The subtle essay by the Spanish cultural philosopher, first published in 1930 and since translated into many languages, is considered one of the epochal books of the 20th century. In a time of political and social uncertainty, Ortega y Gasset wrote "The Revolt of the Masses," one of the great and enduring diagnoses of industrial and mass democratic civilization. Some of his pointed and elegantly formulated theses—particularly regarding the nationalization of life or the decline of European nation-states—are more relevant today than ever.