Crowds: The Stadium as a Ritual of Intensity

Hans Ulrich Gumbrecht views stadiums as intense rituals that offer a different perspective on the dynamic of the masses, engaging in conversation with critical thinkers such as Le Bon, Nietzsche, Freud, Ortega y Gasset, Canetti, Kracauer, Adorno, and Horkheimer. He argues that being part of a crowd opens us up to an experience beyond ourselves.

\n Format: Paperback / softback
\n Length: 138 pages
\n Publication date: 11 May 2021
\n Publisher: Stanford University Press
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Anyone who has ever attended a sporting event in a vast stadium can attest to the electric atmosphere created by the enthusiastic fans cheering on their teams. While the masses have often been portrayed in negative light in politics and culture, literary critic and avid sports enthusiast Hans Ulrich Gumbrecht offers a compelling argument in favor of the masses. Drawing on his experiences as a spectator in stadiums across South America, Germany, and the United States, Gumbrecht presents the stadium as a ritual of intensity, offering a unique perspective through which we can capture and appreciate the dynamic of the masses.

In presenting this alternative view, Gumbrecht engages in a dialogue with thinkers who were more skeptical of the potential of the masses, including Gustave Le Bon, Friedrich Nietzsche, Sigmund Freud, José Ortega y Gasset, Elias Canetti, Siegfried Kracauer, T. W. Adorno, and Max Horkheimer. A preface explores college crowds as a distinct phenomenon within American culture.

Through his writing, Gumbrecht combines philosophical rigor with the passion of a true sports fan, offering insights from the perspective of a crowd member. He argues that being part of a crowd allows us to transcend our individual selves and experience something more profound and collective.

In conclusion, Gumbrecht's exploration of the power of the masses in the context of sporting events provides a fresh and thought-provoking perspective. By presenting the stadium as a ritual of intensity, he offers a different lens through which we can appreciate the dynamic and significance of the masses in both politics and culture. His engagement with critical thinkers and his own experiences as a spectator contribute to a deeper understanding of the complexities and potential of this often-overlooked aspect of human society.

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Dimension: 203 x 127 (mm)\n
ISBN-13: 9781503628830\n \n