No doubt this book, written just prior to the outbreak of the korean war, served as one of his qualifications. The book continues with a focus on hoffers analysis of the means used to motivate true believers and bind them together. Summary of eric hoffers, the true believer reason and meaning. Eric hoffers landmark analysis of the psychology of mass movements identifies the appeal of these campaigns for frustrated people seeking to escape their own incompetency and build a new life. The true believer project gutenberg selfpublishing. The longshoreman philosopher hoover institution press. In this vein, i find myself reading eric hoffers the true believer. The true believer is one of the most provocative books of our immediate day. The true believer, eric hoffer, and the contemporary left. Thoughts on the nature of mass movements is a 1951 social psychology book by american writer eric hoffer that discusses the psychological causes of fanaticism the book analyzes and attempts to explain the motives of the various types of personalities that give rise to mass movements.
He values the search for truth as much as the truth itself. Frustration seems to be inherent in this personality type. Eric hoffers the true believer is one of several insightful and. Apr 01, 2019 they are the ones sowing the seeds for the movements that will happen in the future. September 20, 2016 by jesse kornbluth leave a comment. Summary of eric hoffers, the true believer reason and. The true believer eric hoffer paperback harpercollins publishers. And eric hoffer was a true gangsta he was blind as a kid, homeless most his life, and tried killing himself at 30, so makes the book that much cooler. The famous bestseller with concise insight into what drives the mind of the fanatic and the dynamics of a mass movement wall st. Apr 30, 2018 eric hoffers the true believer is one of several insightful and important works that trace the trajectory of radical ideology of true believers in the bloody twentieth century. How to discuss a book helpful discussion tips generic discussion questionsfiction and nonfiction readthinktalk a guided reading chart also consider these litlovers talking points to help get a discussion started for the true believer. The range of his reading and research is vast, amazing. The gospel itself explains that there remained very few believers after. Many who join a rising revolutionary movement are attracted by the prospect of sudden and spectacular change in their conditions of life.
The true believer and the nature of mass movements. Hoffer is primarily concerned with the active phase, the stage dominated by the true believer. Aphoristic in style his later books would be even more in this vein, some having only a single sentence on a page, it was based upon years of reflection, and his own observations of the rise of. The true believer a new appreciation of eric hoffers classic book news, information, feature articles, and opinion regarding antiquarian, outofprint and rare books. Hoffer was to write several books throughout his career, but it was first book, the true believer which, published in 1951, made his name and fame. A revolutionary movement is a conspicuous instrument of change. The author of ten books, he was awarded the presidential medal of freedom in 1983. The book tries to understand and explain, not pass judgment. One complaint i have is how hoffer creates i dont know where to start, the book interweaves so many disciplines, history, politics, psychology, sociology, and religion. In hoffer s book, this hero, nourished by free societies, is set off against the true believer, who begins as a frustrated man driven by guilt, failure and selfdisgust to bury his own identity in a. A stevedore on the san francisco docks in the 1940s, eric hoffer wrote philosophical treatises in his spare time while living in the railroad yards. New yorker a stevedore on the san francisco docks in the 1940s, eric hoffer wrote philosophical treatises in his spare time while living in the railroad yards. The main characters of this non fiction, philosophy story are.
Originally published in 1951, the true believer is mainly concerned with fanaticism. Thoughts on the nature of mass movements 1951, is a work in social psychology. I suspect the president was unaware that the term true believer was made famous more than 65 years ago in eric hoffers 1951 book, the. Eric hoffer is a student of extraordinary perception and insight. Author of ten books, his big break came in when he penned the true believer which amassed recognition and acknowledgement from the critics and audience alike. The true believerthe first and most famous of his bookswas made into a bestseller when president. Aug 14, 2014 erics book is worth all the more reading today given the state of our world. Apr 01, 2020 in this vein, i find myself reading eric hoffers the true believer. Thoughts on the nature of mass movements by eric hoffer is a political philosophy classic from 1951. There is a lot to be said here, but ill just mention a few similarities.
The true believer download ebook pdf, epub, tuebl, mobi. Ive been reading eric hoffers eric hoffer 1951 book the true believer. Journal by presidential medal of freedom recipient eric hoffer, the true believer is a landmark in the field of social psychology, and even more relevant today than ever before in history. Thoughts on the nature of mass movements hoffer looks at various mass movements, religious and secular, good and bad, from. The book was published in multiple languages including, consists of 177 pages and is available in paperback format. True believers introduces us to a world of characters stunning in their variety. Published in 1951, it depicts a variety of arguments in terms of applied world history and social psychology to explain why mass movements arise to challenge to status quo, hoffer discussing the sense of individual identity and the holding to particular ideals that can. His papers in the hoover archives run to many thousands of pages and include journals that have never been. This book deals with some of the peculiarities common to all mass movements, be they religious movements, social revolutions, or national movements. A fall at the age of 7 left him partially blind until he was 15, when his eyesight returned.
Thoughts on the nature of mass movements hoffer looks at various mass movements, religious and secular, good and. Tea party as mass movements in eric hoffers the true. This book presents ideas about how mass movements work and the psychology of people that awakenjoin mass movements. Fair with yellowed cover, rubbed and bumped edges, and creased backstrip. From the intro, heres what its designed to explain.
Eric hoffer 1898 1983 was an american moral and social philosopher who worked for more than twenty years as longshoremen in san francisco. The true believer is a manuscript that attempts to grant justification as to why people would be drawn to a mass movement. It exemplifies the powers of creative thinking and. Eric hoffer published it in 1951, when the memories of people like hitler, stalin and mussolini were fresh in everyones mind. Hoffer writes, the genuine man of words can get along without faith in absolutes. Thoughts on the nature of mass movements is a 1951 social psychology book by american writer eric hoffer that discusses the psychological causes of fanaticism. The book is an uncommon psychological and moral exposition of the marxistsovietinspired new man, which was touted by western intellectuals as the future of western. Naturally, the question arises as to the similarities between trump supporters in the usa and hoffers true believers. Thoughts on the nature of mass movements is a nonfiction book authored by american philosopher eric hoffer. Combining the life of a working man with a life of reading and writing, the san francisco longshoreman eric hoffer became a noted philosopher, a bestselling author, and an acute observer of american life. Hoffer and the true believers the russell kirk center. In my last post, i discussed eric hoffers 1951 classic. In this lecture we examine eric hoffers fascinating analysis of mass movements.
A moral and social philosopher, eric hoffer was a sheer genius who is today regarded as one of the most important thinkers of the 20 th century. We look at their causes, those most prone to join a mass. Youd be welladvised to read eric hoffers the true believer in full before you. His prose style is at once aphoristic and thoughtful. He concludes his analysis with a discussion of the energumen of those who join both good and bad mass movements. Eric hoffer was a san francisco longshoreman who selfeducated and left behind the true believer, an astonishingly insightful examination of the phenomenon of mass movements. A mass movement is a form of social, economic, or religious movement where a. While it is hoffers first book, it is also the mature thought of a thinker who. True believers unite into a close group which gives them a new identity and new life, and liberates them from the cage of their frustration. The first edition of the novel was published in 1951, and was written by eric hoffer. This could easily be seen as hoffer s starting point. The true believer the first and most famous of his bookswas made into a bestseller when president eisenhower cited it during one of the earliest television press conferences. For booksellers and collectors of rare and antiquarian books. The true believer summary essay 1088 words bartleby.
Thoughts on the nature of mass movements pdf epub book. He cautions that although mass movements share many traits this does not imply that theyre equally harmful or beneficent. The true believer revisited issue 34 philosophy now. Thoughts on the nature of mass movements is one of the most widely read works of social psychology written in the 20thcentury. Hoffer wrote the book in 1951, when two of the most malignant mass movements in human history, those that produced the soviet union and nazi germany, sprung up, and the. Here was a man who was orphaned at the age of five, lost his eyesight at seven, gained it back miraculously by 15, and did odd jobs to survive, finally. However these intellectuals are more flexible than their true believers and followers. People wanted to understand why these movements sprang up and gripped millions of people, often with horrific results like the holocaust. The author uses examples of movements of all types from the past, as well as movements that were current when the book was written. Completely relevant and essential for understanding the world today, the true believer is a visionary, highly provocative look into the mind of the fanatic and a. Apart from his writing which is unlike any other i have read, with its simplicity and aphorisms, i also admire eric hoffer as a person. Erics book is worth all the more reading today given the state of our world. The true believerthe first and most famous of his bookswas made into a bestseller when president eisenhower cited it during one of the earliest television press conferences. They become true believers in a mass movement that appeals not to those.
As i have said for many years, god save us from the true believer. The true believer the first and most famous of his books was made into a. The best quotes from eric hoffers the true believer. The true believer and the nature of mass movements duration. Back in 1951, eric hoffer wrote a brilliant book called the true believer. Jul 11, 2017 i suspect the president was unaware that the term true believer was made famous more than 65 years ago in eric hoffers 1951 book, the true believer. May 10, 2011 a stevedore on the san francisco docks in the 1940s, eric hoffer wrote philosophical treatises in his spare time while living in the railroad yards.
Like most cold war authors writing in this genre, hoffer finds that communism, fascism, and religious movements have things in common, but he is careful to avoid turning the book into a. A piece of cardboard is glued onto the inside of the front cover in an attempt at. The true believer the first and most famous of his books was made into a bestseller when president eisenhower cited it during one of the earliest television press conferences. The true believer goodreads meet your next favorite book. Eric hoffers book the true believer is the great examination of the subject. Hoffers family was of modest means, and his early life was marked by hardship. Completely relevant and essential for understanding the world. Here are jokers and fanatics, punks and poets, thinkers and drinkers, chancers and killers. Eric hoffer 1898 1983 was an american moral and social philosopher who. Thoughts on the nature of mass movements perennial classics eric hoffer. Here are sadhearted priests, old friends, young lovers, rockers and rebels. Its theme is political fanaticism, with which it deals severely and brilliantly. The true believer a new appreciation of eric hoffers. Eric hoffers the true believer is one of several insightful and important works that trace the trajectory of radical ideology of true believers in the bloody twentieth century.
In walden henry david thoreau wrote, the mass of men lead lives of quiet desperation. Eric hoffer, born july 25, 1902, new york citydied may 21, 1983, san francisco, american longshoreman and philosopher whose writings on life, power, and social order brought him celebrity hoffers family was of modest means, and his early life was marked by hardship. Eric hoffer, american longshoreman and philosopher whose writings on life, power, and social order brought him celebrity. Eric hoffers the true believer and trump reason and meaning. Discussion questions use our litlovers book club resources. Jan 19, 2010 eric hoffer is a student of extraordinary perception and insight.