INSTINCTS OF THE HERD IN PEACE AND WAR (Annotated)
Enriched Edition. A Classic Study of Crowd Psychology, Public Opinion, and Mass Behavior in War and DemocracyBy Wilfred Trotter
Length9h 43m
About this audiobook
Instincts of the Herd in Peace and War is a penetrating essay in social psychology that argues human conduct cannot be understood apart from gregarious instinct. Written in a lucid, aphoristic, and medically disciplined prose, the book examines suggestibility, conformity, public opinion, nationalism, and the emotional energies released by war. Emerging from the intellectual climate of early twentieth-century evolutionary theory, crowd psychology, and wartime reflection, it offers a distinctive alternative to purely rational accounts of politics and morality. Wilfred Trotter was a distinguished British surgeon, later noted for his work in neurosurgery and for his association with scientific and literary circles that included figures such as Sigmund Freud and Ernest Jones. His clinical training shaped his habit of diagnosing collective life with the precision of pathology: society appears to him as an organism whose health depends on the management, not denial, of instinct. The First World War sharpened his concern with obedience, panic, and solidarity. This book is recommended to readers interested in political psychology, sociology, intellectual history, and the origins of modern theories of mass behavior. Though historically situated, it remains strikingly relevant wherever propaganda, tribal allegiance, or public fear governs democratic life.
This enriched edition has been carefully crafted to add value to your reading experience.
- A succinct Introduction situates the work's timeless appeal and themes.
- The Synopsis outlines the central plot, highlighting key developments without spoiling critical twists.
- A detailed Historical Context immerses you in the era's events and influences that shaped the writing.
- A thorough Analysis dissects symbols, motifs, and character arcs to unearth underlying meanings.
- Reflection questions prompt you to engage personally with the work's messages, connecting them to modern life.
- Hand‐picked Memorable Quotes shine a spotlight on moments of literary brilliance.
Audiobook details
Rating★★★★ 3.9 (557)
Includes Goodreads, Amazon, LibraryThing, StoryGraph
GenrePsychology
Length9 hrs 43 mins
Narrated byListen with 1,000+ voices
FormateBook with Audio
Publish dateSep 18, 2017
LanguageEnglish
Table of contents
1INSTINCTS OF THE HERD IN PEACE AND WAR (Annotated)
2Introduction
3Historical Context
4Synopsis (Selection)
5Preface
Show all chaptersShow less
6Preface to the Second Edition
7Herd Instinct and Its Bearing on the Psychology of Civilized Man
8I. Introduction
9II. Psychological Aspects of Instinct
10III. Biological Significance of Gregariousness
11IV. Mental Characteristics of the Gregarious Animal
12Sociological Applications of the Psychology of Herd Instinct
13Gregariousness and the Future of Man
14Speculations Upon the Human Mind in 1915
15Man’s Place in Nature and Nature’s Place in Man
16Comments on an Objective System of Human Psychology
17Some Principles of a Biological Psychology
18The Biology of Gregariousness
19Characters of the Gregarious Animal Displayed by Man
20Some Peculiarities of the Social Habit in Man
21Imperfections of the Social Habit in Man
22Gregarious Species at War
23England Against Germany—Germany
24England Against Germany—England
25Postscript of 1919
26Prejudice in Time of War
27Psychological Anticipations
28After the War
29The Instability of Civilization
30Some Characters of a Rational Statecraft
31Analysis
32Reflection
33Memorable Quotes
More from Wilfred Trotter
What to Make of a LifeJim Collins13h 31m4.4 (793)$33 · $0.00
Braving the TruthRachel Held Evans11h 31m4.7 (359)$29 · $0.00
Level UpRob Dial7h 42m4.6 (3.3K)$26 · $0.00
As a JewSarah Hurwitz8h 36m4.6 (1.2K)$26 · $0.00
Burn the HaystackJennie Young, PhD9h 30m4.6 (543)$29 · $0.00
Woman and the New Race (Annotated)Margaret Sanger6h 30m4.6 (1K)$1.99 · $0.00
Good InsideBecky Kennedy9h 55m4.5 (59.3K)$29 · $0.00
Du Bois: EssaysW.E.B. Du Bois6h 22m4.6 (1.5K)$1 · $0.00
The North American Indian (Illustrated Edition)Edward S. Curtis, Frederick Webb Hodge5h 59m4.6 (1.4K)$2 · $0.00
Valley of the BirdtailAndrew Stobo Sniderman, Douglas Sanderson10h 1m4.6 (2.4K)$29 · $0.00
Lies My Therapist Told MeGreg E. Gifford9h 3m4.6 (503)$29 · $0.00
Disturbed in Their NestsAlephonsion Deng, Judy A. Bernstein11h 22m4.6 (595)$23 · $0.00
No Name in the StreetJames Baldwin5h4.5 (8.5K)$20 · $0.00
Magic SeasonWade Rouse6h 41m4.6 (855)$24 · $0.00
Consent Laid BareChanel Contos7h 11m4.5 (1.7K)$24 · $0.00
The Big RevealSasha Velour6h 15m4.5 (2.1K)$24 · $0.00
Pastoral SongJames Rebanks8h 35m4.5 (12K)$26 · $0.00
Sitting PrettyRebekah Taussig7h 33m4.5 (18.9K)$26 · $0.00
Wholehearted FaithRachel Held Evans, Jeff Chu5h 45m4.5 (10.2K)$24 · $0.00
Children Under FireJohn Woodrow Cox10h 17m4.5 (1.6K)$29 · $0.00
You may also like
The Origins of TotalitarianismHannah Arendt23h 24m4.3 (23.3K)$32
The Christian MindHarry Blamires5h 58m4.1 (418)$14 · $0.00
ReligionArthur Schopenhauer3h 11m4.0 (1.2K)$21 · $0.00
Bad FeministRoxane Gay11h 47m4.0 (127.1K)$29 · $0.00
A Chill in the AirIris Origo4h 20m4.2 (1.2K)$20 · $0.00
The Constitution of Japan, 1946Japan2h 12m4.2 (287)$2 · $0.00
Where the Line Is DrawnRaja Shehadeh6h 14m4.2 (496)$17
The True BelieverEric Hoffer5h 17m4.3 (18.7K)$24 · $0.00
NehruAdeel Hussain, Tripurdaman Singh9h 54m4.1 (336)$29 · $0.00
Trials of War Criminals Before the Nuernberg Military Tribunals Volume IIVarious40h 36m$2.30
Discover the beauty of ExpressionismAshley Bassie1h 27m$13 · $0.00
Above the BattleRomain Rolland4h 12m3.7 (86)$2.30
Alsace-LorraineDaniel Blumenthal1h 14m$1 · $0.00
Letter From China: The Worst Chinese New Year EverRICE media26m$6 · $0.00
Francisco GoyaSarah Carr-Gomm2h 15m3.7 (15)$13 · $0.00
When Africa awakesHubert H. Harrison5h 25m$1 · $0.00
Progressivism, the Great Depression, and the New DealChristopher Collier, James Lincoln Collier2h 4m$15
Roosevelt in the Kansas City Star: War-time EditorialsTheodore Roosevelt10h 30m4.2 (18)$1 · $0.00
The Soul of GeniusJeffrey Orens10h 9m3.9 (206)$20
KirchnerKlaus Carl2h 1m4.6 (11)$13.50 · $0.00