On Certain Aspects of the Transformation of Masses in Late Industrial Societies

Abstract

In this paper, the author examines the problem of the historical transformation of masses that emerged as such at the dawn of the industrial societies in European countries. It was at that time that former peasants flooding the factories started to emerge as proletariat. Marx poeticized proletarian labour ascribing to it a great creative power in shaping history. In the second half of the 20th century, dramatic changes occur in the industrial societies, above all the emergence of the consumer society. From now on, man of the masses is no longer a producer of manufacturer, but rather a consumer; producer masses get transformed into consumer masses. The characteristics attributed to the latter by Jean Baudrillard (the idea of man viz. the sign and the masses as an object) merit a detailed analysis as provided in this paper.