The nature of crowds has long been a topic of interest in philosophy. However, the 18th and 19th centuries were a time when an increased emphasis was placed on understanding the psychology of crowds. For example, the 18th century philosopher Jean Jacques Rousseau proclaimed that "...we have a very imperfect knowledge of the human heart if we do not also examine it in crowds."Gustave Le Bon a French social psychologist, is often seen as the father of the study of crowd psychology. Le Bon believed an understanding of crowd psychology was essential for a proper understating of the both history and the nature of man. As he wrote in his classic and highly influential work The Crowd: A Study of the Popular Mind:
![Cover of The Crowd [electronic Resource]](/_next/image?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.bookswagon.com%2FBW%2Fproductimages%2Fmainimages%2F126%2F9781014892126.jpg&w=828&q=75)
![Cover of The Crowd: A Study of the Popular Mind [Hardcover]](/_next/image?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.bookswagon.com%2FBW%2Fproductimages%2Fmainimages%2F682%2F9788121259682.jpg&w=828&q=75)
