What do we do now? Every single person is part of some crowd or the other. Whether it be against child labor with UNICEF or whether it be part of the Marxist ideology, it is inevitable that we are part of a group. So my question to you would be: Can humans survive without belonging to a group that shares a belief or ideology? Can you imagine yourself not being part of a group?
References:
LeBon, Gustav. “General Characteristics of Crowds – Psychological Law of Their Mental Utility." Introduction to Communication. Alexandre Sévigny. Iowa: Kendall/Hunt Publishing Company, 2006. 121-125.
“Gustav Le Bon: The Crowd: Preface.” 2004. The Mead Project, Brock University. 29 October 2006. < http://spartan.ac.brocku.ca/~lward/LeBon/LeBon_1895/LeBon_1895_00.html>.
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