Introduction
Elias Canetti's "Crowds and Power" is a thought-provoking exploration of the complex relationship between individuals, crowds, and power structures throughout human history. This influential work delves into the psychological and sociological aspects of how people behave in groups and how power dynamics shape our societies. Canetti's insights offer a unique perspective on the forces that drive human behavior and the formation of social structures.
The Nature of Crowds
What Makes a Crowd?
Canetti begins by examining the fundamental characteristics of crowds. A crowd is not simply a large gathering of people; it's a collective entity with its own unique properties. When individuals come together to form a crowd, they experience a sense of equality and unity that transcends their individual differences. This transformation is what gives crowds their power and significance.
The author identifies several key attributes that define all crowds:
- Growth: Crowds have an inherent desire to expand and attract more members.
- Equality: Within a crowd, all members are considered equal, regardless of their social status or background.
- Density: Crowds are typically characterized by physical closeness and proximity between members.
- Direction: Every crowd has a shared goal or purpose that unites its members.
Types of Crowds
Canetti distinguishes five different types of crowds based on their emotional content and purpose:
Baiting crowds: These crowds form with the intention of targeting and eliminating a specific individual or group. A historical example is the crowd that called for the crucifixion of Jesus Christ.
Flight crowds: These crowds come together in response to a common threat or danger. Once the threat passes, the crowd typically disperses.
Prohibition crowds: These crowds form around the idea of refusal or resistance, such as striking workers on a picket line.
Reversal crowds: These crowds aim to overturn existing power structures, like slaves revolting against their masters or soldiers turning against their officers.
Feast crowds: These crowds gather for the purpose of shared indulgence, often centered around food-based festivals or celebrations.
Understanding these different types of crowds helps us recognize the various ways in which people come together and the motivations behind their collective actions.
From Packs to Crowds
The Origins of Crowds
To understand the nature of crowds, Canetti traces their origins back to an earlier form of human association: the pack. Packs existed long before crowds and can be traced back to our ancestors' nomadic and pastoral lifestyles. Unlike crowds, packs are not defined by growth or density, as they are isolated groups surrounded by wilderness. However, they share the traits of equality and direction with crowds.
Canetti identifies four types of packs:
Hunting pack: Formed with the aim of killing prey that is too large or dangerous for an individual to tackle alone.
War pack: Similar to the hunting pack, but with the goal of killing other humans or packs.
Lamenting pack: Formed when a group member dies, with the purpose of mourning and maintaining group unity.
Increase pack: Seeks growth and expansion, which is where we find the roots of the modern crowd.
As human populations grew and became more connected, the increase pack's desire for growth could finally be fulfilled, leading to the development of larger crowds.
Religious Rituals and Pack Behavior
Canetti draws fascinating connections between religious rituals and the behavior of ancient packs. He examines how major world religions, such as Christianity and Shia Islam, reflect their origins in pack and crowd dynamics.
In Islam, for example, devout Muslims gather for prayer five times a day in small groups, which can be seen as prayer packs. These groups then merge into larger crowds for Friday prayers and during the hajj pilgrimage to Mecca. The crowd of pilgrims at the Kaaba exemplifies the equality and unity of purpose that characterize crowds.
The author pays particular attention to the concept of lamentation in religion, which he connects to the lamenting pack. Shia Islam, with its emphasis on mourning the death of Imam Hussein, is a prime example of a religion of lament. Similarly, Christianity's focus on the sacrifice of Jesus Christ and the rituals surrounding his death and resurrection can be traced back to the behavior of lamenting packs.
Nations as Crowds
The Power of Symbols
Canetti argues that nations are essentially crowds that people relate to through symbols. These national symbols play a crucial role in how individuals identify with and feel connected to their nation. By examining different national symbols, we can gain insight into how various cultures perceive themselves and their place in the world.
Some examples of national crowd symbols include:
- England: The sea, with individuals seeing themselves as captains of small ships
- Germany: The army and the image of a marching forest
- France: Revolution
- The Netherlands: Dikes
- Spain: The matador
The Jewish nation presents a particularly complex case, with the symbol of the Exodus from Egypt uniting people through the idea of wandering in exile and searching for a promised land.
These symbols serve as powerful tools for creating a sense of national identity and unity, even when individuals are not physically gathered in a crowd.
The Nature of Power
The Basics of Power
Canetti defines power as the threat of force extended through space and time. Unlike physical force, which is immediate, power has a more lasting and far-reaching impact. The author traces the origins of power to three fundamental acts: seizing, killing, and eating.
Seizing: Symbolized by the hand's tight grip, this act represents the first assertion of power over an object or being.
Killing: Represented by fingers and their pointed tips, this act demonstrates the ability to end life and exert ultimate control.
Eating: Symbolized by the mouth and teeth, this act involves breaking down and absorbing the substance of the consumed, literally incorporating it into the body of the powerful.
These basic acts of power are often represented symbolically in various cultures, such as the use of large feline paws to represent power or the association of sharp teeth with strength and dominance.
Survival as Power
Canetti introduces the concept of survival as a form of power. The mere act of surviving, especially in dangerous situations, is seen as a demonstration of strength and superiority. This idea is reflected in various aspects of human culture and belief systems:
The survivor on the battlefield: Standing upright among the fallen, the survivor feels invincible and uniquely powerful.
The paranoid ruler: A common archetype in history, the ruler who survives numerous threats and maintains power through tyranny.
Mythological beliefs: Many premodern societies believed in the transfer of power from the defeated to the victor, such as the Polynesian concept of mana or the Australian Murngin belief in spiritual transfer through killing.
Origin myths: Numerous cultures trace their beginnings to a small group of survivors of a great disaster, such as the Biblical story of Noah or the Kutenai tribe's epidemic survival myth.
These examples illustrate how the act of survival itself can be a powerful symbol and source of authority in human societies.
Maintaining Power
Symbols and Secrecy
Canetti explores various ways in which power is maintained and exercised, focusing on the use of symbols and the importance of secrecy.
Symbols of power often draw on images of force from the natural world. Many cultures use swift and powerful animals like lions, leopards, eagles, and falcons to represent power. These symbols serve as a constant reminder of the strength and potential for violence that underlies power structures.
The author also emphasizes the role of manipulation and secrecy in maintaining power. This can take the form of verbal or mental manipulation, such as mastery of questioning techniques or the ability to conceal one's true thoughts and intentions. Canetti argues that power thrives on secrecy, as it allows the powerful to maintain an advantage over others by controlling information and keeping their motives hidden.
The Power of Commands
Commands play a crucial role in the exercise of power, and Canetti traces their origins back to a primal threat of death. The author argues that the original command is the flight command, exemplified by a lion's roar that sends prey fleeing for their lives.
Key aspects of commands include:
- External origin: Commands always come from outside oneself, experienced as an imposition.
- Submission: We obey commands because we recognize the superior strength of the command-giver.
- Power accumulation: Each time a command is obeyed, the power of the command-giver grows.
As human societies developed, the threat of death implicit in commands became less overt. Canetti describes this process as the "domestication" of command-giving, where bribery often replaces the threat of violence. For example, a pet owner might offer food in exchange for obedience, rather than threatening punishment.
However, some institutions, such as the military, maintain a closer connection to the original nature of commands. In armies, the unquestioning obedience to commands from superiors is essential to their functioning, which is why armies can never be true crowds with equal members.
The Role of Transformation in Power
Canetti explores the concept of transformation as a key component of power dynamics. He uses the Georgian fairytale "The Master and His Apprentice" to illustrate how the ability to transform oneself can be a powerful tool in the struggle for dominance.
In nature, animals use transformation as a survival tactic, such as playing dead to avoid predators. Humans, unable to physically transform, use cunning disguises and deception to gain advantages over their opponents. This is evident in the behavior of despots who wear a mask of benevolence while constantly seeking to unmask their enemies.
The author draws attention to the beliefs of southern African bushmen, who are said to possess an extraordinary sensitivity to the world around them. This sensitivity allows them to transform their own feelings and sense of self to reflect the wider world, enabling them to anticipate events and empathize deeply with others and even animals.
Other Aspects of Power
Rank and Posture
Canetti examines how power is reflected in human posture and behavior. He argues that the way people carry themselves and position their bodies in relation to others is a clear indicator of their rank and authority. The author focuses on three main postures:
Standing: Associated with independence, confidence, and self-sufficiency. Standing upright distinguishes humans from most animals and conveys a sense of readiness and alertness.
Sitting: Can express both power and powerlessness, depending on the context. Sitting in a chair, which evolved from the throne, originally signified distinction and authority.
Lying down: Often associated with vulnerability, especially during sleep. The act of suddenly rising from a lying position can create a powerful impression of vitality.
Control of Time
The regulation of time is another aspect of power that Canetti explores. He argues that power seeks to align itself with the eternal, attempting to endure through all time. This desire is reflected in various ways:
Calendar reforms: Leaders like Julius Caesar established new calendars and named months after themselves to leave a lasting mark on the measurement of time.
Long-term visions: Political ideologies often emphasize far-reaching goals, such as Adolf Hitler's concept of the "thousand-year Reich."
By controlling how time is measured and perceived, those in power attempt to extend their influence beyond their own lifetimes and into the realm of the eternal.
Conclusion: The Interplay of Crowds and Power
Elias Canetti's "Crowds and Power" offers a profound and multifaceted exploration of human behavior in groups and the nature of power dynamics. By tracing the origins of crowds back to prehistoric packs and examining the various ways in which power is exercised and maintained, Canetti provides valuable insights into the forces that shape our societies and individual experiences.
Key takeaways from the book include:
The transformation that occurs when individuals become part of a crowd, experiencing equality and unity.
The different types of crowds that form based on emotional content and purpose.
The connection between ancient pack behaviors and modern religious rituals.
The role of symbols in creating national identities and binding people to the concept of a nation.
The fundamental acts of power: seizing, killing, and eating.
The importance of survival as a demonstration of power.
The use of symbols, secrecy, and commands in maintaining power structures.
The role of transformation and disguise in power struggles.
The significance of posture and time regulation in expressing and maintaining power.
Canetti's work challenges us to think critically about our participation in crowds and our relationship to power structures. By understanding these dynamics, we can gain a deeper appreciation for the complex interplay between individuals, groups, and authority that shapes human history and continues to influence our world today.
"Crowds and Power" remains a relevant and thought-provoking text for anyone interested in sociology, psychology, political science, or simply seeking to better understand the forces that drive human behavior and social organization. Its insights into the nature of crowds and the workings of power continue to resonate in our increasingly interconnected and complex world.