The Crowd by Gustave Le Bon: Understanding Mass Psychology

The Crowd by Gustave Le Bon

Ever pondered what happens when a multitude forms itself into a crowd? The reason such highly intelligent collective minds sometimes turn into uncontrollable, highly emotional masses was addressed about a hundred years ago by a polymath from France, Gustave Le Bon (1841-1931), in his great and highly controversial book, 'The Crowd: A Study of the Popular Mind' (originally 'Psychologie des Foules') published in 1895. This book was neither simply a dusty academic tome nor a fading museum object, but had and continues to have ripples in the fabric of intellectual history.

So what are we doing here talking about a book written some 130 years ago-seemingly an archaic study of the psychology of the crowd-while it still teaches us the how-can-do-anything insights from social media mobs to political rallies?

The Big Idea: What is "a psychological crowd"?

Le Bon did not merely refer to a random group of people waiting for some bus to come. He asserted that under certain conditions the individuals in a group could merge into a "psychological crowd". This entity, according to him, develops a collectivity or crowd spirit; something utterly different from the sum of its individual parts.

Consider this pestering observation of Le Bon with regard to this "collective mind":

Rationality Takes a Nosedive: Conscious, logical thinking gets subsumed under unconscious, emotionally driven urges. A direct challenge to the Enlightenment thinking that saw society constructed by rational men, the very essence of that collective mind was in Le Bon's word, "the loss of individual rationality".
Emotions Run Wild: "The crowd is impulsive and emotional." Late 19th-century anxieties about the "volatility and lack of control of the 'masses'" played into this idea.
Ideas and feelings are suggestible and contagious one-off: Like political and social theory in the time, the later Le Bon emphasizes contagion as a mechanism for the swift dissemination of emotions and ideas."
Leader hungry: Crowds crave strong men who utter simple affirmations and repetition. The observation had a lasting impact on political rhetoric and propaganda techniques.
Intellectually inferior?: Hold your breath for this one-Le Bon maintained that crowds have inferior mental characteristics-eight were those that had no place in a learned man's reasoning. When they put their heads together, they shared illusions, and stupor was one option. "

Shaky Foundations: The Method Behind the Madness?

While Le Bon's observations were intriguing, his methods wouldn't pass muster today. Critics point out:

Reliance on Anecdotes: His work leaned heavily on personal observations (like his experiences during the Paris Commune) and historical examples, rather than "systematic empirical research".

Decontextualization: He often ignored the broader social, political, and economic settings of the crowds he described.

Sweeping Generalizations: He applied characteristics from specific events, like the French Revolution, to all types of crowds, from angry mobs to parliamentary groups. This "uncritical transfer of characteristics" weakened his arguments.

Contemporary social psychologists, while acknowledging some of Le Bon's insights, generally reject his framework due to these "significant methodological weaknesses and the lack of robust empirical support".

A Product of Its Time: Late 19th-Century Jitters

"The Crowd" didn't appear in a vacuum. The late 19th century was a period of massive social upheaval:

The rise of mass society and democratic movements.

Anxieties about social unrest, labor movements, and events like the Paris Commune (which Le Bon witnessed).

The book resonated with "the fears of the elite regarding the perceived irrationality and potential for disruption associated with the growing power of the masses."

Influences from Darwinism and theories of degeneration, which unfortunately fed into Le Bon's biases on race and civilization hierarchies.

Initial reactions were mixed: fascination with his attempt to explain crowd behavior, but also early skepticism about his "broad generalizations... apparent biases, and the overall lack of rigorous scientific methodology".

Echoes Through History: The Far-Reaching Influence:

With all its inadequacies, "The Crowd," nevertheless, punched well above its weight:

Social Psychology: It is considered a cornerstone text for crowd psychology. Even Freud was heavily influenced, referring to it profusely in his "Group Psychology and the Analysis of the Ego". Deindividuation is another concept that owes a debt to Le Bon.
Sociology: His theories challenge the purely individualistic perception of society and demand explanations for collective phenomena.
Political Science and Propaganda: This is where it gets dark. Le Bon's work on crowd manipulation was apparently studied by leaders such as Benito Mussolini, and Hitler's "Mein Kampf" is cited to show hints of adopting both the language and philosophy of 'The Crowd.' That documented influence of ‘The Crowd’ upon totalitarian leaders opens a can of ethical concerns."

The Uncomfortable Truths: Criticisms That Stick

"The Crowd" has faced a barrage of criticism, and for good reason:

Elitism: A deep "distrust of the masses", viewing them as inherently inferior.
Sexism: Le Bon often described crowds using "feminine" characteristics, linking emotionality and irrationality to women, reflecting "prevailing patriarchal stereotypes of his era."
Racism: He incorporated "racial theories and a hierarchical view of races", which are now scientifically discredited and reflect the problematic racial science of the time.
Oversimplification: He painted all crowds with the same negative brush, ignoring their diversity and potential for positive, rational collective action.
Potential for Misuse: As seen with totalitarian regimes, his work provided a troubling toolkit for manipulation.

Later theories, like social identity theory, offer more nuanced explanations that emphasize shared identities and values, aspects largely missing from Le Bon's work.

Still Relevant in the Digital Age?

That is why we are still occupied with this very imperfect, hundred-year-old book: for Le Bon "indeed captures some very fundamental aspects of human behavior in groups that transcend its original historical moment".

Social Media Mobs: The rapid transmission of affect, suggestibility, and formation of online echo chambers closely parallel Le Bon's descriptions.
Political Polarization and Misinformation: He provides a perspective on how "fake news" and extreme views can get traction by focusing on simple messages, repetition, and diminishing crowd critical thinking.
Mass movements: Le Bon's thinking emphasizes the role of leadership and common beliefs, which are worth considering even if later theoretical perspectives are more sophisticated.

Final Word: A Complicated Legacy:

"The Crowd: A Study of the Popular Mind" is indeed a complex beast. As a product of its times, it is full of biases and methodological weaknesses. Still, surely, no one can deny its very significant place in influencing thoughts about groups. It made some very prescient, if Vince; future-st-altering type of comments that have all the more resonance now in our hyper-connected era.

The circuit of this book in the intellectual history is evidence of their "contested legacy that requires ongoing critical engagement in contemporary scholarship". It serves as a strong reminder that wrong ideas can change things, for better and for ill, and that the need to understand crowd psychology becomes paramount.