Fine della società? Guerra mondiale e Stato delle masse in Emil Lederer

Aim of the article is to retrace the origin of the main concepts and the pivotal argument put forward in Emil Lederer’s late work, "State of the Masses". The idea of an order based on the direct relationship between leader and masses, able to destroy society and its internal plurality, finds its roots within the First World War. To find the appropriate concepts to analyse this new order, which Lederer calls "totalitarian State", he is forced to carry out a renewal of his lexicon, emphasizing the role of irrationality and emotions. This effort lasted for years and found in "State of the Masses" its most effective formulation.